| Labeo |
freshwater; "sharks," actually cyprinids,
from Southeast Asia and Africa, frequently included in freshwater
community tanks; larger speciment can become aggressive |
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| Labidochromis |
one of the many genera of cichlids of Lake Malawi, Africa |
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| Labroides |
cleaner wrasses, Family Labridae, found in the Indo-Pacific and
often imported for the aquarium because of their habit of removing
parasites from other fish: only one species, L. dimidiatus, adapts
well to captivity |
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| Labyrinth fish |
any of the Family Anabantidae, freshwater fish of tropical Africa
and the Asian subcontinent characterized by a specialized organ that
permits them to breathe atmospheric air |
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| Lactoria |
cowfish, marine species of the boxfish family, Ostraciidae, with
prominent "horns" protruding above the eyes; slow moving,
they graze upon tiny invertebrates |
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| Lacustrine |
lake dwelling, or having to do with the environment within a lake |
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| Lagarosiphon |
graceful, green bunch plants from Madagascar, including L. madagascarensis,
resembling Elodea, but preferring warmer water |
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| Lagenandra |
aquatic plants of the Arum family, native to swamps of the Indian
subcontinent; they form upright rosettes of thick, shiny leaves arising
from a rhizome |
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| Laminar |
of or having to do with a layerd structure, especially of currents
flowing within a body of water or air |
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| Lamprologus |
one of the numerous genera of cichlids of Lake Tanganyika, including
many species of popular with aquarium enthusiasts |
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| Lancefish |
any of several small marine species harvested and sold, usually
frozen, for feeding predatory aquarium fish |
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| Lancelet |
a member of Phlyum Cephalochordata, primitive, fishlike marine invertebrates
that live in sand and feed on smaller organisms; they are sometimes
discovered in aquariums that contrin a live sand bed |
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| Larva |
an immature form of an invertebrate or fish that develops from the
fertilized egg and changes into the adult form after a period of growth
and development |
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| Lateral line |
a structure lying, typically, along the middle of either side of
the body of teleost fish, together with interconnected structures
in the head; it senses changes in water pressure, permitting the fish
to precisely control its swimming |
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| Lateral line scale count |
the number of scales from the first pored scale behind the gill
opening to the base of the caudal fin; in species without a developed
lateral line, the number of scales along the same approximate course |
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| Lebrunia |
the antler anemone, and anthozoan of Florida and the Caribbean characterized
by two types of tentacles, one resembling the antlers of a deer; although
beautiful, it can deliver a painful sting |
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| Leinardella |
large marine wrasses; the only species frequently imported is L.
fasciata, the harlequin tusk fish, boldly striped in red and white,
with blue teeth |
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| Lemna |
tiny, floating flowering plants known as "duckweeds" often
cultivated in freshwater aquariums and garden ponds |
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| Lemnalia |
a thinly branched, arborescent soft coral without visible skeletal
elements, commonly called "spaghetti coral" |
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| Lepomis |
North american centrarchids, the sunfish; sometimes maintained in
aquariums by enthusiasts specializing in species native to that continent |
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| Leprinus |
herbivorous, elongate characins of the Amazon Basin; commonly seen
species bear striking vertical bars |
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| Leptogorgia |
seawhips, gorgonian anthozoans often found in areas of lowerd salinity,
and sometimes maintained successfully in marine aquariums; they are
more common in temperate than tropical waters |
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| Light spectrum |
electromagnatic radiation with a wavelength between 100 and 1000
nanometers, including ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light; also
a graphic representation of such radiation |
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| Limestone |
rock formed by deposition of calcium carbonate in marine sediments;
it occurs in many forms worldwide and is often used for decoration
in marine aquariums and those designed for African rift lake cichlids |
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| Limewater |
a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide often added to marine
reef aquariums as a source of calcium ions |
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| Limewood |
the product of a citrus tree, used for making aquarium air diffusers
because of its porosity |
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| Limia |
file shells, bivalve marine mollusks often maintained in aquariums
because of the bright red mantle; they require large amounts of planktonic
food organisms |
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| Limnophila |
vining aquatic flowering plants of the snapdragon family ranging
from tropical Africa to Australia; commonly cultivated in aquariums
for their light green, finely dividedfoliage; often incorrectly called
"Ambulia" |
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| Linckia |
sea stars, typically with smooth, rounded arms; often kept in marine
aquariums for their bright blue, lavender and purple coloration, though
somewhat challenging to maintain successfully |
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| Lionfish |
any fish of the genera Dendrochirus or Pterois, but often applied
only to P. volitans |
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| Liopropoma |
miniature sea basses, Family Serranidae, generally found only in
deep water; though expensive, they are sought after by aquarists because
of their bright coloration and hardiness |
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| Litophyton |
soft corals from the Indo-Pacific that are popular with marine reef
hobbyists because of the ease of propagation |
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| Live-bearer |
any of the fish in Family Poecillidae, including many popular aquarium
species such as the guppy, platy, swordtail, and molly, that give
birth to live young |
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| Loach |
elongate, bottom-dwelling fish from Southeast Asia that are often
included in freshwater community aquariums; although they resemble
catfish, they are members of the carp family |
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| Loam |
soil containing a mixture of sand, clay and organic matter in varying
proportions; generally considered ideal for the growth of a wide variety
of plants, including aquatic species |
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| Lobelia |
North American terrestrial or marsh plants; some are suitable for
cultivation in garden ponds and bear tall spikes of either bright
red or blue flowers in late summer |
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| Lobophyllia |
a stony coral with large polyps that is adapted to living on the
sea bottom in shallow water; it is often included in marine reef aquariums |
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| Lobophytum |
a soft coral with lobed branches, known as "devil's hand"
or "leather finger coral' |
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| Longevity |
the length of time an organism can reasonably be expected to live |
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| Longitudinal fission |
lengthwise splitting, a mode of asexual reproduction exhibited in
certain anthozoans and other invertebrate groups |
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| Loricaria |
South American catfish, Family Loricariidae, with suckerlike mouths |
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| Ludwigia |
semiaquatic flowering plants, Family Onagraceae, of the southeastern
United States and Central America, with upright stems bearing short,
lance-shaped leaves, sometimes red in color |
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| Lugol's solution |
a solution of iodine and potassium iodide added to marine aquariums
as a source of iodide ions; also used in greater concentration as
a disinfectant for living coral specimens |
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| Lumen |
anatomically, the opening within a tubulur structure, such as an
intestine or blood vessel; in physics, a unit of measure of light
energy |
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| Lutjanus |
snappers, marine fish of Family Lutjanidae; harvested for table
fare, smaller specimens are often kept in large aquariums |
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| Lux |
a unit of irradiance equivalent to one lumen per square meter |
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| Lybia |
marine crabs of aquarium interest because of their habit of carrying
small sea anemones that are used as mops to collect particulate food
and that may also be brandished in defense |
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| Lymphocystis |
a desease of marine fish caused by a virus and equivalent to a wart,
characterized by the formation of a grayish white, irregular growth
anywhere on the body but especially on the fins; treatable only with
antiviral drugs |
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| Lysimachia |
monywort or creeping Jenny, L. nummularia is a creeping plant of
marshy areas with small, rounded yellow leaves; a member of the primrose
family |
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| Lysmata |
marine shrimps frequently collected for the aquarium and popular
with hobbyists because of their red coloration, sociability, and cleaning
behavior |
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| Lytechinus |
a sea urchin found in seagrass beds that often carries bits of debris
that serves as camouflage |
