Marine Tank Gallery IV
Written by Tuesday, 31 December 2002 00:00
The total length of the fire-worm may be from 5 to 30 cm (this particular fire-worm is approximately 30 cm long). It can be found in almost any type of habitat starting from very shallow rocky bottom and ending in quite deep waters (sandy or rocky). The specimen above was collected at a depth of approximately 8 meters over a sandy habitat. It is very common in the Eastern Mediterranean but not so common in the Western Mediterranean and usually not found in cold water. It should be noted that exactly the same species is encountered all over the world in warm waters. It is a carnivore which will eat dead or dying fish as well as any decomposing animal. It will not attack healthy fish (it lucks teeth so it is not possible to capture anything that can move) thus becoming a valuable scavenger for marine and especially reef tanks. The hair of this polychete is very durable, dense and venomous. They are the only defence of the fireworm and will easily penetrate the skin and enter the body while at the same time the venom (if many hairs enter the skin) may cause severe health problems. Therefore this animal is not to be touched by hand. The animal reproduces sexually although asexual reproduction of the fireworm has been also proposed. In the tank it will slowly move around the aquascape eating any food left overs. In the confinements of a reef tank with many small crevices, collecting uneaten food is quite a task so this animal comes handy. In contrast to other animals the fireworm will not hide so it can be easily collected in case the population grows to large numbers. Not very active in the aquarium (and nature) may stay in the same position for the whole day. The close up photo of the head of the fire worm shows the delicacy and symmetry only nature is capable of producing even when creating a worm.
The most common fish divers will see in the Mediterranean. Will reach a size of up to 15 cm. The change in color from the juvenile to the adult stage is remarkable. It is very difficult to imagine that the dully coloured adult (top photo) comes from those neon-coloured juveniles (bottom). Although a batch of 15-20 juveniles forming a school in the middle of the tank is an eye catching sight in any tank, one should keep in mind that they grow quickly, the splendid colouration is rapidly lost and the fish (being a damsel) will finally display territorial behaviour. This fish is a schooling fish and usually very large schools with hundreds of individuals are seen hanging mid water. In contrast, the juveniles prefer to stay close to the bottom and hide in crevices.
A really common fish in the Mediterranean, Serranus scriba will grow to 20-36 cm (the fish shown has an overall length of 15 cm). Usually found in front of rock formations or under rocky overhangs at depths of 1-150 meters, this fish is a predator, something clearly demonstrated - along with a good deal of aggression - in the environment of the tank. In short, it is a grouper - every inch of it. Very shy fish at the beginning it will take a lot of time to acclimatize but when it does you may wish it never did. It is not very quick to come out to feed but when it attacks its food (attack is the right word) it does so with an amazing speed. Indeed, I can think of very few small fish that could escape this move. Unfortunately, one of the small T. pavo housed in the same tank didn't. The fish will demonstrate its aggression in every chance - will even chase fish already holding food and manages to grab the food from their mouths. It is a voracious eater and will eat as much food as available - even when it is evident that it has had enough. After eating the unlucky T. pavo (sized almost 75% its own length) it stayed in the bottom of the tank, unable to move, with a tremendously swollen belly. Despite that, when I approached the tank holding the shrimps, it made desperate efforts to lift itself to the surface in order to eat more. I am really undecided as to whether this fish is to be kept in the same tank with other fish - especially fish smaller than itself. Males will exhibit an almost fluorescent large blue spot on their sides, which becomes even more prominent in subdued light. In nature it will feed on invertebrates and small fish while in captivity it will not accept dried food but will eagerly take frozen shrimps. The fish is territorial in the wild chasing conspecifics away from its territory. Another characteristic is its curiosity. When approached (in the wild) it will stay out of cover to see what you will do and will only hide when you get really close to it.
Read article on Starting a marine (Mediterranean) tank.
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