#880: Zono

Zono, or Zona, is the name given to various species of small, colourful rainbowfish, endemic to Madagascar. Several species are popular in the pet industry, and are capable of hybridisation. Inhabiting fast-flowing streams, he favours the calmer, shaded areas and feeds on insects that fall into the water. Eggs are attached to vegetation and left unguarded. Juvenile larvae remain near the banks, whilst adults occupy the deeper waters.

#875: Zebrafish

The Zebrafish is a small minnow, native to the Himalaya regions. He has also found some popularity in the pet trade. He was the first vertebrate to be cloned, and has amazing regenerative properties. He is used in heart research and has also been genetically modified to be fluorescent, branded as a GloFish.

#860: Yazoo Darter

Related to the vermilion darter, the Yazoo Darter is also restricted to limited range - in this case tributaries in north-central Mississippi. Like the vermilion, the Yazoo is under threat from habitat degradation. He requires clear, flowing water to thrive and he is threatened by urbanization. His diet consists predominantly of insects and other invertebrates. The majority of Darters live less than a year, with very few surviving past two.

Another vectored image. I like how clean it makes the images look.
(My husband laughs because I'm vectoring the images using VectorMagic, but since I'm not subscribed to it (yet), I'm screen capping the images and thus turning them back into bitmaps then saving as PNGs. Never fear, VectorMagic, once I am done with this alphabet I will subscribe for a few months and vectorise all of the pictures. All of them!).

#858: Yapok

The Yapok is a South American marsupial, adapted for an aquatic lifestyle. Her hind feet are webbed, and her forelimbs bear hands, which help her to capture underwater prey. Both the male and female have pouches. A ring of muscle seals the female's pouch firmly shut, preventing the young from drowning, whereas the male's protects his genitalia and keep him more streamlined when swimming. During the day , the Yapok sleeps in burrows on the bank, and she comes out at dusk to forage.

If you are wondering why this image looks a little different from my usual, it's because I used a program called VectorMagic to turn her into a vectorised PNG.

Here's the original JPG:

#856: Yag Baligi

This ray-finned fish, belonging to the carp Family, is found only in one habitat within Turkey: Lake Egridir and its tributaries. He was thought to have become extinct, due to the introduction of the zander fish. However in 1993 a small population was discovered. He is now classified as Endangered.

#854: Yabby

The Yabby is a small Australian crayfish, found in freshwater, such as streams, rivers, reservoirs and dams.  He can be found in ephemeral pools and can lie dormant for several years in dry conditions. Nocturnal, he feeds on detritus such as algae, plant matter and decaying animal matter. During the summer months he becomes more active, and fishing for yabbies - using a piece of meat tied with string - is a popular activity. As he is Vulnerable to extinction, catch size restrictions are in place.

#822: Water Boatman

The Water Boatman are a Family of aquatic insects, found in ponds and slow-moving streams. Their bodies are flattened, with the hind legs being modified into "oars". Water Boatman are vegetarian, feeding on algae and aquatic plants. These are dissolved externally, with a digestive enzyme being injected via the insect's mouth parts. The liquefied food is then sucked up through the mouth parts. Eggs are laid annually, deposited on submerged sticks, weed and stones. In some situations, every available surface will be covered in eggs.

#710: Sockeye Salmon

Salmon is the common name for several species of fish, all sharing the same Family, along with trout, char and grayling. Popular in aquaculture, they are farmed throughout the world. However, they are naturally found in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Most species, including the Sockeye, are anadromous; hatching in the freshwater, the fry then migrate out into the ocean to feed and grow. Once sexual maturity is attained, he begins the journey back up the river - normally the same river he was born in - to breed. Once he has spawned, releasing masive amoutns of hormones, his body begins to deteriorate and he dies.

#628: Quietschbükers

The Quietschbükers is found only in the one lake - Lake Breiter Luzin in Germany. It suffered a population decline in the 1970s, when the lake became degraded and eutrophic, rich in nutrients and thus plant life, that consumed much of the oxygen. However, with water quality restoration, the numbers of this dwarf whitefish have improved. She lives for six years, spending much of her time in the deeper reaches of the lake, where she feeds on insect larvae. In spring/summer, she moves into the shallows to spawn. Although there are no current threats to her population, due to its confined nature and the risks of introduced predators, she is classified as Vulnerable to extinction.

Creature Feature #592: Piranha

Piranha have a notorious reputation. These omnivorous fish are found in the Amazon River and its tributaries, where they prey on other fish and mammals, as well as plant matter. They gather in shoals, not so much for feeding purposes but for proptection - because the Piranha features on the  menu of  caimans, dolphins and other semi-aquatic predators. Indeed, they are actually quite shy. They do come equipped with a sharp array of teeth, and have been known to attack people - or livestock - as they ford the rivers, but their wicked reputation is greatly exaggerated.

Creature Feature #589: Pink River dolphin

The Pink River Dolphin makes her home in the Amazon river. She is the largest freshwater cetacean, growing longer than a human - up to 2.4 m. Her neck vertebrae are unfused, allowing her to turn her neck 90 degrees - a necessity for navigating flooded forests. She dines on crustaceans and fish (including piranha), and will co-operatively hunt to herd fish onto the river bank, where it is easier to catch. Adult males have been seen carrying around sticks, balls of hardened clay or other objects, in their mouths. The exact reason for this is unknown, but it is thought to be related to courtship.

Creature Feature #578: Pelican

The Pelican are a very distinctive Genus water bird, containing eight extant species and a number of extinct and prehistoric ones. He is characterised by his bill, which is long and hooked, equipped with ahuge gular pouch. The bill is used to scoop fish out of the water, and is then held aloof while the water drains out. This can take up to a minute. Gulls have been observed perching on a Pelican's head and pecking at it, to distract it, before seizing food from the open bill. However, Pelicans have been known to capture and consume smaller birds - although this is rare. Small fish are swallowed directly, larger ones are caught between the tips of the bill, flipped in the air and swallowed head-first.

This is an Australian Pelican.

Creature Feature #511: Niphargus

Niphargus are eyeless amphipods, distributed across the freshwater streams of western Europe. The smallest species measures mere millimetres, with the largest reaching up to 3.5 cms. Many species are detritivores or scavengers,  with others feeding on algae. They can be found in ground water or caves, in regions that were not covered, historically, be the Pleistocene  ice sheets. Many of the species are classified as "vulnerable" as their habitats are small, easily fragmented or polluted.

Creature Feature #499: Nekogigi

Nekogigi are a species of small Japanese Catfish, their range confined to one prefecture. He is a relatively small fish, growing to an average length of 10.8 cm. During the day he lurks beneath rocks and in crevices, venturing out to forage at night. His barbels are sensitive organs, containing taste buds, and help him to forage amongst the substrate for crustaceans, plankton and small fish. If threatened, he is capable of excreting a toxic substance from the spine in his dorsal or pectoral fin.

Creature Feature #432: Loon

Loons are diving birds, with species spread throughout North America and Eurasia. He is an excellent swimmers, with his feet placed further back, towards his tail. This enables him to swim fast and dive deep, but his is clumsy on land. Hence his common name of "loon" (derived from either the Old English Lumme or Scandinavian Lum). His favoured diet is fish, along with the occasional crustacean or amphibian. These are stabbed with his sharp bill, swallowing it headfirst and whole.

This fellow is a black-throated loon, of Eurasia and West Alaska.

Creature Feature #429: Loach

 Loaches are bottom-dwelling, scavenging fish that are popular in the aquarium industry. This species is a Clown Loach. He is native to Indonesia, where he favours clear streams but occasionally ends up in the murky waters of the flood plains. He is a schooling fish, usually forming shoals of 5 or more, and sometimes schooling with other species, especially in aquariums. Alert and watchful, he generally lurks near the bottom, foraging in the substrate for snails and anything else edible.