Modern Aquarium June 2012

June 2012 volume XIX number 4

Series III ON THE COVER This month's cover photo subject is Parosphromenus deissneri, a small, attractive, not-so-common anabantid popularly known as Deissner's licorice gourami. For more information on keeping and breeding this endangered little fish, see Al Priest's "Tiny Fish — Big Challenge" on page 19.

Photo by Alexander A. Priest GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Board Members

President Vice-President Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary

Dan Radebaugh Edward Vukich Jules Birnbaum Mario Bengcion Tommy Chang

Members At Large

Claudia Dickinson Al Grusell Emma Haus Leonard Ramroop

Pete D’Orio Ben Haus Jason Kerner

Committee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Bowl Show Breeder Award

Early Arrivals F.A.A.S. Delegate Membership Programs N.E.C. Delegate Technology Coordinator

Claudia Dickinson Leonard Ramroop Warren Feuer Mark Soberman Al Grusell Alexander A. Priest Marsha Radebaugh Claudia Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief Copy Editors

Exchange Editors

Advertising Mgr.

Dan Radebaugh Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. Priest Stephen Sica Donna Sosna Sica Mark Soberman

Vol. XIX, No. 4 June, 2012

In This Issue From the Editor G.C.A.S. 2012 Program Schedule President’s Message Last Month's Caption Contest Winner Cartoon Caption Contest In Retrospect

by Steven Hinshaw

Tiny Fish ― BIG Challenge Parosphromenus deissneri: Deissner's Licorice Gourami

by Alexander A. Priest

G.C.A.S. Bowl Show Rules Wet Leaves

by Susan Priest

A Fish Fit for a Desktop

by Jules Birnbaum

Our Generous Members Ten Tips for Beginners and Other Fishkeepers

by Susan Priest

Member Classifieds Curaçao's Lionfish: Part One

by Stephen Sica

Pictures from our Last Meeting

by Susan Priest

G.C.A.S. Happenings The Undergravel Reporter Endangered Cheetos?

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) Stop & Go

2 3 4 5 6 7 9

11 12 14 16 17 18 19 22 24 25 26

From the Editor

by Dan Radebaugh

his issue is all about fish, fishkeepers, keeping fish, and conservation, which in our context we might describe as fishkeeping on a global scale.

Our fishkeeper is Steve Hinshaw, whom we know up to now only as a collector and chronicler of Exotic Aquarium Fishes. In a short retrospective of his first two historical articles for us, Steve provides a bit of history of his own fishkeeping, and even a glance at his future, which, it seems, will be deep in the heart of Texas.

Part of fishkeeping (part of everything?) in New York City and environs is perforce a consideration of available space, so fishes that stay small are popular choices. This month Al Priest (“Tiny Fish―BIG Challenge”) and Jules Birnbaum (“A Fish Fit for a Desktop”) both present us with very small and fairly uncommon species. Al introduces us to Deissner’s licorice gourami, a pretty (check out our cover photo) but challenging little anabantid. Jules also goes small, but with a striking little killifish, Epiplatys annulatus.

There’s an old aphorism about common sense being uncommon. Sue Priest has plenty of common sense, and for those times when we forgetful fishkeepers misplace our own, she gives us “Ten Tips” to help us out.

In her “Wet Leaves” column, Sue reviews another of this year’s conservation themed books. Her current selection is Edward L. McCord’s The Value of Species, and just reading Sue’s review of the book will help expand our consciousness of the issues involved in today’s conservation movement.

Since our April 2008 issue of Modern Aquarium, Steve Sica has been reporting on the spread of the invasive red lionfish Pterois volitans, a Pacific Ocean native, into the waters of the Caribbean and the southeastern United States. In this issue Steve gives us Part One of a two-part article on “Curaçao’s Lionfish.” As usual, expect some great photos.

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Staying with the subject of conservation, leave it to the Undergravel Reporter to point out that there are some (seemingly inevitable) bureaucratic absurdities to be noted in many of the legal efforts to protect endangered species. Too often, alas, laws to “do good” aren’t drawn up with sufficient consideration of all facets of the situation at hand, including possible unintended consequences of the proposed legislation. On this rather dualistic note, I’ll close by mentioning that the title of this month’s Fin Fun puzzle is “Stop & Go.” * * * Remember, as always, we need articles!

Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry – that’s why there are editors.

If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to gcas@earthlink. net, or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

GCAS Programs

2012

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t is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy!

Claudia March 7

Meet the Experts of the GCAS

April 4

Felicia McCaulley Tips and Tricks to Aquarium Photography on a Budget

May 2

Jeff Michels Dwarf Cichlids

June 6

Rich Levy Virtual Fishroom Tours: Joe Ferdenzi and Jules Birnbaum

July 11

Rich Levy Virtual Fishroom Tours: Jeff Bollbach and Rich Levy

August 1

Silent Auction

September 5

Felicia McCaulley Seahorses

October 3

Rachel O'Leary Freshwater Invertebrates

November 7

Joe Ferdenzi GCAS 90th!

December 5

Holiday Party!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to gcas@earthlink. net. Copyright 2012 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation.

All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.

The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

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President’s Message

by Dan Radebaugh

hile our Greatercity.org web site has historically been mostly a bulletin board for coming events, and a way for people to know that we exist and where we meet (Marsha and I found the club this way), we have been adding more features. For instance, 2011 issues of Modern Aquarium are now available online, with more issues to follow soon. As an example of unexpected ways the web site can connect us with the greater community, a visitor to the site recently sent us this note, which was forwarded to me by our Webmaster, Al Priest:

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Hello GCAS, My name is Steven Martin, and I teach computer classes at a homeless shelter. I'm also a life-long aquarium hobbyist, my specialty being freshwater planted tanks. I was able to get the director of the program to let me install a 55 gallon tank in the main office area about a year ago. I felt that having the tank would not only help bring life to the office, but would also spark an interest in some of the men and lead them to take up the hobby. This view is very biased on my part; I feel that every room could use a fish tank of some sort. Well, a year later everybody loves the tank, and it has become the conversation piece of the office. Also, I have been able to bring a few of the clients into the hobby and even rekindle the love in some.

Sorry, I did not mean to ramble on...

I have been given the okay to expand, and add a new tank to the office; the only catch is that I have to complete this tank on donations alone. We have been fortunate to have a 75 gallon tank and stand donated to the shelter, and I'm in the process getting everything ready. I was wondering if your society, or any of its members, would be able to make some donations to complete the setup of this new aquarium? If so, the shelter has tons of vans and moving gear, and we would be able to transport any items to the shelter.

The shelter residents, the staff, and I would be very grateful for any help, and would be able to give your society some publicity. I'm sure the director of the program would love to have you guys come over to the shelter for a tour and take a few pictures; we would be able to post them on our sites.

Please let me know your thoughts on this.

Thank you, Steven Martin

This strikes me as the kind of project that we are well equipped for. If any of our members would like to chip in to help Steve outfit this tank, please let me know. I'll be glad to act as coordinator. If you can't get to me at a meeting, my contact information is toward the bottom of page 2 in this issue.

Dan PS: Remember -- Next month's meeting is July 11th!

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

May's Caption Winner:

Cartoon by Elliott Oshins

Denver Lettman

Read all About it! Wiki Leaks!

Kingfish Services.net (http://www.kingfishservices.net/)

Good for the Hobby – Organizations – Industry Ray “Kingfish” Lucas Celebrating 23 years in the business (1989-2012) of participating at your events.

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The Modern Aquarium Cartoon Caption Contest June, 2012

Modern Aquarium has featured cartoons before. This time though, you, the members of Greater City get to choose the caption! Just think of a good caption, then mail, email, or phone the Editor with your caption (phone: 347-866-1107, fax: 877-299-0522, email: gcas@ earthlink.net. Your caption needs to reach the Editor by the third Wednesday of this month.

We'll also hand out copies of this page at the meeting, which you can turn in to Marsha before leaving. Winning captions will earn ten points in our Author Awards program, qualifying you for participation in our special "Authors Only" raffle at our Holiday Party and Banquet. Put on your thinking caps!

Cartoon by Elliott Oshins

Your Caption: Your Name:

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In Retrospect

by Steven Hinshaw

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irst of all, I offer my thanks to Modern Aquarium for presenting my Exotic Aquarium Fish articles! It’s good that you are flexible in presenting all aspects of the hobby. I think it keeps things fresh and well rounded! In retrospect, I probably should have created some charts simplifying the details. There is a lot of information, and unless the reader takes notes, it can all become somewhat confusing.

For me, writing up these articles has provided a nice bridge for my interests. You see, my wife has accepted a Critical Care Fellowship with the U. S. Air Force and the family will be moving to San Antonio, Texas this spring after 14 years in Sitka. Thus, all my aquaria have been sold or mothballed in preparation for our move!

However, there is one aquarium that gives us bragging rights to always having had a fish tank! Even before we met, both my wife and I have kept a fish tank regardless of how long or where we have lived (literally, from a month to years) since we were children.

One tank in particular is very sentimental to us, and the longest maintained. It is an antique carboy we found in my wife’s grandmother’s basement over 20 years ago.

It was planted with a variety of Sagittaria and pond duckweed soon after.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

We have moved with that jar from Maine, to Vermont, to Alaska, and it will go with us to Texas!

It has hosted snails, leeches, guppies, freshwater shrimp, bettas, daphnia―just to name a few of the critters―and has generated almost four inches of soil over the years. It has been quite the biome. Depending on the political/environmental/cultural climate, it has had trash reflecting current social trends or toys from our children put in or taken out―so it has been a dynamic art piece as well!

The most we have ever done to it is add a quarter cup of water every six months or so. The neck is so sloped that any transpiration/ e v a p o r a t i o n condenses there and rains back down! I have debated with myself about dredging it, and this move may be the opportunity for that. It has never really liked Sikta, and is not as lush or green as it once was. Hopefully it will like Texas! We started a sibling jar about ten years ago, seeded from this one, which has done very well and is quite robust! It lived in Juneau, Alaska for a few years with my brother before he moved back to the lower 48, and was a focal point at a local preschool for years after that.

I gave that jar away the other day to a friend.

I’ve attached photos of both jars. The one on the right is our 20-year jar; the one with the jarholding knot is the 10-year-old sibling.

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ACA 2012 Indianapolis Welcome, Cichlid Fans, to the American Cichlid Association 2012 Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana! The Circle City Aquarium Club proudly presents the ACA 2012 at the Wyndham Hotel July 11th – 15th, 2012. Mark your calendars, as you don’t want to miss out on being part of the greatest spectacle in cichlids! So reserve your room now, before its too late!

http://www.aca2012indy.com/wordpress/

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The ACA 2012 is shaping up to be one of the best conventions ever! We have lots of world class experts that are preparing excellent talks that will blow you out of your seat!

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Tiny Fish - BIG Challenge Parosphromenus deissneri Deissner's Licorice Gourami Article and photo by ALEXANDER A PRIEST

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enerally speaking, most anabantoids (that Parosphromenus deissneri have two is, fish having an accessory organ in their brownish stripes running from the nose to the base head that can utilize atmospheric air) are of the caudal fin on a pale yellow body. The easy to keep, but many species can be difficult to caudal, dorsal, anal, and pelvic fins are nearly spawn in the home aquarium. Licorice gouramis transparent, with a thin light edge. Females are are anabantoids that slightly larger and are not very difficult less colorful.

Scientific Name: Parosphromenus deissneri to spawn in the All licorice Common Names: Deissner's Licorice Gourami, aquarium. The trick gouramis require very Licorice Gourami is to keep them alive soft acidic water, Origin: Endemic to the island of Bangka located east long enough to do so! caves, plants, of Sumatra, Indonesia. Southeast Asia Added to that, raising excellent water Special consideration: anabantoid (air breather) their fry to adulthood quality, and live food.

Standard Length: 1.5 inches requires a major Herein lie the pH: from 5.5 to 6.8 (acidic) effort and a healthy challenges. In my Water hardness: 1 to 8° dGH (very soft) dose of good luck. experience, even if Temperature: 79° to 83° F There are over they can be Reproduction: Submerged (cave) bubblenester a dozen species of conditioned to take Temperament: Peaceful, but males display to licorice gourami, dried or frozen foods, other males; aggressive while tending nests nearly all of which they do not do well Environment: low-light tank are classified as on them, and I have Nutrition: primarily small live foods either “vulnerable” or never had them Conservation status: “vulnerable” (C.A.R.E.S.) “endangered” on the spawn on such a diet.

“Species at Risk” list However, on a diet of live microworms, of the C.A.R.E.S. whiteworms, and brineshrimp (but not live tubifex Preservation Program.1 or blackworms, which, at least in my experience, The licorice gourami that I will describe here they do not tolerate well), males will build a is one of the most common, though still only rarely bubblenest in a cave. seen in pet stores, Spawning almost Parosphromenus always happens out of deissneri or Deissner’s sight in the cave. The licorice gourami. This only hint you may is a small fish, have that a spawning achieving no more than has taken place is an inch and a half total seeing a male staying adult length. There is in a cave and chasing considerable confusion away any and all fish in the identification of that venture near, Parosphromenus including the female species. I have seen he mated with. (I many photographs of have never observed a what were claimed to female guarding a be Parosphromenus Parosphromenus deissneri male’s cave, a deissneri but that behavior I have occasionally seen with some were in fact Parosphromenus harveyi or mouthbrooding Betta species.)

Parosphromenus linkei. I have it on fairly good Successful raising of the fry is an even authority that the species I have are the “true” greater challenge, as I have found that they also Parosphromenus deissneri from the island of will only thrive on live food, and for these very Bangka. Bangka (or sometimes Banka) is an tiny fish, that means daphnia, microworms, island lying east of Sumatra, Indonesia.

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paramecia, and newly hatched brineshrimp. Since once the fry are free-swimming they receive no parental care, they should be separated from the adults. Usually it’s easier to catch and move the adults than to try to catch up to 100 fry (it has been reported that from 40 to 100 eggs can be produced from a single spawning.2 Although I have never seen more than a few dozen fry produced at one time, that is still quite a lot of extremely tiny moving dashes to try to net out.

Very small (inch to inch and a half total adult length) bubblenesting fish such as these cannot be subjected to rapidly moving water, even though the bubblenest is submerged in a cave, so box or sponge filtration is necessary. These filters provide excellent biological filtration. Box filters containing charcoal, peat moss, and certain other materials designed to absorb or neutralize ammonia and nitrogen compounds can also provide chemical filtration. However, except for trapping some fine free-floating particles in the water, neither sponge nor box filters do a very good job of removing physical waste products (detritus, dead plant particles, uneaten food, etc.).

Because of this, very frequent, small water changes are necessary to provide the pristine water conditions these fish require. I stress “frequent” and “small” because you don’t want to disturb possible bubblenests hidden from your view in caves. You also can’t stick a large powerful syphon into their tank, as you risk syphoning out not only fry, but adults as well.

Cleaning the fry grow-out tank is an even greater challenge. Even the most gentle syphoning will almost inevitably result in sucking up some of the fry, until they have reached at least a half inch in length. However, maintaining good water quality in the fry tank is even more important than doing so in the adult tank.

Here are a two techniques I have developed to change water in fry grow-out tanks: For the first week or so I use an airstone attached to a length of airline tubing. I put the airstone into the tank, and start a syphoning action by sucking on the other end of the tubing. Just as air bubbles come out of

an airstone, water can be sucked into an airstone.

The advantage of this method is that there is zero possibility of sucking up any fry.

The disadvantage (and why it can only be used exclusively for a limited period of time) is that the only thing that gets removed is water; physical waste products remain and build up.

To remove physical waste, I take an aquarium filter bag (the kind you can buy in almost any pet store) or the net portion from a brineshrimp net, and shove it part of the way into a syphon tube, securing the rest of the net to the outside of the tube with a rubber band. Now when I syphon, water passes through the net, but physical particles (as well as any fish) are trapped in the net. I just open the net in a shallow container of tank water, and separate out any accidentally caught fish from the detritus.

Aside from small live foods and very clean water (anything but zero ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels can result in a total disaster), Parosphromenus deissneri need a tank with a lot of hiding places, especially caves. Even though they are cave spawners, floating plants should be provided, as they also like subdued lighting.

Although I have seen mention that they can be raised in neutral pH water, for them to show their best (and to set up the optimal conditions for them to spawn), they should have soft, acidic water.

Driftwood, dried Indian almond leaves, and/or peat in their box filter will all help reduce pH to create an acidic environment.

Most likely, your Parosphromenus deissneri will show their best when their tank water is the color of weak tea. If you are one of those fishkeepers who does not like that look, then it might be best if you do not try keeping these fish. Parosphromenus deissneri are most definitely not for everyone (and most certainly not for beginners!).

But, if you are up to a challenge, want to keep an endangered species (if so, please consider participating in our society’s C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program), and have the time, patience, and space, then I heartily recommend Parosphromenus deissneri.

http://www.carespreservation.com/?FAST=1&merge=priority_list_&SEARCH_SPECIES_ID==A&d oc=priority_list.html 2 http://fishprofiles.com/profiles/marine/Labyrinth_Fish/Parosphromenus_deissneri_/ 1

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BOWL SHOW RULES There is a Bowl Show at every GCAS meeting, except our Silent Auction/fleamarket meeting and our Holiday Party and Awards Banquet meeting (December). These shows are open to all members of GCAS. Rules are as follows:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Only current GCAS members may enter fish in the Bowl Show.

There is a limit of 2 entries per member per meeting.

Unlike some other clubs, every month is an “open” Bowl Show at the GCAS (i.e., there is no “theme,” such that one month cichlids are judged, the next livebearers, the next anabantoids, etc.).

Any fish that wins any prize (1st, 2nd, or 3rd) may not be entered again in the same meeting year.

The current Bowl Show Coordinator is Leonard Ramroop, who usually also serves as judge (although guest speakers are often asked to do the judging honors).

2.5 gallon containers are available for use (brought to the meetings by the Bowl Show Coordinator), but entrants are responsible for providing enough (and suitable) water for their fish.

For a fish too large (or too small) for those containers, entrants must supply a suitable container, which must be clear on at least three sides.

Only one fish per container (i.e., no “pairs”).

No plants, ornaments, or equipment (filters, airstone, etc.) are allowed in the judging tank (an external mirror, or opaque cards between containers is acceptable, as is a cover that does not obstruct side viewing).

Points are awarded: 5 points for 1st Place, 3 for 2nd Place, and 1 for 3rd Place.

Ribbons are awarded: blue for 1st Place, red for 2nd Place, and green for 3rd Place.

The person with the most points at the end of the meeting season receives the Walter Hubel “Bowl Show Champion” trophy at the Awards Banquet.

The decision of the judge(s) is final.

A running UNOFFICIAL total of the points awarded is printed in Modern Aquarium. Only the tally of points maintained by the Bowl Show Coordinator is official.

In case of ties: 1st Tiebreaker – most 1st Places 2nd Tiebreaker – most 2nd Places 3rd Tiebreaker – most entries

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question. “Did you notice when the natural world first grabbed your attention?” or to paraphrase him, what part of the natural world first grabbed your attention? Invariably this happened early in each of our childhoods. For our author, who grew up in northern Florida, it was carnivorous plants. When a Series On Books For The Hobbyist I posed this question to myself, I was surprised to

by SUSAN PRIEST discover that it was nightcrawlers, which are a particularly large variety of earthworm. I used to y first impression (as well as my second harvest them from the worm bed next to our and third impressions) was that this book house for my grandfather to use as bait when he started out as a thesis for an advanced went fishing in a large lake in New Hampshire. degree of some sort. After graduation a talented So, what was it for you? Perhaps you will also be editor got his or her hands on it, and shortly surprised when you discover what it was! thereafter it had an ISBN number. There is no In Chapter One the author was bouncing so reason for me to believe many ideas off of me that that this is what happened.

I found myself quite at a It is just that the text has loss to understand the The Value of Species such a scholarly feel to it. points he was making. I Edward L. McCord Some of the chapter soon realized that I was Yale University Press, 2012 titles are: “To an being impatient with him.

Inquisitive Mind Open to One of the main Honest Reflection, the points which he Value of Every Species is Incalculable,” “Property repeatedly discusses is the ownership of “private Ownership and the Desire for Money Work Against property,” and the conflict which arises between the Interests of Species,” and “What Kind of the value of said property to humans vs. the value Humanity do we of those species which Embrace?” These are inhabit it. “A person the titles of chapters one, cannot own naturally five, and eight, occurring species.” respectively.

Our author would This author like us to think about proposes that the this question: “When intelligence of human we hear the captain call beings can and must ‘Iceberg ahead!’. . . will define the value we all the money in the place on species other world save us?” By than ourselves. All too then it will of course be often the human too late to beg, borrow approach begins and or steal a solution to ends with the question the problems facing the “What economic benefit environment.

This do you have to offer book does not purport me?” In every instance, to offer solutions to any ME is of course a specific environmental reference to the shortchallenges. sighted and self-serving One example of creatures that are US. ho w t w o w i d e l y disparate species {Sometimes I will be depend on each other paraphrasing, and goes like this: farmers sometimes I will be in Kansas kill editorializing.

When cutworms which y o u c o me a c r o s s destroy their crops. italicized text, that is my Consequently, the wellinput.} being of grizzly bears in Wyoming is threatened because they eat cutworm moths. THEN the Right up front, and very frequently department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks raised throughout, Mr. McCord confronts us with a objections to listing the grizzlies as endangered

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because they would no longer be able to collect revenue from the sale of hunting licences. I’ll stop here, but the chain just goes on and on. “No effort to protect other species can ignore the competing value of money.”

Now for a really tough question. “Would you lay down your life to protect another species?”

Would you forfeit the ten or twenty years you have left to insure that another species can survive for 20,000 years more? If so, what species? Would you be willing to die tomorrow in order to save pandas? How about pigeons? Would you take a final dive to save killifish? What about Venus flytraps, or earthworms? The impossibility of enabling outcomes such as these frees us all to have a good night’s sleep.

My first impression has followed me throughout. As I reach the end, I am wondering if this was a lawyer writing a thesis as he studies philosophy, or a philosopher writing a thesis as he studies law. In either case, to my mind the result resembles a DNA helix, that is, the most basic elements of every species being intertwined and interdependent, or, to use the author’s words, “the related harmony of forms of life.”

Perhaps the fact that our fishes depend on us in very many ways makes them of more interest to us than the squirrels or blue jays in our back yards. Perhaps getting our hands wet makes us feel more connected to the future.

I liked this book because it posed many questions which I had never pondered. Some of them were simple, basic questions, and some were startling. Whether or not they were designed to do so, these questions help the reader sort out the ethics of environmentalism for themselves, or, as the author so succinctly asks in the final sentence of the book, “Can we at last begin to see that a failure to appreciate other species of life on earth is a failure to appreciate ourselves?”

CONSERVATION ALERT I will be reviewing the CARES preservation program later in the year. If you are not currently participating in that, or you feel otherwise disconnected from efforts to benefit conservation efforts, I would like to make a simple suggestion. BIRTHDAY CARDS! Even if you pay your bills through your computer, or you are umbilically attached to your smart phone, you will occasionally be calling upon the USPS to deliver a birthday card to your sister or brother, niece or nephew. When these occasions arise, choose a “Save Vanishing Species” semipostal stamp. A semipostal stamp is one which costs slightly more than standard first class postage, with the “profits” going to worthy causes.

A semipostal stamp was issued in September 2011. The sale of these stamps will benefit one of five conservation funds which are protecting threatened species. The stamp bears a very distinctive image of an AMUR tiger cub.

The cost is 55 cents (ten cents more than current first class postage). You can buy them in most post offices.

They are also available at www.usps.com So, you know that your grandmother’s birthday is coming up soon. She is already watching her mailbox for a card from her favorite person (that’s YOU!). You can accomplish two good deeds at one time by putting a “Save Vanishing Species” stamp on the card. If you want to do a good deed for the postal service as well, then put one on your Con Ed bill instead of paying it electronically! The more often you use these stamps, the more you are aiding VANISHING SPECIES.

The particularly engaging cover photo is of tide pool kelp.

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A Fish Fit for a Desktop

by Jules Birnbaum et me tell you a story about a little fish that is well worth trying. At one of our monthly meetings a few years ago Harry Faustmann handed me a bag of some very, very small fish. Harry packs his fish like no one else in this area. There was a picture of the fish and the full scientific name printed clearly on the bag.

I never found out why he handed me this small bag of fish, but it turned out to be one of the best gifts associated with this hobby that I have ever received.

Could it have been because Harry wanted me to develop an interest in killies? Harry gave me some instructions on how to care for them, and off I went.

Epiplatys annulatus, or clown killifish (among several other common names), come from the swamps of the west coast of Africa. They are egg layers, that will attach their eggs to plants, making Java moss or water sprite good plant choices. The long, narrow, torpedoshaped body is a cream color with black vertical bands. The males’ fins are longer than the females’. The caudal fin is pintail shaped, meaning the inner-most rays are longer. The caudal fin also has some red in it. The males are usually larger than the females, and have longer anal fins. There is a distinctive bright spot on top of the body behind the eyes. This is easily spotted when observing the fish from above. I’m not sure that anyone really knows if this spot has a purpose, but it might have something to do with attracting their diet of live food is attracted near to the surface, where they can gobble it up. It might also disguise them from predators while these little fish are waiting for their next meal.

I placed my fish in a 10 gallon tank, which is a large amount of water for these little fish―when mature, they are no longer than an inch. I picked up some Java moss from one of our auctions, and added just a small layer of fine gravel to cover the bottom of the tank. After about a month I looked in the tank one day and saw a few eighth-inch fry that looked exactly like their parents. As fate would have it, I developed an interest in other fish (I never met a fish I didn’t like), and the colony died out.

Now fast-forward to Harry bringing another bag of Epiplatys annulatus to one of our 2011 meetings.

L

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At about the same time there was a tank sale going at a local pet shop, and I purchased a new 2 ½ gallon tank (the only tank size not on sale), and had a glass top made for it. I should mention, these little fish are great jumpers, so the top is essential.

The only place for such a tank where I could observe such small fish was my desk. Thus, every time I paid a bill or did some other distasteful bookkeeping chore, I could relax by watching these little fish. No kidding―it works!

Tonight I fed them their daily brine shrimp and counted fourteen E. annulatus of all sizes. They prefer moving food. In their natural habitat they hang out just below the surface, waiting for small insects to land on the water, so flake food is not a favorite.

Breeding is fairly easy. Give them the right conditions and they will do the rest.

Their tank was the 2 ½ gallon with a glass top.

Some killie breeders use plastic shoe boxes instead of tanks. Since these fish for the most part use the top part of the water, a low, long tank like the type used for turtles would also be a good choice. My pump is the smallest five-dollar air pump, running the smallest box filter. I prefer box filters, because you can see what is going in the filter, and it can be used to gradually buffer the water. If you are worried about fry getting caught in the box filter, it can be operated with the top removed. Sponge filters are also useful in the breeding setup, and I do use them. In my experience they are not as maintenance free as most aquarists think. The sponges do hold microscopic food that newly born fry can get a start from. Either type filter works well.

These fish don’t like a lot of water movement.

Some killie breeders use no filtration, preferring instead to use heavily planted tanks and frequent water changes with very well aged water. My water’s pH is approximately 6.4, which is on the acid side. The gH is slightly on the soft side.

I installed a fifty watt heater to maintain a temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The only plant is water sprite, covering from top to the bottom so the larger fry can’t easily make a meal out of their smaller siblings. The parents don’t seem to bother with the fry. A breeding mop can be used in lieu of plants. A desk lamp with a compact fluorescent bulb is kept

June 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

on about 10 hours per day, but subdued lighting is preferable when breeding most killifish. I don’t feed my fry anything other than brine shrimp, since their first food is microscopic live food living around the plants. You can also culture infusoria by placing some lettuce in a plastic container and allowing the water to cloud up with microscopic life. Vinegar eels are also very good fry food, since they stay near the surface.

I’ve also used microworms, which normally head for

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

the bottom, but some get caught in the floating plants so the fry can get at them.

Some authorities say that these fish do better in old, aged, water on the acid side. Once a week I siphon the bottom and replace 50% of the water with aged water from one of my larger tanks. This keeps the fish in top shape. There also are two juvenile Aspidorus catfish for cleanup work. These are wonderful catfish that also are only a little over an inch long when fully grown. I feed the killies very fine flake food in the morning, which is mostly ignored, and brine shrimp in the evening, which is gobbled up.

Much of whatever you find on the internet, books, magazine articles, our meetings, and our club’s experts are from personal experiences. For the most part, these men and women are not scientists doing controlled experiments, but aquarists, just like us.

Thus, as they say, “whatever works for you.” If you give this fish a try on your desk, you will find, paying bills a little less of a drudgery.

June 2012

15

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Our Generous Members Each month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was: Bill Amely Sharon Barnett Jules Birnbaum Carlotti de Jager Pete D'Orio

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Rod Du Casse Warren Feuer Joe Graffagnino Dan Puleo Dan & Marsha Radebaugh

June 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

by SUSAN PRIEST When you are choosing the location for an aquarium, pretend you are looking for a spot where you might put a baby’s crib. In particular, avoid a place with a chilly draft, or direct sunlight. Also stay away from an area with a lot of foot traffic. You will, of course, need a nearby electrical outlet.

1 2

When you are setting up a new aquarium and need to establish the nitrogen cycle, start with one or two fish, and add a cup of gravel from a mature tank. A friendly (and smart) salesperson in a pet store should be glad to supply you with some. He or she knows that if they help you make a good start of it, that you will surely be back to purchase more fish. Friendly is much easier to pick out than smart, but you can use this as a kind of test. If the salesperson is not smart enough to give you a little ripe gravel, then they probably won’t be smart in answering your fishkeeping questions either, and you might want to move on!

NYC tap water has a pH of 7.0 (neutral). Most freshwater tropical fish will adjust to this. However, you owe it to each of your fishes to do a little homework, and find out what level of acidity they will do best in. Don’t mix acid loving fishes with those which prefer alkaline water. For example, if you mix livebearers, most of which prefer acid conditions, with certain of the cichlids which prefer alkaline conditions, then neither of them will be happy. (See tip #9.)

3

If a fish somehow finds its own way to the floor, the best “tools” to use in picking it up are your own wet hands. Don’t reach for a towel or a fishnet or a dustpan or a paper cup. Just scoop it into your hands, you know, like that Allstate guy on T.V. I’d be willing to bet that he is a fishkeeper too!

4 5

If you are a gardener, or even if you have houseplants, don’t let the water from your tanks go down the drain. Fish water is loaded with “stuff” which is beneficial to African violets and philodendrons, tomato plants and petunias, as well as pretty much any thing else that grows in soil. A convenient method of transferral is to siphon the water from a tank directly into your watering can. If you want to give your plants a super double whammy, add some of your favorite terrestrial plant fertilizer to the fish water.

I have been using Miracle Grow for many years with observable benefits. Make sure that the soil around your plants is already moist before you fertilize, as this will help with absorption (kind of like a sponge that won’t soak up water unless it is already wet). Important: If the tank water has salt in it, do not put it on your plants.

A tightly fitting lid is every fish’s friend. Most fish are jumpers to one degree or another, and this will protect them from their own instincts. It will also keep things from accidentally falling in.

(Pretzels and the occasional beer bottle have been known to end up in a tank.)

6 7

If the Baensch Atlas advises that your particular species of fish would benefit by the presence of floating plants in their tank, do not fear. If you are afraid that too long of a photo period will overheat the water or, worse than that, create an algae bloom, relax. If you likewise dread the thought of paying any amount of money for floating plants which will not thrive because you are holding back on lighting due to fear #1 and fear #2, once again, you can rest easy. The solution to your problem is in a box under one of your aquariums. Just pull out all of the plastic plants which you have long since retired.

Detach them from those “V”shaped thingys that are designed to be buried in the gravel as an anchor. Then cut the “plants” into any sized pieces you want, and toss them into your tank. Voila! You now have floating plants that don’t need any light at all! They will provide just as much shelter to fry as salvinia.

They will harbor just as much infusoria as duckweed. They will also make your fishes less likely to take a leap, thereby reducing the likelihood that you will need tip #4. Since you don’t have to go out and buy them, they are basically free, and you can boil them or soak them in bleach if they start to look funky (of course, your fishes won’t notice if they do).

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

June 2012 June 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)

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Your mailbox is probably just as full of aquarium supply catalogs as ours is. If you are setting up filters, then I’m sure you have seen the prices they want for filter media. Yikes! Here is a tip to save you some money. Every discount or dollar store sells hair curlers. (For some reason they are always pink.) Some of them are foam and some of them are hard plastic with about a million little fingers on them.

They are especially good when it comes to providing a large surface area for the colonization of beneficial bacteria, but they also serve admirably as a means of mechanical filtration. You can use them in canister filters, box filters, and even some power filters. If you shop around you will have no problem finding a large package of these things for $1.00. You can buy different sizes and slip one inside of another to get even more bang for your buck. Even if you buy them in a grocery store where they cost a little more, you will still be saving a bundle!

8

Build a library. Nowadays, the first thing anyone does when they want to know something about something is turn to the internet. Internet “search engines” have their place, but they can’t replace a solid set of reference books. If they could, then Amazon.com/books (as well as other internet book sellers) would show up as a blank page on your computer screen. Slightly used books are very affordable, and the variety of available titles is much larger than you will find in a bookstore. So, let your fingers do the shopping as you fill your bookshelf.

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Find a fish friend, you know, someone to shmooze with about anything and everything fishy.

Someone to help carry buckets, someone you can “borrow” filter floss from, someone who has already built their library. If you are lucky like me, your best fish friend lives in the same house with you. Or, if you have found your way to the GCAS, and are reading this copy of Modern Aquarium, then you have a fish friend or two sitting right next to you. Nothing enhances the enjoyment of the tropical fish hobby like someone to share it with, so enjoy already!!

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June June2012 2012

3/$5

19 (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S

Curaçao's Lionfish Part One Story and Photos by Stephen Sica

t was our first visit to Curaçao in many years.

Donna had wanted to visit there for the past two years to observe coral spawning. Most corals spawn during twilight or at night, and those around Curaçao are no different. Curaçao’s corals predominantly spawn during or near the full moon in September, so the window of opportunity is only two or three nights.

Fortunately, Donna decided to start our visit to the island on November 30th to coincide with her birthday and our anniversary, so we missed the coral spawning.

Since corals spawn at night, diving to observe them is inconvenient. You usually miss dinner, and it always seems wetter and colder at night. Also, who wants to rinse the dive gear in the cold dark after you’ve already missed dinner? Even the tropics are cold at night, especially when you are wet! You can definitely feel the difference in the water temperature after the sun sets.

We had snorkeled, but never had dived this island, so we were very curious as to what we would find. Our schedule was to make two morning boat dives four days in a row. The dive shop had several locations, one of

I

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

them being at our resort, where it offered one shore dive per day from the boat dock. Late in the afternoon on our last diving day, Donna and I made one dive from the dock. About one hundred yards away, the water was a hundred feet deep at a pile of wrecked cars that had been placed there as an artificial reef. We have seen enough old cars back home, including our own, so we declined to visit that spot. Instead, we swam around the reef at a depth of thirty to forty feet. The dive shop required that every buddy team or dive group pull a buoyed dive flag along the surface. Since I wanted to take photos, Donna volunteered to handle the flag, which is by no means an easy feat if you have never done it before.

She had to unreel and then reel back the line to avoid too much slack. The dive flag buoy tugged her up and down as I tried to signal her to release more line to stay level. Ultimately, she swam the buoy into a heavy boat mooring line floating on the surface. This line was attached to a large boat buoy, so Donna‘s tugging was never going to untangle the crossed lines. After I did so, the water became extremely dark. Having no doubt that it must be raining up above, we headed back, and

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Donna unreeling our surface buoy and “divers below flag.”

upon exiting the water we rinsed our gear in a heavy downpour.

Here are my general impressions about Curaçao, both above and below the sea. It rained. Quite a bit. We knew that it was the rainy season, but we experienced an awful lot of rain. Curaçao’s annual rainfall is less than twenty-five inches, so we assumed that any rain would be a passing shower, but it was not so! They told us that we were in a stalled front from South America.

Curaçao is sixty-five miles off the coast of Venezuela. When we were underwater we knew when it was raining because the seascape became very dark. Our last day, a non-diving day, was sunny. It also was extremely hot for me, but not for Donna, who having no body fat, is almost always cold.

The best dive sites are close to shore, usually only a few hundred feet―even less for some. There are many smaller fish and schools. The fish life reminds me of Florida. The undersea topography of Curaçao, at least close to shore, has a few walls, but most sites slope down into the abyss at about a forty-five degree angle―neither too steeply, nor gently. You can wander down these hills and not realize it as you search for interesting animals, so diving to ninety feet or more is easy to do. The water was fairly clear, with visibility in the sixty-foot plus range, and even more when the sun was shining to brighten up the ocean. The rain didn’t hinder the visibility. The divemasters always instructed us to stay in the sixty-foot range, with greater leeway if you had a computer, which most divers now carry as standard equipment. I went to the eighty to ninety-foot range a few times to follow photo subjects. Otherwise, we tried to stay within the instructed guidelines.

Here are some observations about the sea life.

There was more coral, both hard and soft, than around

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most islands that I had previously visited. I was impressed by the number of hard corals.

As you know, corals are becoming increasingly endangered worldwide. My experiences indicate that hard corals are dying at a faster rate than are soft corals.

A few places in the Florida Keys and Nassau, Bahamas still have exceptional soft corals. Also, I cannot recall seeing as many varieties and specimens of brain corals as in Curaçao. Some were fairly large in size. I saw many anemones, which are among my favorite photo subjects because they don’t move! Feathery tubeworms are all over the place. I saw several free-swimming eels.

Grenada, Domenica, and Key Biscayne, Florida are the only locales where I can recall seeing a free-swimming eel. Occasionally in other islands and Florida I have seen an eel swim from one hiding place to another in a coral reef, but in Curaçao I saw at least three freeswimming eels!

There are no groupers in Curaçao; they were fished out many years ago. I suppose the local people, and perhaps a few tourists, had a delicious meal. On principle, I have never eaten grouper, but I have been told that it is quite tasty. I hope no one choked on a bone.

You will note that I have so far not referred to lionfish. I assure you that Curaçao does have lionfish. In fact, compared to my observations in the Caribbean, the Bahamas, and Florida, Curaçao is infested with lionfish!

Some are even out in the open, albeit usually with a wall behind them. In one space the size of your outstretched arms I saw five lionfish of various sizes hovering in the water column! We did nine dives in four days, and saw at least one lionfish on eight of those dives. During the shore dive we saw only one lionfish.

Between Donna and myself, I estimate that we saw at

Donna poses by dive shop logo.

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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

least forty to fifty different lionfish of all sizes. If we both saw the same fish, I am counting it as one sighting.

In addition, I can only guess at how many we must have swum past without noticing. Literally, they are all over the place! These fish were all sizes―from juveniles to full grown adults. I had never seen so many juveniles.

They hung out with the adults. There was always a space of between one to three feet between the fish that hung out together.

Many of Curaçao’s lionfish had a personal space issue, and would retreat when I approached to take a photo. As a result, I missed many opportunities to photograph exceptional specimens. Some would hover in open water, but as I have mentioned in previous articles, they like to be by a protected nook or crevice.

At times I would carefully push my camera forward into a crevice and hope that the flash would not bleach

Symmetrical green brain coral, Diploria strigosa, and blackbar soldierfish, Myripristis jacobus.

out the photo, or my movements disturb the sand and any particles in the water to silt out the shot. This is a bane to photographers. The divemasters had told us stories about tourists and even dive professionals who had been stung, so I tried to avoid their mistakes.

Sometimes there would be two or three lionfish in a confined space as I angled my camera to photograph one and avoid the others. Finally, there was always a good chance that my camera would malfunction; it did fairly often when I had lined up a really good shot!

Here are several photographs of Curaçao’s lionfish and other sea life. The lionfish photos are self-evident, so I concisely captioned the others. Next month I’ll briefly describe how dive personnel treat their lionfish, and show more of the island’s sea life.

Magnificent feather duster worm, Sabellastarte magnifica, with white Christmas tree worm, The small yellow fish appear to be juvenile Spirobranchus giganteus, in foreground. bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum.

The two dark fish are bicolor damselfish, Pomacentrus partitus.

Giant anemone, Condylactis gigantea, with bluish Sand diver, Synodus intermedius, partially buried in Giant anemone, Condylactis tentacles. sandy bottom. lavender/blue tips.

Stoplight parrotfish, Sparisoma viride. coloration.

gigantea,

with

This is specimen displays adult

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Symmetrical green brain coral, near boulder size, Diploria strigosa.

June 2012

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Pictures from our

Speaker Jeff Michels with GCAS President Dan Radebaugh

GCAS C.A.R.E.S. Chairman, Tommy Chang

Frequent visitor Mark Denaro

We had a full house!

NEC Article Competition Winners

Sue Priest

Al Priest

Ed Vukich

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Jules Birnbaum

Dan Radebaugh June 2012 June 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

last meeting Photos by Susan Priest

Welcome to our newest members:

Ruben Lugo, Jr.

Robert DeBonis

Andrew Jouan

Bowl Show Winners

1st Place: Bill Amely

2nd Place: Rich Waizman

3rd Place: Bob Hamje

Last Month’s Door Prize Winner

Dan Puleo Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

June 2012 June 2012

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GCAS Happenings

June

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners: 1 William Amely 2 Richard Waizman 3 Robert Hamje

Copper Halfmoon Betta White & Red Halfmoon Betta Kribensis

Unofficial 2012 Bowl Show totals to date: Robert Hamje 9 Jerry O'Farrell Carlotti deJager 3

5

William Amely

5 Richard Waizman

5

A special welcome to new members Robert DeBonis, Andrew Jouan, and Ruben Lugo, Junior!

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area: Greater City Aquarium Society

East Coast Guppy Association

Next Meeting: July 11, 2012 Speaker: Rich Levy Topic: Virtual Tour of the Fishrooms of Jeff Bollbach and Rich Levy Meets: Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437 Email: gcas@earthlink.net Website: http://www.greatercity.org

Meets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm.

Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd.

Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

Big Apple Guppy Club Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July, and August) at 7:30-10:00pm.

Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd.

Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

Brooklyn Aquarium Society Next Meeting: June 8, 2012 Speaker: Todd Gardner Event: Getting Started In Marine Aquaculture Meets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NY Call: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455 Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

Long Island Aquarium Society Next Meeting: June 15, 2012 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm.

Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on theState University at Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - president@liasonline.org Website: http://liasonline.org/

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Nassau County Aquarium Society Next Meeting: June 12, 2012 Speaker: Topic: Fish Jeopardy!

Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave Rockville Centre, NY Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766 Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Next Meeting: June 21, 2012 Speaker: Joseph Graffagnino Topic: Breeding Fish for beginners Meets at: The Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 Email: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com Website: http://www.njas.net/

Norwalk Aquarium Society Next Meeting: June 21, 2012 Speaker: Gary Lange Topic: Rainbowfish Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833 Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS Email: jchapkovich@snet.net Website: http://norwalkas.org/

June 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Endangered Cheetos?

A series by The Undergravel Reporter In spite of popular demand to the contrary, this humor and information column continues. As usual, it does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of the Editor, or of the Greater City Aquarium Society. n the Federal Register of May 4, 20121 there was an announcement of a petition to list the dwarf seahorse, Hippocampus zosterae, as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. On the face of it, this would seem to be a “no-brainer.” We know all seahorses are endangered, and the amount of seagrass, a critical habitat for dwarf seahorses, is steadily declining.2

I

But, now for the other side of the coin.

While there is still time for comments (the comment period ends on July 3, 2012), here are some points from comments already submitted by Seahorse Corral, a commercial seahorse breeder.

“I have been captive breeding the dwarf seahorse, H. zosterae for the past 4 years.

Although it fluctuates, I would estimate we ship

around 200 individuals a month locally, nationally and internationally.”

“Because we comply, and continuously prove we can comply with all these rules, we feel we are in no way detrimental to the survival of the dwarf seahorse. Indeed, we and our customers believe we are helping reduce pressure on wild stocks by supplying seahorses that are healthy, far better suited to tank life and thrive in a captive environment.”

“Whilst I cannot tell you whether or not the dwarf seahorse has declined in its wild habitat, I can categorically tell you that in our tanks it breeds well and prodigiously, does not suffer with disease, and does not seem to form the monogamous pair bonds that larger seahorses do.”

“Currently, it seems there is no mechanism within this legislation to let captive breeders who have an established business continue with their work, although we feel we have the same goal as you, which is to protect and preserve the wild population.”

Clearly, any law to protect endangered species needs to look at the broader picture and, with respect to aquatic plants and animals, take into consideration dedicated hobbyists and conscientious breeders and exporters.

This brings me to a unique conservation effort involving Cheetos®.

Yes, that cheesy snack (I prefer the puffy ones) has found its way into an on-line auction to benefit the Florida reefs.

The Cheeto pictured above went for ONE HUNDRED dollars, with the proceeds going to Reef Relief in Key West. I wonder what I can get for a potato chip with an image of the Statue of Liberty on it? (OK, it looks more like a burn mark, but, hey, why not give it a try?)

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2012/05/04/2012-10845/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife -90-day-finding-on-a-petition-to-list-the-dwarf-seahorse-as

1

2

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/fish/dwarf_seahorse/pdfs/Dwarf_Seahorse_Positive_90_da.pdf

3

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=NOAA-NMFS-2012-0101-0002

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

June 2012 June 2012

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Fin Fun In the 1984 move “Starman” an alien from another planet takes the form of a young widow's husband. By speeding her car through a red light he caused several accidents. When questioned as to whether he knew the rules of the road on Earth, the alien told the widow, “I watched you very carefully. Red light stop, green light go, yellow light go very fast.” Let’s see if you have a better grasp of the difference between red and green as you indicate which of those two colors completes the blank space on each row below: Common name

Scientific Name

Red

_____ belly piranha

Pygocentrus nattereri

_____ catfish

Brochis splendens

_____ terror

Aequidens rivulatus

_____ snakehead

Channa micropeltes

_____ tailed shark

Labeo bicolor

_____ Texas cichlid

Cichlasoma carpentis

_____ eye tetra

Moenkhausia sanctaefilomenae

_____ devil

Cichlasoma labiatum

_____ fire tetra

Aphyocharax rathbuni

_____ spotted cichlid

Theraps bifasciatus

Green

Source: http://fins.actwin.com/

Solution to our last puzzle: Cichlid

Dwarf

Pelvicachromis taeniatus

X

Apistogramma agassizii

X

Cichlasoma synspilus Nanacara anomala

X X

Cyphotilapia frontosa

X

Aequidens rivulatus

X

Dicrossus filamentosa

X

Astronotus ocellatus

26 24

Giant

X

Microgeophagus altispinosa

X

Apistogramma nijsseni

X

June June 2012

ModernModern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)