limnologist
Aquarium Advice Freak
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2014
- Messages
- 293
Ok, Ive been studying aquariums and fish for the past 11 years hoping to be a limnologist and Ive come to a problem that stumps me. I cant seem to find much info on fish growth hormones, namely, in relation to their habitat. For example:
When a fish (lets say a bullhead catfish) lives in a very immensely large body of water (a very large lake) it usually gets a couple feet long, but the same species, with the same food and weather pattern in a smaller body of water grows to only half this size. Now, lets take a bullhead and put him in a 100 gallon tank, everythings fine and he gets about a foot long. but, put one in a 40 gallon tank and people start calling it abuse. At first thats perfectly understandable, but then, somebody said that no matter how small the outside of the fish's body is, its organs will continuosly grow. why does that sound wrong to me? I find it plausible to say that a fishes growth hormones can and will react to its habitat size, temp, lighting, and food availability (the fact that they react based on their surroundings helps with this belief), thus, a smaller habitat will make a smaller fish (already demonstrated in the lake to pond ratio).
surely there is an expert who can help me understand?
When a fish (lets say a bullhead catfish) lives in a very immensely large body of water (a very large lake) it usually gets a couple feet long, but the same species, with the same food and weather pattern in a smaller body of water grows to only half this size. Now, lets take a bullhead and put him in a 100 gallon tank, everythings fine and he gets about a foot long. but, put one in a 40 gallon tank and people start calling it abuse. At first thats perfectly understandable, but then, somebody said that no matter how small the outside of the fish's body is, its organs will continuosly grow. why does that sound wrong to me? I find it plausible to say that a fishes growth hormones can and will react to its habitat size, temp, lighting, and food availability (the fact that they react based on their surroundings helps with this belief), thus, a smaller habitat will make a smaller fish (already demonstrated in the lake to pond ratio).
surely there is an expert who can help me understand?