substrate
A surface on which an organism lives, moves or is attached to; the base material of a water body; a benthic habitat. Also used in reference to base material when added to an aquarium.
Used in 1,478 profiles
Results for “organism”
Ichthyological terms, not general ones.
symbiosis
Close, long-term association between two different biological species. Often obligatory and often, though not always, with a mutual benefit for both organisms.
Used in 2 profiles
systematics
Branch of biology concerned with classification and nomenclature of organisms, and the relationships between them; taxonomy.
Used in 41 profiles
tentacle
Slender, elongate, flexible, unsegmented, usually tactile or prehensile, process extending from the body in certain organisms.
Used in 8 profiles
thorax
Middle section of the body containing the main organs of circulation and respiration. Not easily defined in fishes.
Used in 1 profile
total dissolved solids
Measure of the total concentration of both organic and inorganic, microscopic particles suspended in a given liquid. Usually applied only to freshwater systems and measured using a conductivity or total dissolved solids meter with results expressed in units of mg per unit volume of water (e.g., mg/L) or parts per million (ppm). Soft water with low pH generally has low levels of total dissolved solids whereas harder water with higher pH tends to contain correspondingly increased concentrations. Often abbreviated to TDS.
Used in 2 profiles
trace element
Any chemical element required in small proportions by a given organism in order for certain physiological and biochemical processes to function properly. Often added to marine aquaria using proprietary liquid products and require regular replenishment as they are used up.
trophic level
The hierarchical position of an organism within a food chain.
urogenital
Of, relating to, or denoting both the urinary and genital organs.
Used in 2 profiles
urogenital duct
Tube draining the urogenital organs.
vertebrate
An organism possessing a backbone or spinal column.
Used in 48 profiles
viscera
The soft internal organs of the body.
Wallace's line
Hypothetical line, proposed by British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace that marks the transitional boundary between the Oriental and Australian zoogeographical regions. It passes between the islands of Borneo and Sulawesi to its northern limit, Bali and Lombok to the south. To the west of the line organisms descended from Asiatic ancestors predominate, while to the east there exist species of both Asian and Australian origin.
Used in 1 profile
xylophage
An organism exhibiting xylophagy.
biofilm
Aggregate of microorganisms adhering to one another and forming a complex, carpeting structure on living or non-living solid surfaces. Often associated with surfaces that are submerged or regularly in contact with water.
Used in 146 profiles
biofilter
Pollution control technique employing living matter to capture and biologically degrade potential pollutants. Aquarium biofilters tend to contain a medium with a large specific surface area (SSA) favouring colonisation by billions of beneficial microorganisms.
Used in 6 profiles
culture
Cultivation of soil or other growth medium; captive breeding of animals or plants; growing of microorganisms or other live tissue in a nutrient medium or when referring to such a colony.
Used in 3 profiles
denitrification
Reduction of nitrates to nitrites and ammonia by the breakdown of nitrogenous compounds, or conversion of nitrates into nitrogen-containing gases. Usually carried out by microorganisms.
formanifera
Phylum of amoeboid microorganisms and a common constituent of marine plankton.
fungi
Kingdom of eukaryotic microorganisms lacking chlorophyll and vascular tissue and possessing chitinous cell walls. Highly variable in form and includes all yeasts, molds, and mushrooms.
Used in 1 profile