Fish have been kept for more than 4000 years! The earliest known fish keepers were the Sumerians, who as long ago as 2500 B.C. kept fish in ponds and used them as food.
Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). Studying their structure and other characteristics, he carefully recorded accurate information on 115 species of fish then living in the Aegean Sea. Today, scientists have classified more than 20,000 species of fish around the world.
Egyptians bred certain species of fish specifically for their beauty and decorative characteristics. Pictures of fish are found in frescoes in Egyptian tombs, showing them as a sacred object.
1853 the world's first public aquarium opened in Regents Park in London. Over the next 15 years, similar public aquariums opened throughout England, as well as France and Germany. Unfortunately, many of these early aquariums did not survive because their fish didn't. But by the early 1870s, aquarists had learned more about aeration, filtering and water temperature, and new aquariums opened and thrived.
It was during the 18th century that ichthyology was to become of age, when the works of a Swedish man named Peter Artedi (1705-1735) were to be recognised as having established the generic concept. His concepts were that the genus represented a group of species that was typically consistent with each other, although, having minor characteristic differences. He then proceeded to group the genera into the “Family” conceptualisation that we know of today.
By the end of that century Germany was firmly established in the forefront of aquarium culture and was exporting tropical fishes to the USA. This formed the foundation for a nation-wide interest in the hobby that has flourished to this day
Today, fish are America's second most popular pet, trailing only cats but outnumbering dogs
2 comments:
Great Blog on Aquariums! :)
I have learned a lot just by reading your post! Keep it up! Would you mind if we linked our blog to yours?
I kept fish for a little over seven years. First African Cichlids, then marine fish and finally marine invertebrates. It was a great hobby. I found it very relaxing and rewarding. But with a career change and a move to a new house, I somehow slipped out of the hobby. Visiting your blog has been great for me. I find myself wanting to delve back into the hobby again. Thank you and keep up the great work.
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