Alphabet Wednesday – P is for Pisces

 Pisces is the Latin plural for fish which gives me the excuse to post some fishy photos but I have taken the letter P a stage further and my fish begin with P (though I've sort of cheated by using both scientific names and English names to show some of the more interesting ones).  Most of the photos were taken in Chester Zoo or Liverpool Museum (where they have some great aquaria of live fish - not just stuffed specimens)..

Many fish have a number of common names. This Green White-spotted Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus), for example, is also known as the Stars and Stripes Puffer, Hispid Puffer, Whitespotted Puffer, Spiny Balloon Fish, and Fugu. Or, if you are in Hawaii it's the Oopuhue or Makimaki. In Japan it is referred to as Sazanamifugu. The flesh contains the toxin tetrodotoxin and human poisoning from tetrodotoxin is a major public health concern in Japan, where "fugu" is a traditional delicacy.

The European Plaice is commonly on the table in English restaurants. It qualifies for the letter P three times over being Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa).

A common fish in small home aquaria is the Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi). These are from the days when I kept tropical fish at home.

This is the Regal Tang or Blue Surgeonfish whose scientific name is Paracanthurus hepatus

Another attractive species – the Emperor Angelfish (Pomocanthus imperator)

Definitely unattractive is the vicious Pike (Esox lucius) which can gobble up a lot of other fish in our English rivers.

Some Lionfish species (also known as Dragonfishes) are in the genus Pterois. This is the Red Lionfish or Peacock Lionfish (Pterois volitans)

This chap is the Porcupine Pufferfish (Diodon histrix).

And while we are around the sea bed there are a few other Ps like this Peacock Fan-worm

A Protoplaythoa species of coral.

And a Purple Sunstar (Solaster endeca) which isn't necessarily purple!

But my favourite has to be the Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus).

Let me know if you are a Pisces!  And for a lot more interpretations of the letter P please visit the ABC linksite.