ABSTRACT
There are over 34,000 species of fish, around half of which spend at least some of their lives in freshwater, in wetlands that comprise less than 0.5% of useable water on the Earth’s surface. Numerous species are threatened by habitat loss caused by anthropogenic activities, including climate change. Freshwater fishes in zoological collections are therefore vitally important to conservation outcomes as such “ark populations” can allow for reintroduction and population augmentation programmes to be conducted. Currently, fish collections are some of the most speciose of all vertebrate taxa held in zoological establishments, and this species diversity means that aquarists have to have specialist knowledge of behavioural ecology, anatomy, and physiology, to provide optimum captive care. Fishes perform a diverse array of behaviours, which can be used to evaluate the suitability of the captive environment created for them. This chapter aims to outline the importance of a correctly managed aquatic environment on freshwater fish behaviour patterns that are indicative of good health and welfare.
