Postage Stamps - Hungary 1987 - Set of five Tropical Fish Stamps
1.) The featherfin rainbowfish (Iriatherina werneri), also known as the threadfin rainbowfish, is native to heavily vegetated waters and freshwater swamps of tropical Australia, Papua New Guinea and the West Papuan region of Indonesia. The featherfin rainbowfish is consider one of the most attractive of the rainbowfishes and is commonly keep by tropical fish hobbyists in the aquarium.
2.) The zebra cichlid (Pseudotropheus zebra – now Maylandia zebra) is endemic to Lake Malawi, a rift lake in east Africa. The zebra cichlid feeds mainly on the algae that grows on rocks. This is a mouthbrooding cichlid, with the female brooding her eggs and fry in her mouth for several weeks. This type of parental care by the mother helps to oxygenate the eggs and provides protection against predation. The zebra cichlid is polychromic and very popular in the aquarium trade because of its beautiful colors.
3.) The banded gourami (Colisa fasciata - now Trichogaster fasciata)
Native to most bodies of water in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and upper Myanmar. Also a common fish found in the aquarium fish trade. The banded gourami is a member of a group of fishes called Anabantids. Anabantids possess an auxiliary breathing organ called the labyrinth that is used to extract oxygen from air taken at the water surface. This labyrinth organ allows the banded gourami to live in dirty water deficient in oxygen content.
4.) Striped Lyretail Killifish (Aphyosemion multicolor now Aphyosemion bitaeniatum)
The striped lyretail killifish is native to western Africa, ranging from southern Togo across Benin, southern Nigeria and Cameroon to north western Gabon. The striped lyretail killifish is found in small brooks and streams, swamps and lightly brackish coastal lagoons in the coastal rainforest which have quaternary sediment soils. This killifish was introduced as an aquarium fish in the early 1900s and has been bred successfully in captivity.
5.) The ram cichlid, (Papiliochromis ramirezi – now Mikrogeophagus ramirezi), is endemic to the Orinoco River basin of Venezuela and Colombia. This South American fish was named after Manuel Ramirez, an early collector and importer of the species for the aquarium trade. The ram cichlids beautiful colors, small size and peaceful disposition make it a popular fish with aquarists.