Aquarium Fish International
Encyclopedia
Aquarium Fish International (AFI) is a North American monthly magazine
, published by BowTie Inc. of Irvine, California
, and dedicated to freshwater
and saltwater fishkeeping
and the aquarium/fishkeeping hobby in general. Originally titled Aquarium Fish Magazine (AFM), the first issue of the magazine was in October 1988. The title of the publication changed slightly beginning with the February 2007 issue; the new title is Aquarium Fish International. It has a circulation of 31,170. In June 2010, the former Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine ceased publication, and several of its columns were merged into AFI.
, saltwater/marine
and brackish
fish, as well as coral
s and invertebrates, planted tanks
and aquascaping
, fish breeding, species tanks, new species, fish food
and nutrition, water chemistry, tank cycling, filtration
, disease and health, fish husbandry
and many other subjects such as aquarium equipment, setup, and maintenance.
Monthly columns include: Freshwater Q&A, The Aquabotanist, Reef Aquarist, Adventures in Fish Breeding, Secrets to Society Success, Saltwater Q&A, FishKidz, Aquarist Notebook, Aquatic Maestro, Wet Vet, Sand Mail, Popular Freshwater Tropicals, Reef Notes, Freshwater Forum, In the Fish Room and Species Profile.
Animals that have appeared in the magazine include: clownfish
, lionfish
, cichlid
s, discus
, butterflyfish
, tetra
s, live-bearers
, rasbora
s, triggerfish
, starfish, freshwater shrimp, jellyfish
, Acropora
and brain coral
s, and more.
Over the years, Scott W. Michael, J. Charles Delbeek, Dick Au, Julian Sprung
and many other members of the fishkeeping industry have contributed to Aquarium Fish International.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
, published by BowTie Inc. of Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, and dedicated to freshwater
Freshwater aquarium
A freshwater aquarium is a receptacle that holds one or more freshwater aquatic organisms for decorative, pet-keeping, or research purposes. Modern aquariums are most often made from transparent glass or acrylic glass. Typical inhabitants include fish, plants, amphibians, and invertebrates, such as...
and saltwater fishkeeping
Marine aquarium
A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only , fish only with live rock , and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally...
and the aquarium/fishkeeping hobby in general. Originally titled Aquarium Fish Magazine (AFM), the first issue of the magazine was in October 1988. The title of the publication changed slightly beginning with the February 2007 issue; the new title is Aquarium Fish International. It has a circulation of 31,170. In June 2010, the former Freshwater and Marine Aquarium magazine ceased publication, and several of its columns were merged into AFI.
Content and contributors
The magazine contains articles and columns on subjects including: freshwater/tropicalFreshwater aquarium
A freshwater aquarium is a receptacle that holds one or more freshwater aquatic organisms for decorative, pet-keeping, or research purposes. Modern aquariums are most often made from transparent glass or acrylic glass. Typical inhabitants include fish, plants, amphibians, and invertebrates, such as...
, saltwater/marine
Marine aquarium
A marine aquarium is an aquarium that keeps marine plants and animals in a contained environment. Marine aquaria are further subdivided by hobbyists into fish only , fish only with live rock , and reef aquaria. Fish only tanks often showcase large or aggressive marine fish species and generally...
and brackish
Brackish-water aquarium
A brackish water aquarium is an aquarium where the water is brackish . The range of "saltiness" varies greatly, from near freshwater to near marine and is often referred to as specific gravity or salinity. Brackish water aquaria is a popular specialization within the fishkeeping hobby...
fish, as well as coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
s and invertebrates, planted tanks
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
and aquascaping
Aquascaping
Aquascaping is the craft of arranging aquatic plants, as well as rocks, stones, cavework, or driftwood, in an aesthetically pleasing manner within an aquarium—in effect, gardening under water. Aquascape designs include a number of distinct styles, including the garden-like Dutch style and the...
, fish breeding, species tanks, new species, fish food
Fish food
Aquarium fish feed is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pet fish kept in aquariums or ponds. Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish...
and nutrition, water chemistry, tank cycling, filtration
Filter (aquarium)
Aquarium filters are critical components of both freshwater and marine aquaria. Aquarium filters remove physical and soluble chemical waste products from aquaria, simplifying maintenance...
, disease and health, fish husbandry
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
and many other subjects such as aquarium equipment, setup, and maintenance.
Monthly columns include: Freshwater Q&A, The Aquabotanist, Reef Aquarist, Adventures in Fish Breeding, Secrets to Society Success, Saltwater Q&A, FishKidz, Aquarist Notebook, Aquatic Maestro, Wet Vet, Sand Mail, Popular Freshwater Tropicals, Reef Notes, Freshwater Forum, In the Fish Room and Species Profile.
Animals that have appeared in the magazine include: clownfish
Clownfish
Clownfish or anemonefish are fishes from the subfamily Amphiprioninae in the family Pomacentridae. Twenty-eight species are recognized, one in the genus Premnas, while the remaining are in the genus Amphiprion. In the wild they all form symbiotic mutualisms with sea anemones...
, lionfish
Pterois
Pterois is a genus of venomous marine fish found mostly in the Indo-Pacific, known collectively as the lionfish. Pterois is characterized by red, white and black stripes, showy pectoral fins and venomous spiky tentacles. Pterois are classified into fifteen different species, but Pterois radiata,...
, cichlid
Cichlid
Cichlids are fishes from the family Cichlidae in the order Perciformes. Cichlids are members of a group known as the Labroidei along with the wrasses , damselfish , and surfperches . This family is both large and diverse. At least 1,300 species have been scientifically described, making it one of...
s, discus
Discus (fish)
Discus are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.-Taxonomy:...
, butterflyfish
Butterflyfish
The butterflyfish are a group of conspicuous tropical marine fish of the family Chaetodontidae; the bannerfish and coralfish are also included in this group. Found mostly on the reefs of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, there are approximately 120 species in 10 genera...
, tetra
Tetra
thumb|right|250px|Pristella tetra — [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|Golden Pristella tetra, a [[morph |morph]] of [[Pristella maxillaris]].thumb|right|250px|[[Silvertip tetra]] — Hasemania nana....
s, live-bearers
Live-bearing aquarium fish
Live-bearing aquarium fish, often simply called livebearers, are fish that retain the eggs inside the body and give birth to live, free-swimming young.-Common aquarium livebearers:...
, rasbora
Rasbora
A rasbora is a member of a group of small minnow-type fish in the family Cyprinidae . Fish from genera such as Boraras, Microrasbora, Rasbora and Trigonostigma are commonly referred to as rasboras...
s, triggerfish
Triggerfish
Triggerfishes are about 40 species of often brightly colored fishes of the family Balistidae. Often marked by lines and spots, they inhabit tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world, with the greatest species richness in the Indo-Pacific...
, starfish, freshwater shrimp, jellyfish
Jellyfish
Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria...
, Acropora
Acropora
Acropora is a genus of scleractinian coral in the Phylum Cnidaria. Some of its species are known as table coral, elkhorn coral and staghorn coral. There are currently 149 described species...
and brain coral
Brain coral
Brain coral is a common name given to corals in the family Faviidae so called due to their generally spheroid shape and grooved surface which resembles a brain...
s, and more.
Over the years, Scott W. Michael, J. Charles Delbeek, Dick Au, Julian Sprung
Julian Sprung
Julian Sprung is an American writer on marine aquarium fishkeeping. He is an alumnus of the University of Florida where he studied zoology, graduating in 1988....
and many other members of the fishkeeping industry have contributed to Aquarium Fish International.