Fish
Category Archives: Invertebrates
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Cyro, The Robotic Jellyfish
Virginia Tech College of Engineering researchers have unveiled a life-like, autonomous robotic jellyfish the size and weight of a grown man, 5 foot 7 inches in length and weighing 170 pounds, as part of a U.S. Navy-funded project.… More:
Posted in Invertebrates, Science
Tagged cyro, new brunswick, salt waters, shallow coastal waters, u s navy
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Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon Striatus, Reef Fish
Hello Earth people, I have a cute little Banded Butterflyfish hiding in a sea-fan for you all today that we came across the other day while cleaning the reef. These fish are so beautiful and really one of the more graceful fish you will see on the reef, they just cruise about the reef (usually in pairs) without a care in the World. This one here was so calm that I was able to photograph him or her with a 105 macro lens and really showed little concern at all. I was telling a new underwater photographer just yesterday to concentrate your efforts on animals and creatures that are relaxed, stationary or slow moving and practice patience! Banded butterflyfishes, also called banded mariposas, butterbuns, butterflyfishes, Portugese butterflies, and school mistresses, were first described by Carl Linnaeus as Chaetodon striatus in 1758. The family name “Chaetodontidae ” means “bristle-tooth,” while “striatus” refers to their thick black vertical stripes — two on their sides and a third extending from their dorsal fin to their caudal peduncles (tails). Their pelvic fins, except for the spine, are also black. A well-known denizen of commercial aquariums, this species has a short snout and a vertically flattened, squarish “disk-shaped” body. They have 12 dorsal spines, 19 to 21 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines, and 16 to 17 anal soft rays. Adult banded butterflyfishes grow to a maximum length of about 15 cm. Maturity is reached at lengths around 12 cm. Banded butterflyfishes, Chaetodon striatus, are associated with tropical marine reefs from 43° N to 23° S, at depths of 3 to 55 meters. In the Western Atlantic, they can be found from Massachusetts to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil , including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. In the central Atlantic they are found off St. Paul’s Rocks .Banded butterflyfishes, Chaetodon striatus, feed primarily on polychaete worms, coral polyps , crustaceans and mollusk eggs, scraping off the invertebrates with their bristly teeth. Adults may form plankton -feeding aggregations of up to 20 individuals, and they occasionally clean other reef fishes which join the group, such as grunts, parrotfishes and surgeon fishes. They are a diurnal species, active during the day and sleeping at night. At the end of the day they seeks shelter from night predators such as moray eels, sharks, and other larger reef fishesBanded butterflyfishes, Chaetodon striatus, reproduce quickly. Their minimum population doubling time is less than 15 months.… More:
Rainforest of the Sea
Rainforest of the Sea opened last month at the Horniman Museum & Gardens and runs till 15 September. Entry to the exhibition is free. A new photographic exhibition at the Horniman Museum & Gardens captures the underwater wonders of the coral triangle. Rainforest of the Sea (opening 9 March) features stunning photographs of sea creatures in Borneo, and highlights the diversity of coral reefs, as well as the threats facing one of the world’s richest habitats. Marine biologist and photographer Jamie Craggs worked without the aid of digital photography to create the series of striking underwater shots – from a turtle silhouetted against an azure sky, to close encounters with a longhorn cowfish, a bumblebee shrimp and a hairy squat lobster. Jamie says: ‘Coral reefs are often called the “rainforest of the sea” because, like rainforests, they are one of the most biologically diverse habitats on the planet. These photos weren’t taken with an exhibition in mind, but the threats to this amazing underwater world are so great that I wanted the images to do some good. I hope Rainforest of the Sea will not only show visitors the beauty and wonder of the coral reef and its creatures, but also raise awareness of the importance of protecting them for the future.’ Jamie has worked on coral reef expeditions in the Philippines, as an underwater cameraman in Borneo and as a professional aquarist in the UK. He is currently the Aquarium Curator at the Horniman, overseeing a collection of 2,500 live specimens from 150 aquatic species. He specialises in coral biology and is working with international organisations to conserve coral reefs and better understand the impact human life has on these fragile and globally important habitats.… More:
Posted in Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Photography
Tagged azure sky, photographic exhibition, rainforests, squat lobster, underwater wonders
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Caribbean Sharpnose Puffer, Canthigaster rostrata
Good morning friends, how was your weekend?? Mine was so busy and filled with so many adventures which is probably the reason I am so tired this morning! Saturday morning I took the dogs out for a long two and a half hour hike and the second we got home it started to rain. And by rain I mean one of the hardest rains we have had in years, it was an all out flooding tropical downpour!! In just seconds our driveway was transformed into a raging river and our backyard looked like a small pond, everything was flooded in just minutes! So because of the rain I was now pretty much stuck at home and went to work on the computer for the rest of the day. Sunday morning my buddy Stijn came over and we again took the dogs out for a long walk and did some much needed trail work. While moving some brush Stijn found a beautiful little gecko that I had never seen here before so we put him in a container and carried him back home and then to work to photograph him. We brought leaves, sticks and rocks from where we found him and re-built him a natural little World for him to hang out in for the photo-shoot and after took him all the way back to the desert and released him in his original home! I couldn’t find any info about him this morning but once I do will send you the photo and tell you more. After the gecko event we grabbed our dive gear and took off on a fun dive, Stijn went lionfish hunting and fed them to his big pet spotted eel and I took my macro lens and searched for anything of interest to shoot. One of the cool things I found was this cute little Sharpnose Puffer and ended up hanging out with him for quite awhile, they are just so cool! Below is some information I found for you about the puffer so please read on. MORE: Caribbean Sharpnose Puffer, Canthigaster rostrata… More:
Posted in Conservation, Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Photography, Uncategorized
Tagged bike ride, gecko, half hour, macro lens, photo shoot
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Urchins evolve to deal with climate change
As the oceans become more acidic, many marine animals will have a harder time extracting the calcium from seawater that they need to build their skeletons. Marine biologists fear an ecological catastrophe could be imminent unless animals evolve to take up calcium more efficiently.… More:
Posted in Conservation, Invertebrates, Science
Tagged acidity, genetic change, genetic variability, marine biologists, rich water
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Orphek Atlantik Shines Bright at SWFMAS 6th Annual Reef Conference
There is no doubt that LED lighting is one of 2013’s hottest topics. That shined true this past weekend for Orphek’s latest release, the Atlantik LED aquarium lighting fixture. With its sleek European design, unsurpassed clean, crisp lines and enough power for any reef aquarium, the Atlantik’s turned quite a few heads this last weekend at the South West Florida Marine Aquarium’s 6th annual reef conference.
Frag Junky displayed Orphek’s flagship lights over their frag tanks at the reefing event and had this to say about the lights: “The power and color that these lights produce along with the easy controllability of these lights are incredible. We are so excited to … More:
Posted in Corals, Events, Eye Candy, Fish, Industry, Invertebrates, Opinion, Tanks, Uncategorized
Tagged custom leds, florida marine, lighting fixture, marine-aquarium, Zoas
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Comments on Endangered Species Act and Corals
16 Apr, 2013 Re: Listing of 66 Reef-Building Coral Species; Reclassification of Elkhorn Acropora palmata and Staghorn Acropora cervicornis I had been following the proposed listing for several years. It was not until the proposed rule was published that I had time to fully read the Biological Review Team’s (BRT) Status Review Report (SRR). I must admit I made the assumption that NMFS would do a fine job reviewing the topic at hand. It become apparent in my review of the BRT’s assessment that they had little to no knowledge of one of the key areas upon which the SRR is based, namely the trade in corals (including those for home aquariums, as well as dried curio items). I am writing to; 1) provide additional background and information on the trade in corals, noting some dramatic changes particularly regarding live specimens, that has been omitted from this review, 2) to question and express my concern over listing of species as endangered with almost a complete lack of any data or information. While it cannot be understated, this process is an enormous task for any agency to undertake. Reviewing the status of 82 species with ranges cover two vast regions of the World’s oceans presents challenges the authors of the ESA likely never envisioned. Corals are often not discrete populations and thus some of the petitioned “species” are of questionable status. Our current understanding of the topic is lacking and this lack of understanding makes it nearly impossible for anyone to determine with a level of certainty what a population, species or hybrid is. Our knowledge of Pacific corals is so limited that the MORE: Comments on Endangered Species Act and Corals… More:
Posted in Conservation, Corals, Fish, Industry, Invertebrates, Opinion, Science, Uncategorized
Tagged corals, curio, impa, key areas, reclassification
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Research Suggests that Three is a Crowd Among Cleaner Shrimp
As far as aquarists may be concerned, the skunk shrimp or cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis) is the quintessential “reef safe” crustacean; it not only exhibits minimal interspecific aggression, but it also “cleans” (hence, one of its common names) by feeding on the external parasites and dead skin tissue of receptive fishes. However, the findings of a recent study published in BioMed Central’s Frontiers in Zoology stand as a warning to those who wish to keep multiple individuals of this seemingly benign creature in the same aquarium.
Being protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites, all cleaner shrimp begin life as males. Then, as they mature, they can in many cases develop female sex organs. While those individuals bearing the reproductive anatomy of both sexes are almost always capable of breeding as males, individuals can breed as females only within a few hours of molting.
Cleaner shrimp commonly occur as monogamous pairs in the wild. Of all shrimp, monogamy is known only among “cleaner” shrimp species. The monogamy practiced by these particular animals apparently owes to competition for food (or, rather, for space needed on good perches in “cleaning stations”). This competition can be fierce—indeed, so much so that jealous pairs will seek to kill any intraspecific that attempts to occupy their territory. Hypothetically, the fewer number of individuals there are to compete with the pair for food resources (i.e., the more food there is available for the female), the greatest number of eggs can be produced. Intruders are most vulnerable to attack shortly after molting, when their defenses are least effectual—and, as it happens, when they are at their peak reproductive capacity.
Researchers conducting this study maintained groups of two, three and four individuals. Each group was housed separately in a small aquarium. Though each shrimp was provided with its own perch and an unlimited access to food, mortalities due to intraspecific aggression had reduced the numbers in tanks containing three or four individuals to pairs within a mere six weeks—something for hobbyists (much less suppliers and retailers) to consider before holding more than a couple of these extraordinarily possessive creatures together.
More information about this study can be found at:
BioMed Central (2011, November 14). Violent passions: Jealous cleaner shrimp murder their rivals. ScienceDaily. Retrieved April 17, 2013, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2011/11/111111095520.htm.… More:
Posted in Invertebrates, Uncategorized
Tagged cleaner-shrimp, common names, dead skin, hermaphrodites, richard ling
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Are Jellyfish Taking Over Our Oceans? Expert to Explain During Special Lecture at Birch Aquarium at Scripps
As human activities continue to take their toll on the health of ocean ecosystems, it appears one group is thriving: jellies. The combined impacts of ocean warming, overfishing, pollution, ocean acidification, and other threats are creating ideal conditions for these resilient creatures to multiply—-and take over the ocean.… More:
Reef Recovery and Isolation
In a joint AIMS/ARC Centre of Excellence media release a new study finds that isolated reefs can recover without human intervention or having the aid of nearby neighboring reefs that can assist in repopulation and regrowth. Despite any efforts by humans recovery at the Scott Reef off Australia’s northwest coast was comparably larger than nearshore reefs affected by a massive bleaching event in 1998. “The initial projections for Scott Reef were not optimistic,” says lead author Dr James Gilmour of AIMS “because, unlike reefs on the Great Barrier Reef, there were few if any reefs nearby capable of supplying new recruits to replenish the lost corals at Scott Reef.” Recent studies involving sunken logs in deep sea environments have shown the distribution ranges of many marine taxa to be quite large, so this study highlights how nearshore reefs affected by human presence can have a tougher time recovering from factors such as higher dissolved nutrient levels and increased algae cover. 
The previous notion of shorter recovery rates from isolation is put to rest with this latest study finding that the Scott Reef coral cover increased 35% over a 12 year span “Despite a 94% reduction in larval supply for 6 years after the bleaching.” The remnant colonies were able to colonize the reef quickly by rapidly regrowing and eventually connecting to one another; a phenomena not uncommon to the marine hobby! Putting a global perspective on their findings Dr Gilmour says: “We know from other studies that the resilience of reefs can be improved by addressing human pressures such as water quality and overfishing, so it is likely that a key factor in the rapid recovery at Scott Reef was the high water clarity and quality in this remote and offshore location.” Read the entire study here!… More:
Posted in Conservation, Corals, Fish, Industry, Invertebrates, Science, Uncategorized
Tagged human intervention, nearshore reefs, northwest coast, nutrient levels, water clarity
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Anthropogenic Shade Effect on Coral Reefs
A recent study conducted by Exeter University suggests that coral reefs are encountering another change in their environment from human induced surface water aerosols. As a product of human advancement “particulate pollutions” are cited in this recent study for contributing to the decline in coral reef health all around the world. In historic times volcanic eruptions caused most if not all the atmospheric particulate pollution but scientists are now turning to carbon emissions of the human race as the number one contributor of particulate pollution on reef surface waters. Lead author Lester Kwiatkowski, a PhD student from Mathematics at the University of Exeter, states: “Coral reefs are the most diverse of all ocean ecosystems with up to 25% of ocean species depending on them for food and shelter. They are believed to be vulnerable to climate change and ocean acidification, but ours is the first study to show a clear link between coral growth and the concentration of particulate pollution in the atmosphere.” 
As hobbyists we strive to eliminate surface water particulates with things like “skimmer boxes” that rinse the surface of our water through tumbling actions created when the water passes through perforated teeth and gets pulled into a down pipe. Natural reefs are not equipped with such a device so surface particulates are accumulating much quicker, and sticking around much longer, with the industrial growth of the human race. Professor Peter Mumby of the University of Queensland applies a global perspective: “Our study suggests that coral ecosystems are likely to be sensitive to not only the future global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration but also the regional aerosol emissions associated with industrialisation and decarbonisation.” Read the entire study here!… More:
Posted in Conservation, Corals, Fish, Industry, Invertebrates, Science, Uncategorized
Tagged coral growth, kwiatkowski, mumby, natural reefs, particulates
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Tsunami Debris Possibly an Unlikely Source for Invasive Non-native Fish
The aquarium trade is often the target for invasive species chatter, but it looks like the US has another potential source, debris from the 2011 Japan tsunami. Since the disaster, pieces of debris have washed up on US shorelines and still continue to do so. Some of this debris has contained marine life from Japan, but those organisms were either plants or invertebrates that were physcially attached to a structure, like a dock for example. But a recent discovery has just changed all of that. For the first time, it is believed that live fish have made the trans-oceanic journey stowed away in a small boat that was set adrift during the tsunami. The fish, which have been identified as striped beakfish (Oplegnathus fasciatus) were found on March 22nd in an 18-foot skiff that had beached itself in Long Beach, Washington by a local resident. They were located in a rear compartment of the small fiberglass boat, which had was partially submerged and was missing its lid.… More:
Posted in Fish, Invertebrates, Uncategorized
Tagged fish, invertebrates, japan earthquake, reef conservation, tsunami, wildlife conservation
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