Tip of the Day – 5/17/2012

Although our hobby is composed of a diverse array of people who don’t have a scientific background, it’s still a good idea to familiarize yourself with simple biological and ecological terms and concepts. Sure, you could get by with knowing just the common names of your fish and what they like to eat. After all, your fish don’t care if you know what a caudal peduncle or gill raker are. When communicating with fellow aquarium nerds, however, you don’t want to sound completely out of the loop. Brush up on fish and coral anatomy if possible, as these topics are obviously more often discussed between hobbyists. A general understanding of these terms might also enrich your hobby, as you’ll be able to follow speeches and publications with a little more ease.