| The scientific naming convention that classifies fish | | | | separates plants and animals into groups in a way |
| is covered in this tropical fish information | | | | that their relationship to each other is easily |
| commentary along with details on the founder of | | | | established. Taxonomy finds, describes and |
| it and some reasons why people have tropical fish | | | | categorizes organisms into seven major |
| in their aquarium. | | | | groupings, in this order, Kingdom/Phylum/Division |
| Why Tropical Fish? | | | | Class/Order/Family/Genus/Species. |
| People who keep tropical fish in an aquarium | | | | But in this binomial nomenclature system a |
| (aquarists) are a growing number as its popularity | | | | 'scientific name' is produced and consists only of |
| soars and those involved range from school | | | | the genus name and the species name. Biologists |
| children through to old age pensioners. | | | | like to call the genus and species combination the |
| Because tropical fish tend to be more colored, | | | | 'scientific name' although it could be called the |
| there is a better choice for the fish keeper and | | | | 'Latin name'. |
| as they are smaller in size you can keep a lot | | | | Ichthyology is a branch of zoology dedicated to |
| more of them at home in your aquarium, and due | | | | the study of fish and as it advances, on the odd |
| to captive breeding the aquarist does not have to | | | | occasion, fishes names have been re-classified but |
| buy them in from their tropical environment. | | | | because they are not universally used by |
| Breeding has gone on for so long now that the | | | | everyone a single fish can have two scientific |
| original fish will most likely be unrecognizable | | | | names. |
| regarding its color, size and shape. And when | | | | For example the Chanda lala and the Ambassis lala |
| there have been no successes with breeding | | | | might be assumed to be different species, but |
| outside the wild environment then you will have to | | | | they are not. And you may have more than one |
| get your fish imported from its original | | | | genus with several species. For example there is |
| geographical area. | | | | the Colisa labiosa and the Colisa fasciata. |
| Binomial Nomenclature | | | | If there is no actual descriptor of the fish for a |
| Virtually every fish species has a common name | | | | known genus then the resulting scientific name is |
| (even several), which pet shops and aquarium | | | | the genus name plus the word species. |
| keepers may use on a regular basis, but if an | | | | Speaking of species, it appears that about two |
| correct description and identification is needed | | | | hundred and 50 new species are given scientific |
| then common names are not enough. | | | | names every year and according to a thorough |
| Carl Linnaeus was a Swedish botanist, physician, | | | | database of fish information by the beginning of |
| and zoologist (known as the father of modern | | | | January 2010 there were over thirty-one |
| taxonomy, and is also considered one of the | | | | thousand species. |
| fathers of modern ecology) who laid the | | | | And if you total up all the reptiles, amphibians, |
| foundations for the modern scheme of binomial | | | | birds and mammals in the world and compare it |
| nomenclature which is the conventional system of | | | | to the number of fish species in the world. The |
| naming species. | | | | fish wins hands down (or should that be fins |
| This system has been used since 1758 and | | | | down!). |