Preview of Jul/Aug Coral Magazine

CORAL Magazine Table of Contents Jul/Aug 2014

07 Jul, 2014

Click cover to order this back issue for your CORAL collection.

Click cover to order this back issue for your CORAL collection.

BANNED
VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4

6     Letter From Europe by Daniel Knop
9     Editor’s Page by James M. Lawrence
16     Reef News
28     Rarities CORAL staff report

FEATURE ARTICLES
36     Lion tales – An aquarist’s guide to the genus Pterois and its kin by Scott W. Michael
48     Banned! New rules for Florida as it fights back against the worst marine invasion in state history by Ret Talbot
56     Origins of a biological calamity by Ret Talbot
66     Tracking an unprecedented invasion by Amy Benson
70     Eat Your Enemy — “Save a reef. Eat a lionfish.” by Ret Talbot
74     Bad news moves upstream by Ret Talbot
80     Breeding the West Indian sea egg: Tripneustes Ventricosus by Martin A. Moe, Jr.

AQUARIUM PORTRAIT
97     A reef wall in the living room – “It sounded impossible so I had to try it.” by Dr. Annette Kotzur

DEPARTMENTS
105     Reefkeeping 101: Algae seek an ecological niche by Daniel Knop and the CORAL staff; The Boggess-Peppermint Shrimp by Daniel Knop
111     Species Spotlight: The Copperband Butterflyfish by Daniel Knop
116     CORAL Sources: Outstanding aquarium shops
118     Coralexicon: Technical terms that appear in this issue
120     Advanced Aquatics: An Asian sleeping giant is awakening, and it happens to love aquariums by Michael Tuccinardi
128     Advertiser Index
130     Reef Life: by Denise Nielsen Tackett and Larry P. Tackett


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July 11, 2014 - 7:48 AM No Comments

Steinhart Team Breeds Rare Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse For The First Time

17 Jun, 2014

An adult Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse, behind the scenes at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences - image courtesy Richard Ross.

An adult Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse, behind the scenes at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences – Image courtesy Richard Ross.

Matt Wandell and Richard Ross are two professional aquarists who need no introduction to serious marine aquarium audiences. This dynamic duo of public aquarists has the kind of job most all of us would gladly commit manslaughter to have, working for the Stienhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences. Wandell and Ross get to work on the type of aquarium systems most of us can only dream of and certainly will never afford.  As if that wasn’t enough, they get to galavant around the globe on expeditions looking for new and interesting animals and husbandry challenges that many of us will never have the opportunity to tackle - like keeping and breedingHippocampus bargibanti, Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse. Can you smell, can you taste, the envy?

Three of Steinhart's key players behind this project - (left to right) Matt Wandell, Bart Sheperd, and Richard Ross, photographed in Manilla in 2011.

Three of Steinhart’s key players behind this project – (left to right) Matt Wandell, Bart Sheperd, and Richard Ross, photographed in Manilla in 2011.

The news that the Steinhart Aquarium has successfully bred and reared the smallest species of seahorse currently in captivity was released today in an online article by Nick Stockton for Wired Magazine. Stockton’s article tells the three-year back story behind this project (it’s quite humorous, we encourage you to read it), culminating in a world-wide first.

Apparently Wandell and Ross first had to prove their convince the Steinhart’s director, Bart Sheperd, that the ambitious project was feasible: before pushing forward into breeding attempts, they needed to successfully keep the seahorse’s host, a gorgonian species, Muricella paraplectana, that has proven difficult to sustain in captivity.

This sea fan is one of two known hosts for Bargibant’s Seahorse; wild photos and Fishbase records also document Muricella plectana as a host for the species. Interestingly, Fishbase suggests that “two color morphs [of H. bargibanti] are known: (a) pale grey or purple with pink or red tubercles (found on gorgonian coral Muricella plectana) and (b) yellow with orange tubercles (found on gorgonian coral Muricella paraplectana).”

Needless to say, Wandell and Ross succeeded with the gorgonian care and held Sheperd to his promise. During the 2014 Philippines Biodiversity Expedition, Wandell collected a single pair of H. bargibanti, on the night of May 18th, 2014, which arrived at the Steinhart Aquarium only 2 days later on May 20th. When asked why biologists only collected a single male/female pair, Ross replied, “We want to have the least impact on the natural environment as possible, especially for an experiment…We were thrilled just to have them alive in captivity.

Ross has been observing these fish like an annoying, micromanaging boss. Such extreme focus has already allows Ross to document behavior including courtship and mating. Check out this newly released footage of the daily, morning bonding ritual that occurs between the pair.

Female in front, male behind from Richard Ross on Vimeo.

Wandell and Ross’s new charges did a whole lot more than just live in captivity, they have already produced 2 broods of captive-bred offspring, with a third birth expected this weekend. Estimates suggest as many as 70 offspring are produced in each breeding cycle.

A plethora of day-old captive-born Hippocampus bargibanti - image courtesy Richard Ross.

A plethora of day-old captive-born Hippocampus bargibanti – image courtesy Richard Ross.

Details on larval rearing are understandably scarce at this time, but what can be revealed is that copepods provided by Algagen played an integral role in nourishing the pelagic offspring. Baby Brine shrimp, aka. Artemia nauplii, were also shown to be used as a larval feed.

A larval Bargibanti Seahorse, at 6 days post birth, feeding on a copepod.

A larval Bargibanti Seahorse, at 6 days post birth, feeding on a copepod.

Yes, while we might have hoped that this species was similar in reproduction to the “breed-like-rabbits” Dwarf Seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae, there are already some noteworthy differences between the two species. H. zosterae are one of the few seahorses known to feature direct-development of their offspring; in seahorse breeder jargon, they “hitch” immediately upon birth. Wandell and Ross  shared that the offspring of H. bargibanti don’t settle and assume a benthic lifestyle (start hitching) until 18 days post release.

Newly-settled 18 day old Pygmy Seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti - image courtesy Richard Ross

Newly-settled 18 day old Pygmy Seahorse, Hippocampus bargibanti – image courtesy Richard Ross

One of the big questions, of course, is whether the color morphs are genetic or caused environmentally (One theory: a seahorse doesn’t know which gorgonian it’s going to settle out onto, so perhaps it changes post-settlement to match its host’s coloration). Perhaps Wandell and Ross will be doing more experimentation that could reveal an answer to this very intriguing question.

For those aquarists who’ve been pining for H. bargibanti, sadly this news doesn’t translate into instant availability for this species within the aquarium trade. We’ve followed up with another article that investigates exactly why you haven’t seen this pygmy seahorse available to date, and why you probably won’t see them anytime soon.

Little else has been written yet about the husbandry methods and breeding protocols for the species at this time. We look forward to this information being made available as this project progresses. CORAL Magazine will be publishing more about this, as the details of the story are revealed by Wandell and Ross. Our hearty congratulations to the team at Steinhart for breaking down yet another captive-breeding barrier.

Image Credits

All images copyright Richard Ross, 2011 / 2014, published with permission.

About the author

Matt Pedersen

Matt Pedersen

Matt Pedersen is a Sr. Editor and Associate Publisher with Reef2Rainforest Media, LLC, including AMAZONAS & CORAL Magazines. Matt has 32 years as an aquarist, has worked in most facets of the aquarium trade, is an active hobbyist and fish breeder (both marine and freshwater), and was recognized as the 2009 MASNA Aquarist of the Year.

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June 18, 2014 - 11:02 AM No Comments

Dragons & Wrasses: New Reef Species Discovered - from the good folks at coral magazine.

18 Nov, 2013

Paracheilinus rennyae, endemic in the waters of Komodo National Park. Image by Mark Erdmann, Conservation International.

Paracheilinus rennyae, endemic in the waters of Komodo National Park. Image by Mark Erdmann, Conservation International.

Although best-known as the home of the world’s largest living lizard, Komodo National Park in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia is also a noteworthy dive destination that attracts biodiversity researchers doing marine species surveys in the Coral Triangle.

One of those scientists, Dr. Mark Erdmann of Conservation International, has found and described a gloriously pigmented new species of Flasher Wrasse, Paracheilinus rennyae.

The fish, distinguished by its rounded dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, is named in honor of Renny Kurnia Hadiaty from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and in recognition of her scientific contributions to Indonesian fish taxonomy.

Erdmann, Conservation International’s (CI) senior adviser to the Indonesian Marine Program, says that Renny’s Flasher Wrasse is endemic to East Nusa Tenggara, the province in southeastern Indonesia where Komodo Island National Park is located. Conservationists are hopeful that such discoveries will help protect such areas from development.

Northern tip of Komodo Island, home to a living "dragon" and a diversity of  marine life.

Northern tip of Komodo Island, home to a living “dragon” and a diversity of marine life.

“East Nusa Tenggara has more endemic species of flasher wrasses, which will hopefully encourage more tourists to come to Indonesia, since they can only see the endemic species here, including the new flasher wrasse,” Erdmann said on Wednesday.

According to Erdmann, the first picture of a new, unknown wrasse was taken by a diver in Nusa Tenggara Timor (NTT) in 2010.

“When the diver showed us the picture, we assumed it was a new species of flasher wrasse. Scientists from Udayana University [in Bali] later confirmed the species was genetically distinct from other flasher wrasse species,” he said.

Following collaboration between scientists from Udayana University, Papua State University in Manokwari, Diponegoro University in Semarang, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Conservation International Indonesia, a description of the new species by Dr. Gerald Allen, Dr. Erdmann, and Ni Luh Astria Yusmalinda was published in the year-end edition of  aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology.

Popular among reef aquarium keepers and divers alike, flasher wrasses are known for their gaudy mating displays, in which the males flare their fins and “flash” electric-blue colors to attract females and initiate spawning events.

Paracheilinus rennyae is genetically distinct from other known flasher wrasses in the Coral Triangle, with its closest relative being Paracheilinus angulatus from East Kalimantan, Brunei, Sabah and the southern Philippines.

“The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is increasingly aware of the need to generate more revenue from underwater tourism due to the country’s marine biodiversity, rather than solely depending on fishing,” Erdmann said. “But we haven’t yet calculated the value of these endemic flasher wrasse to NTT’s tourism,” he continued.

Sources

Jakarta Post

Image, Northern tip of Komodo Island: Jon Hanson/Wikipedia/Creative Commons

Abstract

Gerald R. Allen, Mark V. Erdmann and Ni Luh Astria Yusmalinda: Paracheilinus rennyae, a new species of flasherwrasse (Perciformes: Labridae) from southern Indonesia, aqua,Volume 19, Issue 4 – 25 October 2013, pp. 193-206.

The Indo-Pacific labrid fish Paracheilinus rennyae is described from four male specimens, 52.2-60.4 mm SL, collected in 15-21 m depth off southwestern Flores Island in the Lesser Sunda island chain of Indonesia. It is distinguished from most congeners by the lack of filamentous extensions of the dorsal fin rays in males and a rounded caudal fin margin, a combination of features shared only by P. octotaenia (Red Sea). It differs from the Red Sea species in having 13-14 rakers (vs. 16-18) on the first gill arch and several colour pattern differences. Genetic analysis (CO1) indicates it is closely related to P. angulatus from the Philippines and northern Borneo (Brunei, Sabah, and Kalimantan), but the two species exhibit marked differences in the shape of the median fins.

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November 25, 2013 - 7:41 AM No Comments

Odontanthias fuscipinnis – Anthias Captive Rearing & Breeding Proof of Concept

14 Oct, 2013

First captive-reared Anthias by Reef Culture Technologies / Frank Baensch.  Photo courtesy Blue Reef Photography / Frank Baensch - used with permission.

First captive-reared anthias by Reef Culture Technologies / Frank Baensch. Photo courtesy Blue Reef Photography / Frank Baensch – used with permission.

By Matt Pedersen & Coral Staff

While spawning reports for various members of the iconic reef fish subfamily Anthiinae have been recorded in marine aquariums over the years, to date these beautiful shoaling species have resisted being raised successfully in captivity.

Now Frank Baensch has produced a rare and coveted deepwater species, Odontanthias fuscipinnis, the Yellow, Fuscipinnis or Hawaiian Deep Anthias, as captive-reared fish. In theory, this could make a hithertofore very expensive species a candidate for aquaculture and within the reach of more reef aquarists.

Pioneering marine fish breeder Frank Baensch of Reef Culture Technologies.

Pioneering marine fish breeder Frank Baensch of Reef Culture Technologies.

Baensch, of Reef Culture Technologies in Honolulu is, to date, best known in the aquarium world for his work producing scores of captive-bred marine angelfishes (Pomacanthidae) and his research rearing the Crosshatch Triggerfish (Xanthichthys mento). This may change with the recent successes from his newest initiative, the Hawaii Larval Fish Project (officially: The Hawaii Larval Fish (Culture + Imaging) Project).Frank-Baensch-300×300web

In late 2012, Baensch announced this change in direction on the RCT website, saying: “In the past, much of our research was conducted on culturing pygmy angelfishes (genus: Centropyge) in small, intensive rearing systems using copepods. We are now applying these rearing techniques to species of other marine fish families to determine their culture feasibility, as well as to learn more about their spawning biology in the wild and their early life history in captivity.

Utilizing eggs or larvae collected in the wild waters of Hawaii, Baensch seeks to apply rearing methodologies to see “what else can we raise.” This approach eliminates the need for maintaining and conditioning broodstock, instead focusing all attention on rearing efforts.

This is not unlike the bread-and-butter of the Rising Tide Conservation Initiative’s work, the main difference being that Rising Tide’s eggs are often sourced from third-party captive populations (such as large public aquariums), while Baensch has turned to the wild for his seed.

“What I’m trying to do is streamline one technique for everything,” says Baensch. “Or rather, figure out what works for the most number of species. The foods that I’m using for this project are the same I used for the Centropyge and the Crosshatch Triggerfish (except for Strombidium).”

CORAL, March/April 2012, with Frank Baensch's cover story on breeding the Crosshatch Triggerfish.

CORAL, March/April 2012, with Frank Baensch’s cover story on breeding the Crosshatch Triggerfish.

Just as is seen with Rising Tide, you never know what you’re going to succeed with, and in October 2013 Baensch revealed a big win with successful larval rearing reported for Odontanthias fuscipinnis, the deepwater Yellow Anthias endemic to Hawaii and Johnston Atoll, and a very expensive fish to obtain ordinarily.

Baensch collected eggs in December 2012, and these were subsequently hatched and reared using copepods in a mixed culture setting with other marine fish species. He reports a roughly 80-day development time from hatch to settlement—on par with many dwarf angelfish, although Baensch speculates that this pelagic phase could be shortened.

Wild Eggs & Wild ‘Pods

Baensch revealed some additional details of this success. “The Yellow Anthias were reared from wild-collected eggs using a mix of wild pods (Parvocalanus,OithonaBestiolina and Apocyclops) and cultured copepods (ParvocalanusBestiolina), but I’m quite sure this species could be reared on cultured pods alone so, yes, it would be a great one for landlocked hobbyists to work on.”

While folks are clamoring to obtain “captive-reared” Fuscipinnis Anthias, it’s not that simple. Baensch’a first collection of eggs in December 2012 produced only three larvae after the first 7 days of life. Only one made it to 130 days post-hatch, at 5 CM of length, at which point it was released as part of a restocking / settlement research project Baensch is involved with.

In a March 2013 run, three more larval Yellow Anthias were identified from wild eggs between 5-10 days post hatch. Two of these made it to 40 days, and were again released.

Ultimately, the only thing that prevents this from being classified by some as a truly captive-bred fish is that the spawning occurred in the wild; arguably, however everything else has been accomplished and Baensch can certainly be credited with pushing us right to the edge of the captive-bred cliff for an anthias species. We’ve had numerous hobbyists and public aquariums document captive spawnings of anthians, and now we have clinching proof of an anthias being reared from egg through settlement (and presumably on to marketable size) using methodologies within the reach of expert aquarists.

Sources
Reef Culture Technologies News
Baensch, Frank. 2009. Trials and Tribulations of Culturing the Crosshatch Triggerfish
.CORAL, March/April 2012, Vol. 9 No.2. pp 40-55. (Back issue orders.)

Image Credits: Frank Baensch / Blue Reef Photography

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October 23, 2013 - 9:21 AM No Comments

NEW CORAL SEA ANTHIAS - from the good folks at coral magazine

New Anthias Discovered in Coral Sea

03 Oct, 2013

New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias - a new anthias species discovered by divers in Quality Marine's exclusive New Caledonia supply chain.

New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias – a new, still undescribed, species discovered by collectors in Quality Marine’s New Caledonia Short Supply Chain.

Quality Marine Collector Brings Up New Deepwater Anthias

Images by Eli Fleishsauer / Quality Marine

A dazzling new species of anthias has been discovered by aquarium fish collectors working for Quality Marine in remote New Caledonia, and rare fish enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting its arrival in the aquarium trade in North America.

According to Eli Fleishauer of Los Angeles-based Quality Marine (QM), “When we first received these fish, we were unable to conclusively identify them as any of the known Anthias species, and we reached out to several renowned scientists for their opinion. Credit for first spotting the fish goes to legendary marine livestock collector Tony Hahacky. The first specimens were caught by Antoine Teitelbaum, who collects fish exclusively for  QM in New Caledonia, an archipelago of French islands in the Coral Sea, about 750 miles (1,200 km) east of Australia.

New Caledonia, an archipelago of French islands in the eastern Coral Sea. Click to enlarge.

New Caledonia, an archipelago of French islands in the eastern Coral Sea. Click to enlarge.

“Antoine and Tony reached out to a number of ichthyologists, and scientists at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu confirmed our suspicion that this is indeed a new species. It is in the process of being described and named for the scientific community.”

This is a deepwater species, found in large schools, the QM collectors have reported.

“Like other anthias, they are planktivores, primarily eating suspended zooplankton and other meaty foods in the currents,” says Eli. “Early population estimates show that schools are made up of half females and half males.

“Males are generally more brilliantly colored, and have a dorsal spine (3rd spine) that extends far beyond the dorsal fin.  As a new species, which is possibly endemic to that island chain, they have never been seen before in the marine aquarium trade.

“The fish has not yet been assigned a scientific name,” Eli continues. ” However, we have talked with Antoine about a common name, and he is using “New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias.”

“We think it is a fitting name for this gorgeous animal, and we are following suit.”

Headshot of the New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias - awaiting formal scientific description.

Headshot of the New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias – awaiting formal scientific description.

Captive Care

Eli says that the species may do very well in reef aquariums. “We are holding these fish in two large schools, in which we are seeing little to no aggressive behavior outside of the normal bossing that goes on between dominant males and females.  As a species, they seem to be less aggressive than many of the other Anthias this size.

“Because of our success in keeping larger groups, they will likely be held like this in the future, and should be held in at least small groups (pairs, harems, etc) in the store display and home aquariums.”

Quality Marine says that the new anthias  immediately took Nutramar OVA, which is composed of frozen prawn eggs at a diameter of about 1/16th of an inch (1.6 mm) . ”It took them settling in for a day or so before we got them to accept a wider variety of meaty foods,” says Eli.  ”We are feeding them Gamma Mysis, enriched brine, krill, chopped prawn and other finely diced meaty foods.”

Owing to the challenges, expense and risks of deep-water collecting, the New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias is not expected to be widely available and will likely command a premium price as the first imports reach the marketplace.

Another look at the new anthias dubbed "New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias" while it awaits formal description by Jack Randall

Another look at the new anthias dubbed “New Caledonia Sunrise Anthias” while it awaits formal description by Jack Randall

Short Supply Chain

Quality Marine has an ongoing initiative to promote Short Supply Chains (SSC) in the marine livestock trade. “These are something we are very proud of here at Quality Marine,” says Chris Buerner, QM president.  ”Basically it boils down to us supporting the most sustainably harvested and managed collection sites and sourcing animals from collector groups rather than middlemen wherever possible.”  The collector supplying these new Anthias works exclusively under contract for QM.

“This philosophy helps to reduce transit times to a matter of hours or days, rather than weeks,” Buerner explains.  ”Shorter supply chains and fewer middlemen eliminate inconsistent levels of care, reduce stress in animals, increase survivability and decrease pressure on marine habitats.

“In terms of our customers ordering from us, when they see our SSC terminology, they can be assured that the animals they are ordering come to us from our shortest supply chains, reaching the point of export from the point of collection within 24 hours.”

Read more about SSC here: http://www.qualitymarine.com/About/Short-Supply-Chain

Quality Marine
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Los Angeles, CA 90045

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SOURCE

From materials released by Quality Marine, 10/3/2013. All images by Eli Fleishauer Copyright © 2013 Quality Marine.

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October 7, 2013 - 11:05 AM No Comments

New walking shark discovered - from the good folks at Coral Magazine

New “Walking Shark” Species Discovered

11 Sep, 2013

Hemiscyllium halmahera, a new species of small bamboo shark discovered in eastern Indonesia. Image by Mark Erdmann/Conservation International.

Hemiscyllium halmahera, a new species of small bamboo shark discovered in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. Image by Mark Erdmann/Conservation International.

Jakarta, Indonesia – A highly charismatic species of walking shark has been discovered in the remote eastern Indonesian island of Halmahera. The epaulette (long tailed carpet) shark, Hemiscyllium halmahera, uses its fins to “walk” across the ocean floor in search of small fish and crustaceans. The discovery comes at a time when Indonesia is significantly ramping up its efforts to protect shark and ray species that are now considered vulnerable to extinction, including whale sharks and manta rays.

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelagic nation with a marine area of over 5.8 million km2 (including a 2.55 million km2 EEZ), and harbors a vast wealth of marine resources. Among these is an amazing diversity of marine life; besides hosting well over 75% of the world’s coral species, Indonesia also is home to at least 218 species of sharks and rays.

“This is the third walking shark species to be described from eastern Indonesia in the past six years, which highlights our tremendous shark and ray biodiversity,” said Fahmi, a shark expert at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences. “We now know that six of the nine known walking shark species occur in Indonesian waters, and these animals are diver favorites with excellent potential to help grow our marine tourism industry.”

The shark was described in a recent paper in the Journal aqua, authored by Dr. Gerald R. Allen of Conservation International and colleagues Mark Erdmann and Christine Dudgeon. They report that the species reaches a maximum length of just 70 cm (28 cm). Bamboo sharks are among the few elasmobranchs suited to keeping in home aquariums because of their relative small size and bottom dwelling behaviors.

The new bamboo shark perching on a rock in a remote area of Indonesia in the heart of the Coral Triangle. The bamboo sharks have the curious ability to "walk" along the bottom on their pectoral and ventral fins. Image: Mark Erdmann/Conservation International

The new bamboo shark perching on a rock in a remote area of Indonesia in the heart of the Coral Triangle. The bamboo sharks have the curious ability to “walk” along the bottom on their pectoral and pelvic fins. Image: Mark Erdmann/Conservation International

Mark Erdmann CI’s senior advisor to the Indonesian Marine Program and regional coordinator for the Bird’s Head Seascape Program said, “After nearly three decades as the world’s largest exporter of dried shark fins and other shark and ray products, Indonesia is now focusing on the tremendous economic potential of its sharks and rays as living assets. In the last six months’ alone, two of the country’s top marine tourism destinations, Raja Ampat and West Manggarai (home of the famed Komodo National Park) have declared their waters as fully protected shark and ray sanctuaries. It is great to see our findings supporting the valuation and conservation of this natural capital for the long-term wellbeing of the nation.”

Dr. Mark Erdmann, part of the Conservation International team that discovered and described the new bamboo shark.

Dr. Mark Erdmann, part of the Conservation International team that discovered and described the new bamboo shark.

“This tremendous biodiversity of sharks and rays is a natural heritage that must be conserved for future generations,” said Dr. Sudirman Saad, the Director General of Coasts and Small Islands at the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, who confirmed the government’s commitment to manage these important marine assets in a sustainable manner.

He noted that the Ministry is currently developing regulations and management plans to ensure the conservation and viability of key threatened species of sharks and rays in Indonesian waters. “In addition to securing the long-term sustainability of our national fisheries, we have launched this initiative to prove Indonesia’s commitment to protect our marine biodiversity and ensure the long-term sustainable use of sharks and rays well into the future,” said Saad.

SOURCES

Allen GR et al. 2013. Hemiscyllium halmahera, a new species of Bamboo Shark (Hemiscylliidae) from Indonesia. aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (3): 123-136

Excerpt from materials released by Conservation International.  Images: Mark Erdmann/Conservation International.

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September 17, 2013 - 2:29 PM No Comments

Macna Starts this weekend

See You at MACNA South Florida

27 Aug, 2013

CORAL is heading to Hollywood….

Make that Hollywood, Florida, the site of the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America 2013, between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale on the Atlantic shore.

Collect the CORAL 2013 Button at Booth 507. Supplies limited.

Collect the CORAL 2013 Button at Booth 507. Supplies are limited.

We can be found at Booth 507 (with Boyd Enterprises and the Coral Restoration Society) and across the aisle at Booth 407 with Two Little Fishies, who will be selling the Banggai Cardinalfish book, making its first appearance at MACNA.

These booths are at the entrance to the raffle area (and next to the expected hubbub at the Reef Geek booth, where the stars of the Animal Planet hit seriesTanked! Wayde King and Brett Raymer will again be holding court).

Find the booths and ask for the free collectible 2013 buttons for CORAL, the BANGGAI Book, and AMAZONAS.

More Information

MACNA 2013
BANGGAI CARDINALFISH Book
Two Little Fishies

Animall Planet stars Wayde King and Brett Raymer of TANKED! will again be the center of attraction at the Reef Geek booth, in the same neighborhood as the CORAL and TWO LITTLE FISHIES booths , numbers 405 - 507.

Animal Planet stars Wayde King and Brett Raymer of TANKED will again be the center of attraction at the Reef Geek MACNA booth, in the same neighborhood as the CORAL and TWO LITTLE FISHIES booths , numbers 507 and 407.

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August 30, 2013 - 8:52 AM No Comments

Pity we will never see these legally in Aus

Aquacultured Clarion Angel Comes to the US

09 Aug, 2013

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Press Release. Quality Marine, 08-07-2013

In a Western Hemisphere First, An Aquacultured Clarion Angel is Available!

Quality Marine is proud to announce the first Aquacultured Clarion Angel (Holacanthus clarionensis) available for sale in North America. This fish was produced from a captive breeding at Bali Aquarich, where it was reared to a salable size. It was then shipped to the United Kingdom for a brief period and now it is beginning its North American tour in Southern California, here at Quality Marine.

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

What makes the Clarion so special?

The Clarion Angel is a gorgeous fish that adapts very well to aquarium environments. They are hardy and are “personable” tank inhabitants. Though they can be pugnacious with tank mates, they generally learn to recognize people as feeders and will interact with them.

This is a fish with a very limited distribution, coming only from shallow water tropical reef locations from the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico down to Clipperton Island. The majority of the species are found in the Revillagigedo Islands. The population size, distribution, and habitat that this fish prefers is so limited that it could easily be over exploited. It is currently listed as “vulnerable” by the IUCN Red List. Quality Marine does not import or stock wild Clarion Angels.

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Biology / Captive Care

Juveniles of this species are generally solitary and territorial and occasionally have been seen acting as cleaner fish. Adults are generally also observed singly, and have also been observed acting as cleaners for very large rays. They also occasionally form large groups which some literature suggests is for breeding.

H. Clarionensis has a fairly small adult size at 7.8 inches. Like most fish in their genus, a large portion of their wild diet consists of sponge matter, with some aquarists reporting that coloration fades if food containing sponges is not offered. The blue barring of this juvenile fish will fade and it will end up being a brilliant gold coloration.

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Aquacultured Clarion Angelfish from Bali Aquarich, images courtesy / copyright Quality Marine

Quality Marine

Celebrating over 35 years in business, Quality Marine continues to provide the Public and Retail Aquarium industry with the highest quality, most sustainable and widest selection of both wild and aquacultured marine fish and invertebrates. Quality Marine works tirelessly to support responsible operators that collect in a sustainable manner and protect the reef habitat. We encourage all industry professionals to do the same. We continue to exhibit our commitment to helping make this industry a better one, to help protect our resources for not only the longevity of our trade, but also for the preservation of the environment. As our business grows, we still focus on the keys to our success, Quality, Variety, and Service, second to none.

Eli Fleishauer
Quality Marine

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August 22, 2013 - 10:25 AM No Comments

NEW CHALICE CORAL FOUND

New Echinophyllia Stony Coral Species Found

31 Jul, 2013

The new Echinophyllia tarae, discovered in the Gambier Archipelago of French Polynesia.

The new Echinophyllia tarae, discovered in the Gambier Archipelago of French Polynesia. Color morphs ranged from bright green to beige and various shades of brown. Image: Francesca Benzoni.

Marine biologist Francesca Benzoni, who recently described the species, Echinophyllia tarae.

Marine biologist Francesca Benzoni, who recently described the species, Echinophyllia tarae.

Difficult to identify but often dazzlingly beautiful, Chalice corals are much-appreciate by many reef aquarists. Now a new species of this small genus of shallow-water Indo-Pacific stony corals has just been added to the roster of eight previously known Echinophyllia species. The new coral is described in a paper by Francesca Benzoni from the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy, and published in the journal ZooKeys on July 24, 2013.

Known as Echinophyllia tarae, the coral is reported to resemble E. echinata, well-known in the aquarium trade, as well as E. nishihirai, in living specimens. Skeletal analysis, however, reveals that the new species has a distinctive central corallite, as seen in the image above (right of center).

The author, says that many specimens were observed in the remote Gambier Archipelago apparently recovering from “partial death” caused by temporary burial in sediments. The green colony above, she says in the paper, shows “a concave colony with a large central corallite showing a peripheral rim of skeleton encrusted by pink coralline algae and surrounded by zoanthids and corallimorpharians at Mangareva Island. Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. is most commonly found at sheltered sites characterized by calm water conditions and muddy sediment which could be stirred up and deposit on benthic organisms suffocating them (Erftemeijer etal. 2012).”

Variation of shape, spikiness of septa and costae, and colouration of large colonies Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. observed in situ. A: Brown encrusting colony with free margins, bright green oral discs and raised corallites, Akamaru Island. B: Brown encrusting colony with white oral discs, raised corallites (larger one in the stippled circle), and very spiky costae, Taravai Island, the prominent crown of paliform lobes of the largest corallite is indicated by the white arrow C: Brown knob-shaped colony with bright green oral discs and raised corallites, note the white colouration of the tips of costae teeth, Taravai Island. D: A bright-green knob-shaped colony, Taravai Island. E: Brown encrusting colony with bright-green oral discs and relatively low-lying corallites, note the uniform colouration of the costae, Taravai Island. F: mottled brown encrusting colony with free margins and relatively low-lying corallites, note the uniform colouration of the costae, Taravai Island.

Variation of shape, spikiness of septa and costae, and colouration of large colonies Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. observed in situ. A: Brown encrusting colony with free margins, bright green oral discs and raised corallites, Akamaru Island. B: Brown encrusting colony with white oral discs, raised corallites (larger one in the stippled circle), and very spiky costae, Taravai Island, the prominent crown of paliform lobes of the largest corallite is indicated by the white arrow C: Brown knob-shaped colony with bright green oral discs and raised corallites, note the white colouration of the tips of costae teeth, Taravai Island. D: A bright-green knob-shaped colony, Taravai Island. E: Brown encrusting colony with bright-green oral discs and relatively low-lying corallites, note the uniform colouration of the costae, Taravai Island. F: mottled brown encrusting colony with free margins and relatively low-lying corallites, note the uniform colouration of the costae, Taravai Island.

Says the author: “The species is characterized by a high intraspecific variation of several morphologicaltraits. It also shows typical features that distinguish it from the otherEchinophyllia species and from Echinomorpha nishihirai, such as the dimensions and the protrusion of the largest corallite (centrally located in flat colonies), the thickness of the septa, and the development of the crown of paliform lobes. Although the new species is common in the Gambier Islands, its occurrence elsewhere is unknown. The sampling of coral tissue from the type specimens of E. tarae sp. n. will allow molecular analyses in order to examine its phylogenetic relationships with its congeners and other species in the Lobophylliidae.”

The new species was discovered during the 2011 Tara Oceans Scientific Expedition with MV Tara, the first new study of cnidarians in the Gambier Islands since the mid-1970s.

Sources

Echinophyllia tarae sp. n. (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Scleractinia), a new reef coral species from the Gambier Islands, French Polynesia
Francesca Benzoni
ZooKeys 318: 59–79 (2013)
doi: 10.3897/zookeys.318.5351
www.zookeys.org

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August 5, 2013 - 8:48 AM No Comments

New Coral Magazine article

The Classroom Ocean – Club Impacts Far and Wide

01 Jul, 2013

Online supplemental content for The Classroom Ocean, by Nate Wilson, published in theJuly/August 2013 Issue of CORAL Magazine.
Supplemental #1 | Supplemental #2

7th Grade Biology Teacher Dwayne Kalinay stands between two of the reef tanks in his classroom.

Seventh Grade Biology Teacher Dwayne Kalinay stands between two of the reef tanks in his classroom.

The Reef Conservation Society’s Tanks for Schools program was featured in the July/August 2013 issue of CORAL Magazine. This program was started at Williamsport High School under the leadership of Lawrence Flint, a Physics and Chemistry teacher at Williamsport as well as the Vice President of Education for the Reef Conservation Society. In a prior installment, we visited the Walnut Street Christian School in Avis, PA.

Another teacher who involved in the Tanks in Schools program is Dwayne Kalinay. Kalinay teaches 124 seventh graders at Lake Lehman Jr. Sr. High School outside of Lehman, PA. His classroom resembles a small zoo. Aside from maintaining three reef tanks the class also raises and breeds African Cichlids, as well as keeping Snapping Turtles, Red Slider turtles, Anoles, Bearded Dragons, and millipedes in a host of tanks throughout the room.

As a second year teacher working in another district, Kalinay started his own classroom tank. He quickly realized how expensive it was. “I must have spent my first year salary on things for the class room. But it really helps to have things like this,” He gestures around the classroom, “to keep the kids interested.” When Kalinay started working at Lake Lehman he found out about RCS and the Tanks in School program.

The reefs in his classroom took off from there because of the additional knowledge and support available from the club. Every year since then Kalinay has added a new tank. “We started with the 90 gallon and then plumbed that together with the 110. Last summer we added the 65-gallon.” Both Kalinay and Larry are proud of the 65 because it has zero impact on the wild reefs and was set up like the tank at Walnut St; mined rock seeded in the Williamsport systems, fragged coral and a pair of tank raised clown fish.

A reef tank with zero initial impact on the Oceans, the 65 gallon reef at Lake Lehman Jr. Sr. High School was set up with seeded dry rock, propagated coral frags, and tank raised clownfish.

A reef tank with zero initial impact on the Oceans, the 65 gallon reef at Lake Lehman Jr. Sr. High School was set up with seeded dry rock, propagated coral frags, and tank raised clownfish.

The tanks at Lehman are very popular with the students and are used not just by Kalinay’s biology classes but also by other science, art, and life skills classes. Because of the tanks and his class being extremely interactive Kalinay’s room is often used for student and parent orientations. It has also become a popular stop on most school visits.

Like the reef tanks in other schools supported by the club, Kalinay’s aquariums are an excellent teaching resource. A reef tank can be used to teach many science concepts such as interaction, relationships, biotic and abiotic factors, parasitism, symbiosis, and adaptation. Students discuss and learn about why reef creatures are often more brightly colored than freshwater fishes and invertebrates. “Not all these elements are part of what needs to be taught in seventh grade science. But,” Kalinay says, “they can be taught and help the students to better understand how the ecosystem in a reef tank functions.”

A colony of mushrooms in the classroom reef tanks at Lake Lehman Jr./Sr. High School.

A colony of mushrooms in the classroom reef tanks at Lake Lehman Jr./Sr. High School.

Being able to teach students a skill through a hands on experience is often more engaging then a worksheet or an exercise that appears to exist ‘just because’. Kalinay explains it this way. “ As a kid what would you rather do measure a line in the hallway or measure a glass box with star fish and clown fish swimming along the side? With a tank I can have the students measure it and then calculate volume. It’s a real world application and the more hands on stuff you can do the more it mixes things up for them and keeps them interested in learning.You have to remember that 7th graders are 12 years old.”

Like Larry Flint, Kalinay is also hands on. The LEDs over the 65-gallon tank were put together by students in his class. “It is just another example of real-world learning; they are 12 and 13 years old and they have built a lighting fixture. With the tanks we can talk about all kinds of stuff and they now have a place to draw experience from. It’s practical learning, not just picking from choices A-E. “

By taking care of the reef tanks the students also learn to appreciate wild reefs. They see how small things have big impacts. Kalinay says that he is surprised how invested kids become in the tank.

“When something goes wrong they react to it. One year I had a fish die and there were kids who cried about it. They had watched it and fed it all year and it upset them. Sometimes you have pieces of coral that start to lighten up and bleach. They get upset. It shows that they care about whats happening in the tank and that they know what bleaching is. That is something they can read about in a newspaper article and now they understand from experience. It’s tremendous that they know about it is because they learned it here with the tanks. We try to figure out what happened and they see how a small change in something like alkalinity or pH affects the whole system.”

Kalinay’s honors students learn how to frag coral using bone cutters to cut pieces from a larger colony. They then super glue each frag onto rubble rock or ceramic plugs. Students will grow the frags out in a 40 gallon tank located in the supply closet. They measure growth to practice their metrics skills and use iPads to take photos and document the changes from week to week. Careers in science are also touched upon by studying the classroom reefs. Kalinay has the kids read an article about coral farming and restoration in Florida, and then ties it in with what they are doing in the frag tank.

A close up of leather coral growing in the tanks at Lake Lehman Jr. Sr. High School.

A close up of leather coral growing in the tanks at Lake Lehman Jr. Sr. High School.

“They learn about conservation and sustainability by fragging the coral that we have here. We know from reading about the coral farming and restoration that we can rebuild a reef. By exposing students to a captive reef, something that they really don’t get to see here in Pennsylvania, they learn to value wild ones. If they value it they are more likely realize that we should try and preserve them.”

By fragging coral and selling it to local hobbyists and pet shops, Kalinay is also able to show his students that keeping a reef can be sustainable. Money from sales of coral goes back into the class room systems. Raising the frags becomes more than just a teaching tool showing how an organism propagates asexually, or how to measure its growth. Students gain the realization that what they are doing helps maintain their own classroom reef . Kalinay states, “The kids see that what we do is important to our own reef. We take the frags we make here and we sell them. The money goes back into our tanks to keep them supplied. I have used the money for things like more coral cutters in the past and now I am saving to upgrade the 90 and the 110 with LED lighting. On the other side of it the people who buy the coral get a piece that didn’t come out of the oceans. “

Teacher Dwayne Kalinay reaches into the 65 gallon mini reef in his classroom.

Teacher Dwayne Kalinay reaches into the 65 gallon mini reef in his classroom.

When asked how much the kids help with the tanks outside of class, Kalinay says that there are four or five past students that take time out of their lunch or study halls to come down and help out. “Aside from the initial set-ups or moving around rock I don’t really touch the tanks anymore. The students do everything; testing, dosing, feeding and cleaning the glass. After three years we have it down to an exact science. I don’t have to come in and check after the weekend to make sure everything is still alive. It’s a good feeling”

Next year Kalinay plans on expanding his setup even further. “I am looking to add a 75-gallon tank. My plan is to have it viewable from all sides. Then I want to rearrange the tanks I have now. The 110 is going to be a predator tank so that the kids can see a different aspect of life on the reef.”

Orchid Dottyback

Orchid Dottyback

Having the club provide support is invaluable to Kalinay and other teachers involved in the program. In an era, where public education budgets have been decimated across Pennsylvania and the country, Kalinay is happy to point this out. “I know that I will be able to get the rock and the initial livestock for the next tank from Larry. The club really makes this sustainable. It’s not doable on this scale otherwise. The way that Larry has it set up is great. They have provided me with the past three years’ worth of supplies, coral, clownfish, rock, and frags. They donated the tanks. Each year I get money for supplies like food, dosing chemicals, etc. They give us salt from Reef Crystals and they have no restrictions about who I buy my supplies from. They are very trusting. I send them pictures every few months as a show of good faith that I am taking care of things. Larry comes down like once a year to see how things are. If I want help setting up a tank or have questions I know that he (Larry) is there.”

“If I want help setting up a tank or have questions I know that he is there. “ That statement sums up what Larry Flint and the club are doing. Landlocked in Pennsylvania, Flint and the Reef Conservation Society are working to save the wild reefs by being there, doing what they can; building awareness and appreciation one school tank at a time.

The 110 Gallon tank at Lake Lehman Jr. /Sr. High School

The 110 Gallon tank at Lake Lehman Jr. /Sr. High School

The Reef Conservation Society continually seeks to build relationships with new school sites and interested partners. You can view more about the club’s Tanks in Schools program atwww.ReefConservationSociety.org .

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July 29, 2013 - 8:26 AM No Comments

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