马拉维湖慈鲷之----孔雀鲷属

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马拉维湖慈鲷之----孔雀鲷属


前言::近日,一友人偶然发给我一张关于马拉维湖孔雀属慈鲷的图片,由于从未接触,只是感觉很美.于是便在网上搜集资料和图片来阅读.鉴于一些鱼友对这一属慈鲷欣赏和了解的需求.我找来了这篇文章,进行翻译.这是一段篇幅比较大的文章,详细介绍了孔雀鲷属的习性,饲养,繁殖,以及混养的相关知识,本人认为还是比较有趣味性的.在下文的阐述中,我将以中英文对照的方式来给大家介绍.一是为了尊重原著,二是希望广大鱼友对翻译不当之处批评指正.同时在文章后复有大量孔雀鲷图片,由于本人知识有限,很难对这些照片的拉丁名称做一个完美准确的翻译,所以欢迎鱼友们来补贴.希望这篇文章能给大家带来知识上和视觉上的享受~^---^~

The Peacocks of Lake Malawi 马拉维湖的孔雀鲷

原著:Marc Elieson 翻译:BlueZaire


这种被称为孔雀属鲷类的马拉维湖慈鲷已经被水族爱好者们持续普及了30余年了.马拉维湖孔雀的几个特点使它们有着经久不衰的魅力.首先,雄性孔雀拥有所有慈鲷类最华贵的外表.如同他们的名字一样,雄鱼有着绚丽无比的色彩,然而,雌性和幼鱼的色彩相比下会平淡一些.随着雄性幼鱼的成长,他们的体色会产生戏剧性的变化,常由单调的银色和棕褐色转变为綷灿的蓝色,茶金色,亮黄色,血红色或橙色.一旦成熟,他们的色泽无处不在.而不象其它主要慈鲷的体色那样情绪化.雄鱼时常展示他们,把他们的鳍尽数绽开,以得到周围赞许的目光.对比之下,Mbuna(罗布那群族)和大多数Haplochromis(单色鲷)属的鱼类只有在进攻或交配状态下才会有这样的表现.

The so-called Peacock cichlids of Lake Malawi have achieved sustained popularity among aquarium hobbyists for more than three decades. The Malawi Peacocks possess several characteristics that have kept them in perpetual demand. First and foremost, Peacock males are some of the most spectacularly adorned of all cichlids. Just like their avian namesake, Peacock males sport dazzling iridescent colors while females and juveniles remain quite plain. As juvenile males grow, they undergo a dramatic transformation from drab silver or grayish-brown into brilliant blue, tawny gold, bright yellow, blood red, and rusty orange. Once mature, their colors are omnipresent, unlike other spectacularly adorned cichlids whose color is principally mood-dependent. Males are almost always on display, sticking their fins out, trying to catch the eye of a would-be admirer. In contrast, Mbuna and most Haplochromines only do this when exerting aggression or attempting to spawn.

另外一个使它们普及的原因是:它们对同类的亲和性.这是他们适合与其它属种的鱼类混养在同一个水族箱内.孔雀鱼还会在有同类鱼存在的环境下开始繁殖.这些特点使他们受到不仅经验老手,同样初学爱好者的青睐.

Another factor contributing to their popularity is their relative peacefulness with other fish, making them suitable candidates for a community-type aquarium provided the other tankmates are selected appropriately (more below). Peacocks also breed readily and are relatively undemanding aquarium residents. These attributes make Peacocks appealing to both the beginner and advanced hobbyist.

马拉维湖的孔雀鲷构成了Aulonocara(((彩头鲷属,虽然孔雀鲷是一个独立的属,Trernatocranus属.而且臀部和鳍部尖端上有特有的白色.但一般生物学家们常把他们归到A属不予区分,译者按)))属.这一属的成员都具有一种出色的侧线感应放大系统.侧线,是一条长在肋部两侧鳞片上的扎线,具有领导压力敏感神经的能力.在侧线里有一种特殊的细胞---NEUROMASTS,它可以使鱼感应到周围的水波和电波震动.从而使一条鱼发现周围潜在的侵略者和猎物.孔雀的压力敏感系统是通过面部的微孔和侧线的延伸连接到齿颚上的.这些信号穿过头骨到达面部一块几乎没有鳞片的部位.在这个部位,可以清楚的看到侧线留下的沟槽.并且这些特点在有倾斜角度的光的情况下是很容易被发现的.这些微孔在头骨上被戏剧性的放大到一个类似笛子似的洞.当学者里根在1921年命名Aulonocara(彩头鲷属)这个属种的时候,他选择这个迷人独特的特性来命名.Aulonocara起源于希腊文的AULOS.意思为管子和头.

The Peacocks of Lake Malawi consist only of those fishes from the genus Aulonocara. Members of this genus are characterized by a remarkably enlarged lateral line system. The lateral line, or lateralis, is a line of perforated scales along the flanks of a fish which lead to a pressure-sensitive nervous system.