Aufwuchs - A German term that is used to refer to Algae growing on rocks, driftwood, etc. If not excessive it can be decorative and provides food for some types of fish and Inverts. ...
Aufwuchs: A term that refers to algae growing on rocks, wood or other surfaces.
Autotrophic: Pertaining to organisms able to manufacture their own food from inorganic substances.
Feeds on aufwuchs and algae - include a vegetable component in the diet.
Sexing
Colouration of males and females is identical. Males are normally bolder.
Ominvore; Feeds on "aufwuchs", an organic layer of plant and animal material that forms on large, flat surfaces in the tank.
These fish are highly specialized for feeding on "Aufwuchs," crustaceans, and algae that live on the rocks. Their mouths are chisel-shaped so that food can be picked out of the large mats of algae that cover the rocks.
In the wild they feed on insect larvae, small mollusks, and Aufwuchs. Aufwuchs refers to tough stringy algae that is attached to rocks and can contain insect larvae, nymphs, crustaceans, snails, zooplankton and mites.
Mbuna usually eat algae and included critters, this layer on the rocks is called "aufwuchs", a German term that can be translated as "surface growth" more or less. There usually aren't higher plants in mbuna habitat.
Extant fish in this genus primarily graze on aufwuchs--algae, small insects, crustaceans, worms, small invertebrates and detritus. Omnivorous, they should be fed greens along with the standard aquarium flakes, worms, etc.
Smaller species are often stated as being micro predators or myofauna consumers preying on extremely small, often microscopic creatures found throughout their environment, such as infusoria/aufwuchs.
The diet of this genus is typical for a Loricariid - algae and aufwuchs.
The only reference I know of that gives a firm answer as to their feeding biology is the Baensch Marine Atlas , which claims that the star feeds by "grazing Aufwuchs from hard substrates" - the basic translation being essentially unknown scum-eater.
generally reach about 5cm total length, however, they are only conditionally suitable for small tanks. They require an oxygen-rich water at lower temperatures, a fast water flow and rocks with a good algae growth and microorganisms ("Aufwuchs").
Feeding is not difficult as they will accept all types of flake frozen or live. In their home territory they would graze of the algae covered rocks called Aufwuchs, ...
I think we should always keep this in mind when we state (as aquarists) the oversimplified view that M'buna run on algae and/or Aufwuchs?!?!? And the story has been, of course, much longer (and much more interesting) than that.
 See also: Species, Fish, Water, Algae, Aquarium
  
|
RSS
