White Cloud Mountain minnow
Encyclopedia
The White Cloud Mountain minnow(Tanichthys albonubes) is a hardy, species
of freshwater
fish
and coldwater fish
often kept in aquaria
.These creatures are brilliant for children as they are very easy to look after. The species is a member of the carp
family
(family Cyprinidae) of order
Cypriniformes
, native to China
. The White Cloud Mountain Minnow is practically extinct in its native habitat. It was believed to be extinct for some years, but an apparently native population of this fish was discovered on "Hainan Island", well away from the White Cloud Mountain. They are bred in farms and are easily available through the aquarium trade.
The species was discovered at White Cloud Mountain (白雲山; Pinyin
Bái Yún Shān) in Guǎngdōng
in the 1930s by a Boy Scout
leader called Tan, a distant relative of Tan Meng Yoe —hence the generic
name Tanichthys
("Tan's fish"). The specific
name albonubes is from the Latin
alba nubes (white cloud).
The fish are sold in the aquarium trade under a variety of names, including White Cloud, White Cloud Mountain fish, White Cloud minnow, etc. The names Canton or China danio
(although it is not technically a danio) and cardinal fish are also encountered. In Chinese
the fish is known as 唐魚 (táng yu), 廣東細鯽 (Guǎngdōng xìjì), or 潘氏細鯽 (pānshì xìjì). Aphyocypris pooni is an obsolete synonym for this species; it was coined to designate a color variety which is now known to be the same species as the White Cloud Mountain minnow.
and anal fins and one with red edges to those fins. In addition, there is a long-finned variety and a golden variety. Sexual dimorphism
is slight. The male
generally has brighter colors and a slimmer body.
temperature
and water quality
. They are often sold as ideal "starter fish" for cycling a new aquarium, however it is kinder if they are introduced to an already cycled tank. They are schooling fish, and feel most comfortable in a group of at least five. An individual of these minnows kept alone may become timid and lose its bright color. White Clouds are generally peaceful and happy to coexist with other fish, as long as they are not put in a tank with larger fish that may eat them. The minnows are usually top or middle-level swimmers and rarely swim close to the bottom of a tank.
Although the nominal temperature range for the species in the wild is 18–26 °C (64–79 °F), it can survive water temperatures down to 5°C (41°F). This makes it an ideal fish for keeping in an unheated aquarium in cold climates. In fact, White Clouds are more active and healthier when kept at temperatures lower than those at which most tropical tanks are kept. Water hardness (dH) should be from 5 to 19, and pH
levels should range between 6.0 and 8.0. Also, the aquarium should have a top. White Clouds have been known to jump out on rare occasions.
During the 1940s and 1950s, White Cloud Mountain minnows acquired the nickname, the "Poor Man's Neon Tetra," because they were much more affordable in price than the colorful and then expensive Neon Tetra
s.
Two variants are commonly available: the "Golden Cloud" and the longer-finned "Meteor Minnow." The Golden Cloud is a relatively new variety as compared to the Meteor Minnow. The Meteor Minnow first made its appearance in the 1950s in Perth, Western Australia and the Golden Cloud in the 1990s. Breeding between the two varieties has recently resulted in another attractive fish, the "Golden Meteor Minnow." Inbreeding of Golden Clouds have resulted in "Blonde" Clouds, light yellow specimens similar in colour to blonde guppies and "Pink Clouds", flesh colour specimens which lacks further pigmentation still.
climates (similar to their native habitat).
and daphnia
. The most colorful minnows should be placed in a small tank with a spawning mop or some java moss
. Males will attempt to attract females by displaying their fins, often alongside one another. White Clouds are egg-scatterers, dropping their eggs freely amongst the vegetation. Because they do not generally cannibalize their offspring, the parents can be left in the tank.
White cloud eggs hatch within 48 to 60 hours. The tiny fry may be visible on the sides of the glass or among plants. After they are free swimming, they can be fed a finely powdered fish food or infusoria
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and coldwater fish
Coldwater fish
Coldwater fish, in the context of aquariums, refers to fish species that prefer cooler water temperatures than tropical fish, typically below . Some examples are koi and goldfish...
often kept in aquaria
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
.These creatures are brilliant for children as they are very easy to look after. The species is a member of the carp
Carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
(family Cyprinidae) of order
Order (biology)
In scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
Cypriniformes
Cypriniformes
The Cypriniformes are an order of ray-finned fish, including the carps, minnows, loaches and relatives. This order contains 5-6 families, over 320 genera, and more than 3,250 species, with new species being described every few months or so, and new genera being recognized regularly...
, native to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The White Cloud Mountain Minnow is practically extinct in its native habitat. It was believed to be extinct for some years, but an apparently native population of this fish was discovered on "Hainan Island", well away from the White Cloud Mountain. They are bred in farms and are easily available through the aquarium trade.
The species was discovered at White Cloud Mountain (白雲山; Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
Bái Yún Shān) in Guǎngdōng
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
in the 1930s by a Boy Scout
Scouting in Mainland China
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China by the Communist Party in 1949, Scouting has officially been banned, while the Young Pioneers of China and the Communist Youth League have become the dominant youth organization in mainland China for younger and older youth, respectively...
leader called Tan, a distant relative of Tan Meng Yoe —hence the generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
name Tanichthys
Tanichthys
Tanichthys is a genus of freshwater fish in the carp family of order Cypriniformes. Until recently, the type species, Tanichthys albonubes, was the only one known. In 2001, however, Freyhof and Herder described a new and very similar species, Tanichthys micagemmae, from the Ben Hai River in...
("Tan's fish"). The specific
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
name albonubes is from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
alba nubes (white cloud).
The fish are sold in the aquarium trade under a variety of names, including White Cloud, White Cloud Mountain fish, White Cloud minnow, etc. The names Canton or China danio
Danio
The Danio genus comprises many of the species of danionins familiar to aquarists. The common name "danio" is used for members of the genera Danio and Devario.-Taxonomy:...
(although it is not technically a danio) and cardinal fish are also encountered. In Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
the fish is known as 唐魚 (táng yu), 廣東細鯽 (Guǎngdōng xìjì), or 潘氏細鯽 (pānshì xìjì). Aphyocypris pooni is an obsolete synonym for this species; it was coined to designate a color variety which is now known to be the same species as the White Cloud Mountain minnow.
Description
This species grows to approximately 4 cm (roughly 1.5 in) in overall length, and is silver-green in color with a bright red caudal fin. Several varieties are known, one with bright light edges to the dorsalDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
and anal fins and one with red edges to those fins. In addition, there is a long-finned variety and a golden variety. Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
is slight. The male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...
generally has brighter colors and a slimmer body.
In the aquarium
White Cloud Mountain minnows are considered good fish for beginners, as they are extremely forgiving with regard to aquariumAquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
temperature
Temperature
Temperature is a physical property of matter that quantitatively expresses the common notions of hot and cold. Objects of low temperature are cold, while various degrees of higher temperatures are referred to as warm or hot...
and water quality
Water quality
Water quality is the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of water. It is a measure of the condition of water relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which...
. They are often sold as ideal "starter fish" for cycling a new aquarium, however it is kinder if they are introduced to an already cycled tank. They are schooling fish, and feel most comfortable in a group of at least five. An individual of these minnows kept alone may become timid and lose its bright color. White Clouds are generally peaceful and happy to coexist with other fish, as long as they are not put in a tank with larger fish that may eat them. The minnows are usually top or middle-level swimmers and rarely swim close to the bottom of a tank.
Although the nominal temperature range for the species in the wild is 18–26 °C (64–79 °F), it can survive water temperatures down to 5°C (41°F). This makes it an ideal fish for keeping in an unheated aquarium in cold climates. In fact, White Clouds are more active and healthier when kept at temperatures lower than those at which most tropical tanks are kept. Water hardness (dH) should be from 5 to 19, and pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
levels should range between 6.0 and 8.0. Also, the aquarium should have a top. White Clouds have been known to jump out on rare occasions.
During the 1940s and 1950s, White Cloud Mountain minnows acquired the nickname, the "Poor Man's Neon Tetra," because they were much more affordable in price than the colorful and then expensive Neon Tetra
Neon tetra
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater or clearwater streams in southeastern Colombia, eastern Peru, and western Brazil, including the tributaries of the Solimões where the water is between...
s.
In the pond
Although it is a small fish, the White Cloud Mountain Minnow is sometimes used as a pond fish, especially in ponds intended for frogs to breed. The White Cloud Mountain Minnows do not eat either the frog eggs, or the tadpoles, but will control the breeding of mosquitoes. They will breed readily in ponds as long as there are no other fish. While they can endure temperatures as low as 5°C (41°F), they should have good heating systems in the pond to prevent the water from freezing over in climates where this occurs regularly, making them more ideal for SubtropicalSubtropics
The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropical zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitudes 23.5°N and 23.5°S...
climates (similar to their native habitat).
Breeding
White Clouds are easy to breed and are recommended for novice breeders. They may be conditioned for breeding with live foods such as brine shrimpBrine shrimp
Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans known as brine shrimp. Artemia, the only genus in the family Artemiidae, has changed little externally since the Triassic period...
and daphnia
Daphnia
Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans, between 0.2 and 5 mm in length. Daphnia are members of the order Cladocera, and are one of the several small aquatic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style...
. The most colorful minnows should be placed in a small tank with a spawning mop or some java moss
Java moss
Java Moss is a moss belonging to the Hypnaceae family. Native to Southeast Asia, it is commonly used in freshwater aquariums. It attaches to rocks, roots, and driftwood...
. Males will attempt to attract females by displaying their fins, often alongside one another. White Clouds are egg-scatterers, dropping their eggs freely amongst the vegetation. Because they do not generally cannibalize their offspring, the parents can be left in the tank.
White cloud eggs hatch within 48 to 60 hours. The tiny fry may be visible on the sides of the glass or among plants. After they are free swimming, they can be fed a finely powdered fish food or infusoria
Infusoria
Infusoria is a collective term for minute aquatic creatures like ciliates, euglenoids, protozoa, and unicellular algae that exist in freshwater ponds...
.
See also
- List of freshwater aquarium fish species
- RasboraRasboraA rasbora is a member of a group of small minnow-type fish in the family Cyprinidae . Fish from genera such as Boraras, Microrasbora, Rasbora and Trigonostigma are commonly referred to as rasboras...
s - List of coldwater fish speciesColdwater fishColdwater fish, in the context of aquariums, refers to fish species that prefer cooler water temperatures than tropical fish, typically below . Some examples are koi and goldfish...
External links
- http://www.bettatrading.com.au/White-Cloud-Mountain-Minnow-Fact-Sheet.php
- Robyn's White Cloud Mountain Minnow Page