. Fresh-water aquaria: their construction, arrangement, and management, with full information as to the best water-plants and live stock to be kept, how and where to obtain them, and how to keep them in health. Aquariums. 208 PEESH-WATBR AQUABIA. of them are so common—except, perhaps, D. punctulatus, wMch may be distinguislied by its somewhat smaller size, and by the perfect blackness beneath its body. We have only two species belonging to the genus Acilius: of these A. sulcatus (Pig. 133) is by far the commoner. This beetle is a favourite with aquarium-keepers, and is abundant in still water
. Fresh-water aquaria: their construction, arrangement, and management, with full information as to the best water-plants and live stock to be kept, how and where to obtain them, and how to keep them in health. Aquariums. 208 PEESH-WATBR AQUABIA. of them are so common—except, perhaps, D. punctulatus, wMch may be distinguislied by its somewhat smaller size, and by the perfect blackness beneath its body. We have only two species belonging to the genus Acilius: of these A. sulcatus (Pig. 133) is by far the commoner. This beetle is a favourite with aquarium-keepers, and is abundant in still water almost everywhere. It and many of its relatives, near and distant, certainly do not altogether deserve the bad character which some people give them. It is not at all likely that the Acilius sulcatus and other beetles nearly related to him will do any harm in the ordinary aquarium if they are properly and regularly fed. I have kept for many months several beetles of this species in a small tank with a few. Fig. 133. Acilius sulcatus (Male and Female). little fish, and not one fish, to my knowledge, has been hurt in any way by them. These beetles, of course, had plenty of food. Acilius sulcatus is a handsome beetle, and well adapted by nature for an aquatic life. It is a flatter and smaller insect than jD. marginalis: it is Jin. in length, ovate in shape, and greyish-brown in colour. The under-part of the body is black, with the exception that the sides of the abdomen are distinctly and regularly spotted with yellow. The margins of the thorax, and a transverse band in the middle, are a brownish-yellow. In the male insect the first three joints of the anterior tarsi are dilated, and the elyti-a of the female have furrows filled with hairs, these furrows extending to the apex of the elytra. This beetle, when placed upon its back while out of the water, makes a curious noise as it springs to its feet. It also, when out of its natural element, emits, as. Please note that these ima
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectaquariu, bookyear1890
