Herbivorous fishes, or phytophages (from the words "phyto" – a plant and "phage" – the devourer), it is possible to meet in any reservoir of our planet, excluding unless, Lake Baikal. Representatives of this group part also in house aquariums. What does their popularity consist in?
Fishes can be divided into several groups: herbivorous, zhivotnoyadny (predatory) and omnivorous. To herbivorous, proceeding from the name, carry the fishes eating various parts of water plants.
To understand why in fish breeding it is preferred as cultivation of herbivorous fishes, we will arrange all inhabitants of a reservoir on the nature of food. The food chain which each link is food for the following turned out. The food chain of a reservoir looks so: water plants - invertebrates - fish. Phytophages are the final product of the shortest food chain of any reservoir: seaweed - fishes. For comparison, the food chain for predatory fishes looks so: seaweed - invertebrates - a benthos (the organisms living at a bottom or in soil) - small fish - predatory fish. If to consider that at the extended food chain of expense of energy for receiving the final product (fish) repeatedly increase, then it becomes clear that to breed herbivorous fishes energetically more favourably. Besides, phytophages grow much quicker, than predatory, so, and are more actively used for cultivation. Unlike industrial fish breeding, interest in cultivation of herbivorous fishes for aquariums and decorative reservoirs does not raise doubts. It is their attractive appearance. But in case of decorative small fishes, their love for plants is rather a shortcoming. At registration of an aquarium or reservoir it is necessary to consider that these fishes consider any plant as a forage source. Besides, herbivorous fishes eat gradually, but is frequent. The need for food at them arises in 2-3 hours, and by the morning they are very hungry.