AOS Coldwater
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Cottus_bairdii.jpg (19548 bytes)Cottus bairdii
Synonyms: Cottus richardsoni
Common Names: Mottled Sculpin, Baird's Sculpin, Freshwater Sculpin
Family:  Cottidae
Continent:  Canada & USA 
Distribution:  widespread & common
Habitat:  lives in rocky, fast flowing streams.
Food:  small invertebrates.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
FBAS Size: 150mm in the wild
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information:  Despite its resemblance to scorpion fish this fish is not poisonous. They superficially resemble our native Bullhead, but males have a red stripe along the top of the dorsal fin. They live under boulders in well oxygenated streams. Males evacuate a hollow under a large stone and entice females in to lay their eggs. Males then guard up to half-a-dozen batches of eggs until they hatch. Eggs take about 3 weeks to hatch and the male continues to look for mates throughout the spring. 

Cottus gobio
cottus_gobio.JPG (12694 bytes)Synonyms: Cottus gobio gobio
Common Names: Bullhead, Miller's Thumb
Family:  Cottidae
Continent:  Europe 
Distribution:  widespread & common
Habitat:  lives in rocky, fast flowing streams.
Food:  small invertebrates.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
FBAS Size: 100mm 
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Despite its resemblance to scorpion fish this fish is not poisonous. They live under boulders in well oxygenated streams. Males evacuate a hollow under a large stone and entice females in to lay their eggs. Males then guard up to half-a-dozen batches of eggs until they hatch. Eggs take about 3 weeks to hatch and the male continues to look for mates from March to May. Miller's Thumb refers to their flattened heads which is said to look like the flatten thumb's of millers caused by being trapped too often between millstones.

Culaea inconstans 
culaea_inconstans.JPG (17684 bytes)Synonyms: Gasterosteus inconstans
Common Names: Brook Stickleback, Common Stickleback, Five-spine Stickleback
Family:  Gasteroseidae
Continent:  North America
Distribution:  USA to Southern Canada
Habitat:  rivers & streams.
Food:  small invertebrates, dried or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
Water Chemistry:   pH about 7
Size:  60mm
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Like other Sticklebacks, the male constructing a nest and then guards the eggs from a number of females.

Esox lucius
essox_lucius.JPG (16584 bytes)Synonyms: Lucius lucius
Common Names: Pike, European Pike, Northern Pike
Family:  Esocidae
Continent: Europe 
Distribution: widespread & common
Habitat: lives in most bodies of water.
Food: mainly fish but also including any aquatic animal including bird and mammals.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
FBAS Size: suggested 1500mm
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Definitely not a community fish; it is capable of eating any thing slightly smaller than itself. They are an ambush predators and therefore able to reaching high speeds in a short distance. This makes the side of aquaria venerable to mis-timed attacks.

Gasterosteus aculeatus aculeatus
gastrerosteus_aculeatus (m).jpg (19596 bytes)Synonyms: Gasterosteus cuvieri
Common Names: Three-spined Stickleback, Burnstickle
Family:  Gasteroseidae
Continent:  Europe gastrerosteus_aculeatus (f).jpg (12727 bytes)
Distribution:  widespread & common
Habitat:  lives in most bodies of water including brackish estuarine & marine.
Food:  small invertebrates, dried or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
FBAS Size: suggested  80 mm (male-top), 90mm (female-bottom) 
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: This is a highly variable species which can have 1 to 3 spines, depending on the abundance of local predators. The number of armoured scutes along the side of the fish are also governed by predation. These fish are quite capable of surviving in saltwater and can be found in rock pools and in sheltered bays. Like other Sticklebacks, the male constructing a nest and then guards the eggs from a number of females.

Gymnocephalus cernua
Synonyms: Perca cernua
Common Names: Ruffe, Pope
Family: Percidae
Continent:  Europe 
Distribution:  widespread & common
Habitat:  lives in most bodies of water preferring deeper water
Food:  small fish, invertebrates or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   5-25°C
FBAS Size: 170 mm
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Very prolific, sometime laying up 200,00 eggs a year.

Lepomis_gibbosus.jpg (15849 bytes)Lepomis gibbosus
Synonyms: Perca gibbosa
Common Names: Pumpkinseed, Common Sunfish, Kiver
Family: Centrarchidae
Continent:  North Amarica 
Distribution:  Canada to the Southern States of the USA
Habitat:  lives in most bodies of water
Food:  fish, invertebrates or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   0-20°C
Water Conditions: pH7 - pH7.7
FBAS Size: 200 mm
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: This medium sized Sunfish makes a colourful addition to the coldwater tank. It's slow growing, but displays well on the show bench.

Perca fluviatilis
perch.jpg (17368 bytes)Synonyms: Perca vulgaris
Common Names: Perch, European Perch, Redfin
Family: Percidae
Continent:  Europe 
Distribution:  widespread & common
Habitat:  lives in most bodies of water
Food:  fish, invertebrates or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   5-25°C
FBAS Size: 300 mm
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Lays egg in strings which can attach to the feet of wading birds ensuring transfer to other water systems

Pungitius pungitius
pungitius_pungitius.JPG (13952 bytes)Synonyms: Gasteracanthus pungitius
Common Names: Nine-spined Stickleback
Family:  Gasteroseidae
Continent:  Europe
Distribution:  North Western Europe into the Artic  Circle
Habitat:  lives in most bodies of water including brackish estuarine.
Food:  small invertebrates, dried or frozen foods.
Water Temperature:   3-20°C
Water Chemistry:   around pH7,
FBAS Size: 60mm (male), 70mm (female)
FBAS Class:  W
Additional Information: Often referred to as the Ten-spined Stickleback, this fish more commonly has only 9 spines rather than 10. Like other Sticklebacks, the male constructing a nest and then guards the eggs from a number of females.

Salvelinus alpinus
artic_charr.jpg (20040 bytes)Synonyms: Salmo alpinus
Common Names: Arctic Char, Lake Char, Alpine Char
Family: Salmonidae
Continent: North America
Distribution: North America, Europe , Iceland & Greenland.
Habitat: Streams & brooks. Some races migrate to the sea.
Food: Fish, small mammals & invertebrates.
Water Temperature: 3-15°C
Water Chemistry: around pH 7
Size: around 700mm
FBAS Class: W
Additional Information: These fish are found in the lakes of the Lake District.

Salvelinus fontinalis
 Synonyms: Salmo fontinalis
Common Names: American Brook Trout, Brook Char
Family: Salmonidae
Continent: North America
Distribution: North Eastern USA. From the Mississippi Basin to Canada.
Habitat: Streams & brooks. Some races migrate to the sea.
Food: Fish, small mammals & invertebrates.
Water Temperature: 3-10°C
Water Chemistry: around pH 7
Size: around 700mm
FBAS Class: W
Additional Information: These fish were introduced into the UK in the 1860's. Breeding males have bright red bellies and hooked jaws (Kype).

Spinachia spinichia
Synonyms: Gasterosteus spinachia
Common Names: Fifteen-spined Stickleback, Sea Stickleback
Family: Gasteroseidae
Continent: Europe
Distribution: North Western Europe into the Artic Circle
Habitat: lives in mostly in the sea but can venture into brackish water.
Food: small invertebrates, dried or frozen foods.
Water Temperature: 3-10°C
Water Chemistry: around pH 8-9
Size: 200mm
FBAS Class: W
Additional Information: These are elongated, thin versions of our freshwater sticklebacks. Due to their size they can easily be spotted swimming around piers and breakwaters. They build nest just as their freshwater counterparts, gluing seaweed together with kidney secretions. The males guard the eggs of numerous females until they eggs hatch.