My Aquarium 3: Fish

Here are some local species in Beijing. I got them in March and April when searching aquatic insects. Unfortunately, I know little about fish,

A big fighting fish, about 6cm. Macropodus ocellatus is the only fighting fish species in Beijing. Place: Greenlake Wetland

And this is the smallest one, less than 2cm. Place: Greenlake Wetland

A golden loach (4cm) Place: Greenlake Wetland & Shangzhuang Reservoir

another bigger loach (6cm). Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

Unknown species, 5cm Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

Unknown fish, maybe it’s just a common carp, 2cm Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

A small goby, 2cm Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

A big one. It should be another species differ from the above one Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

The big goby, 6cm Place: Shangzhuang Reservoir

Another goby species (2cm) Place: Beijing Botanical Garden

Frogs & Tadpoles in Botanical Garden

There is a stream and several ponds in the Botanical Garden. So I went there three times for aqutaic insects. Of course, I can always find different frogs and their offsprings during the exploring.

In March, a lot of eggs could be found in the stream.

I took some to my dormitory and they grow very fast. You can find tadlopes swimming after one week.

Eggs of a toad, quite different from frog’s.

One month later, masses of tadpoles appear in ponds. Every child in the garden was holding nets and cans to catch some.

I also took some to feed my dragonflies.

Toad’s tadlopes are black and abundant while frog’s are gray and only can be found in running streams.

It’s time to…

a frog found in stream

I’m not sure if it is the same species with the above one

A young toad

They hide under the stones in the stream, so you have to turn oven stones to find them

Am I beautiful ?

My Aquarium 2: The Molting

I found one of my dragonflies (the sixth one in this post) was a little unusual this morning. I looked it for a while and I found it’s going to change a new dress!

The process lasted about 20 min. Now the dragonfly is bigger and more beautiful. But its skin was soft at the moment so I removed other fish in the box in case they harm it.

Maybe this is the last molting before it becomes an adult. I’m looking forward.

My Aquarium 1: Dragonflies

I went Beijing Botanic Garden and Shangzhuang Reservoir in the past four weekends. There I got some fish, shrimp and aquatic insects. Here are some dragonflies.

Date: 3/29/2008 (Beijing Botanic Garden); 4/4/2008 (Shangzhuang Reservoir)

This one was captured in Beijing Botanic Garden. It was killed by the following one the day after I got it. All dragonflies and damselflies lay eggs in water and the naiad also grow up underwater.

This one also from Botanic Garden. It’s the larva of an Anax parthenope, big and tigerish enough to kill any creature smaller than it, just like the above one.

I tried to feed it until it’s eclosion. After all it was full-grown. But it died somehow a few days ago…

This is another species of Aeshnidae from Shangzhuang Reservoir. Anax nigrofasciatus (you can find the adult’s picture in this post) maybe. It’s healthy and greedy.

Compare of two species

I got three of this from the Reservoir, but one was killed. I’ve no idea which family it belongs to.

Lots of damselflies could be found in the reservoir. They are small and fragile. Actually, I collected a lot of them only as bait for dragonflies and fish.

Another species. It probably belongs to Libellulidae. I know little about dragonflies. Does anyone could help me classify them?

“Secret session”

A poor goby…