thrIVE Manage, Record and Share Your Tank www.ThriveAquatics.com
features
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GONIOPORA bred for success Justin Credabel Grabel is an aquaculture black-belt and the Director of Aquaculture at Exotic Reef Imports. With extensive experience in the captive propagation of Goniopora, Justin characterizes two of the easiest gonios to care for in reef aquaria and tells us how to differentiate them from common imposters in the hobby.
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FIRST QUARTER 2012 | Volume 6 Copyright© 2012 Reef Hobbyist Magazine. All rights reserved.
announcements • Your MASNA registered club can receive new magazines direct from RHM for your meetings. Find out how to get sponsored now! (info@rhmag.com) • Have an event coming up in the next six months? Contact us to get sponsored and we’ll help you get the word out and ship you magazines for your attendees. (info@rhmag.com)
RHM Sponsored events
SPECIES SPOTLIGHT: Scolymia australis Jeff Leung has been a reef hobbyist for over five years and cares for over 550 display tanks at Aqua World Pet Super Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Scolies have been some of the highest priced and most sought after corals in the hobby in recent years with good reason. Jeff shares some of the rare and vivid scolies that have come through the store and gives a general profile and care requirements to keep your scolies bright and healthy.
(latest issues available at these events) • ReefStock: March 10, Denver, CO – reefstock.reefbuilders.com • Marine Aquatic Conference of Illinois: March 11, St. Charles, IL – maci.cmas.net • BAYMAC: May, TBD, Hayward, CA – thebaymac.com • MACNA 2012: September 28-30, Dallas, TX – dfwmacna.com • Reef-A-Palooza: October 20-21, Costa Mesa, CA – reefapaloozashow.org
A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING: CARIBBEAN ANGELFISH OF THE GENUS Holacanthus Matthew Pedersen was the 2009 MASNA Aquarist of the Year and is one of the most accomplished fish breeders in the U.S. In this first of a two part series, Matt reviews the Holacanthus spp. of the Caribbean and reexamines and questions the old assumptions about keeping multiple angelfish of the same species in the same tank.
Knowing what your customers will want is the biggest factor in successful ordering. Join our retail Store Support Program to find out in advance what new products, fish and corals will be featured in the upcoming issue so you can be stocked ahead of time. We can also connect you directly to the manufacturers to answer any questions you have regarding ordering, sales and product support. Email retailer@rhmag.com to join today!
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20 on the cover
New & Unusual Corals from Western Australia Jake Adams is a professional aquarist, author and editor of Reefbuilders.com, and a self-avowed collector of the unusual. Some of the new Western Australian corals have caught his fancy. Read about them here.
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FAKE FISH! part 2 Pseudanthias IN THE HOME AQUARIUM Henry Schultz has been a marine aquarist for over 30 years and co-founded Reef Central and Central Illinois Marine Aquarists. In this culmination of his series on Pseudanthias, Henry highlights species from all three subgenera, details their correct captive care, and offers valuable fish compatibility information to ensure success with this genus.
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CENTRAL CAMPUS: An Ocean of Knowledge in Landlocked Des Moines Madeleine King is a sixteen-year-old high school student who has been in the Marine Biology and Aquarium Science Program at Central Campus for two years and hopes to pursue a career in the aquarium industry. In this article, Madeleine introduces us to an amazing high school program that offers a completely handson marine bio and aquarium science education despite its total landlocked location.
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CORAL
Goniopora Bred for Success
Justin Credabel
Image by Greg Rothschild
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n this article I will focus on two Goniopora species that might be the easiest species to care for. Goniopora stutchburyi and Goniopora planulata are the two most commonly kept, red-colored species of this genus that we see in the aquarium hobby. Goniopora is a LPS (Large Polyp Stony coral), and Goniopora planulata fits the conventional definition and care requirements for most LPS: big, showy polyps, with a preference for moderate lighting and flow conditions, and a healthy appetite for meaty foods. By contrast, Goniopora stutchburyi is definitely not your classic LPS. If it were not for the fact that it is a Goniopora, by most outward appearances and care requirements, most would consider G. stutchburyi a quintessential SPS (Small Polyp Stony coral) with small polyps, a desire for high light and flow, and a striking resemblance to its tiny-polyped cousin, Porites. Goniopora stutchburyi, time and time again, has been reported by hobbyists to be one of the hardiest Goniopora species. Based on my work with them, I will have to agree. This coral generally grows as encrusting or massive colonies. This species tends to be the most commonly imported red Goniopora. The natural color variation of this species is shades of brown through maroon, red, and occasionally some greencolored colonies. Most sought after are the “Daisy” colored specimens (bright red with red tentacles and yellow oral discs). Some of these “Daisy” Goniopora stutchburyi even exhibit the rainbow effect commonly seen with “Sunset” and “Rainbow” varieties of Montipora and Acanthastrea where, at the edges of the colonies, the polyps or oral discs will exhibit a gradual color shift. In this case the yellow center of the polyps morphs to green at the leading growth edge of the colony.
G. planulata
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G. stutchburyi
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Encrusting G. stutchburyi.
Goniopora stutchburyi has the smallest polyps of the genus, and some specimens are easily confused with Porites. Counting the number of tentacles on each polyp is the surefire way to know which genus you’re dealing with, whether it is Porites or Goniopora. Or in the case of larger-polyped colonies, particularly branching species like G. pandoraensis, counting the polyps will help you distinguish between Alveopora and Goniopora. Porites and Alveopora always have 12 tentacles per polyp. Goniopora always has 24 tentacles per polyp. Generally with most colonies it is pretty easy to tell, but I have seen a few really large-polyped Porites and some really smallpolyped Goniopora stutchburyi. It is especially compounded in tiny colonies, commonly found as hitchhikers on other coral pieces. When first imported, polyp extension is often poor, but after a week or two in proper conditions the polyps will start to expand to their normal length. Of course captive-grown colonies show their full potential much sooner. Some polyps can extend eight inches or more, especially in higher flow. Some colonies develop patches of long sweeper polyps with swollen, stinging nematocyst-filled tentacle tips. These can inflict damage to other coral and especially
G. stutchburyi with rainbow coloring.
Mounding G. stutchburyi.
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other Goniopora. They will make especially short work of Goniopora planulata and many other Goniopora, most notably the common blue and purple species, Goniopora tenuidens. Hobbyists who are successful with SPS will generally have great luck with G. stutchburyi. This coral will frequently do well without the supplemental feeding required by other Goniopora species. Some months, the encrusting growth on our mother colonies can rival that of Montipora species. The natural tendency for this species is to grow in an encrusting form, so it lends itself to quick settlement of new substrate, allowing the hobbyist to see the success they are having. For a more classic LPS species, Goniopora planulata is a great largepolyped Goniopora for most people to try their hand at. They tend to range from maroon to bright red, often with blue or purple oral discs. The growth form of captive varieties tends to be the classic “flowerpot” coral shape. Unlike G. stokesi, which is most frequently imported as free living colonies, all G. planulata that make it into the hobby are from reef environments, not muddy, soft substrates. If received in healthy condition, Goniopora are extremely resilient and fast growing. You should examine carefully any wild specimen,
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G. planulata frag.
as these tend to suffer stress in the collection and shipping process. This stress is greatly reduced in captive-grown varieties, as these are already acclimated to the aquarium environment. You can find many species of Goniopora at your local fish store. Goniopora is no longer the “hands off” coral it was in the past and is now in the realm of “been there, done that.” With a little careful planning, you too can have success with this beautiful group of corals.
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G. planulata with extended polyps.
Feeding Tips: A note from the editor As Justin’s article illustrates, different species of Goniopora come from a wide variety of habitats in which they’ve specifically evolved and to which they’re specifically adapted. There are general feeding guidelines which can be followed but I’d recommend that you do as much research as possible on the species of Goniopora you want to keep and what kind of habitat it hails from. Goniopora are known to ingest mainly zooplankton in the wild, and in captivity there are many types of foods that may be tried. Commercially available zooplankton and zooplankton blends, fresh and frozen shrimp of various types, eggs of mollusks and fish, and even slurries of different fresh seafood items are all potentially viable food for Goniopora in aquaria. Keep in mind the size of the polyp mouth while choosing a particle size and err on the smaller size. Most people who actively feed their captive Goniopora employ some method to allow the coral to feed slowly, but still fill up by virtue of heavy concentrations of food in the coral’s immediate vicinity, often several times per week. Target feeding is very popular, and the use of a feeding syringe or target feeder is a good way to limit the amount of uneaten food that the aquarium has to process. Another popular method is to use a ‘feeding bell’ to keep a high concentration of food within reach of the polyps for the duration of the feeding time. This device can be as simple as a soda bottle with the bottom cut off and an airstone mounted inside which, when lowered over the coral, keeps a fair amount of the food both contained and in suspension. And one last method to mention that is in popular use is to simply turn off or bypass the filters and skimmers in the system for the duration of the feeding so that the food remains suspended in the water column. For any Goniopora you may acquire, there is a best feeding strategy and diet which you can learn through patient research and observation.
Goniopora frags ready for success.
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CORAL Species Spotlight:
Scolymia australis Jeff Leung Aqua World of Pittsburgh, PA.
S
colymia australis is one of the most colorful corals to have entered our hobby in the past several years. They are most notably collected in the waters off Australia. Other common names for this species of coral include doughnut coral, meat coral, tooth coral, and artichoke coral. Scolymia come in a few varieties of colors ranging through green, red, white, purple, orange and yellow. Bright and uniquely patterned Scolymia, often referred to as “Master Scolymia,” (such as the one pictured above) can fetch between $400 and $800 per coral depending on the rarity of the colors and patterns. Other high-end color varieties have names like “Bleeding Apple” (green with red stripes) and “War Paint” (red with purple).
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In captivity, Scolymia can accept a wide range of frozen and prepared foods. They will generally feed on Mysis, brine shrimp and Cyclopeeze and will accept foods like Fauna Marin LPS pellets as well. When the lights are turned off, this coral extends a ring of tentacles that will catch food that may be in the water column; this is the perfect time to target feed your Scolymia. They seem to enjoy target feeding with a syringe or a turkey baster. Feed once to a few times per week to keep your Scolymia healthily inflated. Correct placement of the species Scolymia australis in a reef tank is important to the health of this coral. Scolymia can accept lowmoderate to moderate lighting provided by high-power fluorescents, metal halides or light-emitting diodes. They prefer low-moderate water flow, but enough to gently sweep away any debris or sand that may settle on the coral. When placing this coral on your rock structure, it is very important that a stable location is chosen or the coral’s base is epoxied to the rock structure. Scolymia are prone to getting knocked off the structure by rock dwellers.
until it finds a home. We picked up this beauty in July from one our suppliers’ Australian shipments. Currently it is soaking up rays from our ReefTech Prometheus LED system. We feed it Fauna Marin LPS pellets once every three to four days to keep it nice and full. This variation of Master Scolymia is pretty rare due to its absence of red striping; instead, it has bright orange stripes along with its unique snow white spotting.
Choosing a healthy specimen is critical for long term success. When choosing a Scolymia, it is important to avoid specimens showing any tissue recession. In other words, there should be no bare white skeleton showing on the face of the coral. In our experience, a freshly revealed skeleton will sometimes lead to problems in the future as the tissue recession can continue.
The second Scolymia, pictured above, is one of the most stunning that has passed through the store. Orange-colored Scolymia are rare enough, but one that is a rich tangerine color with a second, lighter shade of orange in the center ring is truly a rarity of a new level. It almost looks like a jawbreaker with the layers of vibrant colors. The picture was taken a few hours after the coral came out of the bag in early 2011. Because it wasn’t fully acclimated to our water yet, some of the skeleton is showing. We were unable to get a fully inflated picture of this tangerine because it sold the very next day to a customer who fell in love with it and had to have it right away.
You’ve probably been staring at the pictures so here is a little information about each one. The first Scolymia pictured (pg 10) is our most recent Master Scolymia and is residing in our display tank
The next Scolymia clearly exhibits an insane pattern of colors. We thought we had seen it all until our friend Mike Phung showed us a picture of this amazing Scolymia we had sold him in the past, after it
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colored up. Unlike the Master Scolymia with a ring of purple, this one has outward purple stripes accompanied by bright green and powder blue coloration which gives this coral its eye-grabbing appeal.
Finally, our last Scolymia ends the article with a bang. We’ve named this one the Solar Flare Scolymia. It permanently resides under a ledge in our show tank after we found out it was a very low light Scolymia. The colors were the most vibrant, as pictured, when under lower lighting conditions. We hand-selected this one from our supplier back in August. The two tone green striping accents the flaming orange really nicely. It is currently also under our ReefTech Prometheus LED system and is being fed Fauna Marin LPS pellets. Thanks to Reef Hobbyist Magazine for letting us show off some of our gems. If you’re ever in the area, please come by our store!
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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)
breeding A DEEPER Understanding: Caribbean Angelfish of the genus Holacanthus part 1 of a 2 part series
Matt Pedersen
Images by author except as noted
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he Caribbean Angelfish of the genus Holacanthus hold a special place in the saltwater aquarium hobby of the United States, being some of the first marine angelfish kept in captivity and introduced to us by collectors from Florida. For a myriad of reasons, these species are not as popular as they once were. Perhaps we all thought we knew everything important about these fish, but the breeder in me knows better. With a taste in fish that often diverges from the coveting of obvious rarities, it probably isn’t surprising that I selected two “local” angelfish species, the Queen Angelfish and the Rock Beauty, as the subjects for my attempt to pair and spawn a “large” angelfish species in the home aquarium. Understanding the history of these
A larger juvenile Rock Beauty in a holding tank awaiting pairing.
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species and their current status in the hobby can be truly helpful when attempting the relatively “unknown.” Initial success with cohabitating both species makes me optimistic for the future. The Holacanthus of the Caribbean The Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) is big, bold, and stunningly beautiful at any age. The equally graceful Blue Angelfish (H. bermudensis) could be called the “Budget Queen,” although it’s worthy of consideration in its own right. These two species do create a wild hybrid, the Townsend Angelfish, at one point thought to be another species. Both species do well in captivity provided they are purchased at the right size, generally suggested to be in the 2 to 4 inch range. Several authors caution that these species, which can reach adult lengths of well over a foot (greater than 12 in or 25 cm), can also turn out to be rather aggressive. “All members
A juvenile Blue Angelfish photographed in the wild off the Florida Keys.
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A mature Queen Angelfish. Image by Bill Kennedy.
of the genus Holacanthus are aggressive and should be kept one specimen to a tank, unless the system is very large,” writes Bob Fenner in his book, The Conscientious Aquarist. Then there is the Rock Beauty (Holacanthus tricolor). In the past, it has not shared the relative good fortune of its larger cousins, as Bob Fenner explains on WetWebMedia.com. “The one real downside of its captive care is the Rock Beauty’s dismal history of survival in captivity. Easily half are lost within a month of capture in the wild.” Reputations like that tend to have a negative effect on the popularity of a species in the hobby. Reductions in popularity don’t stop with rumors of aggression problems or poor success rates with this genus. The diet of adult Queens and Rock Beauties consists primarily of sponges, which was difficult to provide until food manufacturers saw an opportunity in the late 1990s and started producing frozen foods that included marine sponges as a main ingredient.
An adult Blue Angelfish. Image by Peter Leahy.
Consider Scott Michael’s assertion that, “While juvenile Blue and Queen Angelfish may not be overly destructive in a reef aquarium, adults will typically cause problems.” Weigh that against the rapid shift towards reef aquariums and smaller marine aquariums since the mid-1990s. Who wants a big, potentially aggressive, spongerequiring, non reef-safe and potentially delicate angelfish for their reef tank? The Hard Data Behind their Waning Popularity It should come as no surprise that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data on marine fish collection shows a massive decline in harvest levels of Florida Angelfish. This data potentially includes all six species found in Floridian waters, our three Holacanthus spp., as well as Pomacanthus arcuatus and P. paru. However, it is more likely that the FFWCC angelfish harvest data represents only five species, as Centropyge argi isn’t normally collected in Floridian waters because it lives too deep and can be obtained very cheaply from Caribbean sources such as Haiti. Back in 1994, when I was still working the retail side of the aquarium industry, 82,668 marine angelfish were harvested from Floridian waters. That number declined every year through to 2005, when only 16,882 were harvested. An uptick in harvest occurred from 2006 through 2008, when 24,794 angelfish were collected, only to again start another decline in popularity. Only 20,989 Florida Angelfish were harvested in 2010. 2011 seems on track to perhaps represent an all time low; collection data reported through September 24, 2011, revealed only 12,009 angelfish harvested. Even if 2011 winds up being more like the last few years, the net result is that overall, the angelfish from Florida have seen a 75% reduction in harvest levels since 1994, presumably because there is a commensurate drop in demand for these big angelfish in our hobby. Kara and Philipp Rauch of KP Aquatics, collectors in the Florida Keys, provided some private numbers breaking down their
The popularity of Florida Angelfish seems to be in decline. Image by Peter Leahy.
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collection of angelfish to the species level. From that data (2009 and 2011 to date), I was able to calculate the average percentage that each species makes up in their overall numbers. The two year sampling was remarkably similar; the species distribution of their collections is roughly 32% Queen, 32% Blue, 6% French, 10% Gray, and 20% Rock Beauties. If we assume that this data is representative of most Florida collectors’ species distributions, we can extrapolate that roughly 6,700 Florida-collected Queens and 4,200 Florida-collected Rock Beauties may have been available in the global trade in 2010. Compare that to the known collection of Yellow Tangs in Hawaii for 2010, which was 311,480 Yellow Tangs! As much as we admire all the Florida Angelfish species, it is more than fair to say that they have largely fallen off our collective radar. No doubt the availability of more agreeable angelfish species from the Indo-Pacific has further displaced our native angelfish in the hobby. Going Against the Grain It seems I have a habit of revisiting fish that have fallen out of mainstream favor, and I often learn that the general wisdom isn’t the final word on these fish. The first eye opener was a reef tank depicted in Kiyoshi Endoh’s Angelfishes of the World. The aquarium featured gorgonians and other corals held2both a ow-u adsseveral - 3.5x4.75 10/14/11 4:09 and PM yet Page juvenile Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) and a Queen Angelfish. Up until this point, I had always assumed that Holacanthus were R WORLD OU
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D E R WAT E R
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Plan to stay the Weekend - You will not want to miss it Friday Evening Film Festival & the Mid-Coast Award Ceremony Saturday Evening Film Festival & the OW-U Outstanding Achievement Award Photo/Video Competition Winners to be Announced Over 40 Seminars & In-Depth Workshops There will be hundreds of Exhibit Booths, Featuring: Travel - Equipment- Apparel - Training Agencies Dive Centers & much more.
Children Events & Art Center Hyatt Regency O’Hare is the Official Show Hotel
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A juvenile Queen Angelfish.
My pair of Rock Beauties, exploring their new home in a Caribbean biotope reef tank.
simply out of the question for a reef tank, but Endoh notes that, “In this tank some Caribbean gorgonians are grown, and they will not be eaten by the Holacanthus ciliaris.” Further examples have shown me Queen and Blue Angelfish happily residing in reef tanks dominated by soft corals as well as SPS corals. So maybe there is a place for a Holacanthus in the well-planned reef? Diet still seems to be one of the long term issues cited in the maintenance of Holacanthus. Endoh repeatedly states that proper feeding (combined with water quality and light) is essential for the long term maintenance of good color in the Queen Angelfish. Merely mention the Rock Beauty, and anyone who has read up on the species surely knows of its dietary penchant for sponges as an adult; Fenner goes so far as to call it an obligate sponge-eater that does poorly in captivity. When it comes to diet, it’s fair to say that even only 20 years ago, we didn’t have the foods we have now. With both Ocean Nutrition and Hikari offering frozen diets that include sponges as a main component, we are able to provide the exact food that adults would consume in the wild. Whether they in fact require sponges to thrive as adults is a completely separate question. It also turns out that the particularly poor reputation of the Rock Beauty is perhaps no longer deserved, or at least should be reexamined. We need to read the subtlety in what Fenner calls a “dismal history of survival in captivity” – note the word history. Indeed, historically, Rock Beauties didn’t fare well – I remember just how tough they were to keep alive in the 1990s. But these days, we seem to know why they earned that reputation. We’ve learned that adults and tiny juveniles fail to adapt to captivity, but larger juveniles in the 3 inch range seem to hit the sweet spot. Endoh comments on another main cause of past failures when he writes that, “Previously, the collecting and handling of this species were not
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well [developed], so the condition of imported [Holacanthus] tricolor was bad. As a result, aquarists had the idea that keeping H. tricolor is difficult.” Indeed, I think the past decade has really taught us that the care and handling provided to a fish in the chain of custody plays an enormous role in the success or failure of a hobbyist’s attempts to maintain a species. We certainly seem to be in a bit of a renaissance of fish husbandry and success, and that very well could be the result of better overall care in the supply chain. What about all that Holocanthid aggression? I’d read the tales of people referring to fish like the Queen Angelfish as an outright bully or vicious murderer. In talking with angelfish guru John Coppolino (aka Copps), I learned that he knew of no one who’d even spawned a Holacanthus species in a home aquarium. We discussed the idea further. My upstairs display was destined to be a 92 gallon corner tank, so I bounced the idea of pairing Queens off him. Obviously, it would be tight quarters for adults at the maximum size range, but in truth, fish become sexually mature at much smaller sizes. Earlier in 2011, I had the privilege of seeing three Holacanthus of different species cohabitating in Copps’ massive angelfish-dominated display tank, so I knew there was hope. Since I’d already maintained a spawning harem of Centropyge argi for years, John’s suggestion was to step up to the next smallest Floridian Angelfish, the Rock Beauty, as a superior candidate over the Queen, for possible pairing and spawning in the 92 gallon.
as well. I’ve come to learn that there are many rules in our hobby that really aren’t rules at all, but instead are recommendations in place because they prevent beginners from making mistakes or tackling risky projects that they really aren’t prepared to deal with appropriately. Of course, it’s extremely hard to breed something if you can’t keep two of them together. Once again I’ll cite Bob Fenner, and I do this to illustrate how taking things out of context really can mislead. Earlier, I noted Fenner’s one-per-tank recommendation on Queen Angelfish, but the very next sentence reads, “Sometimes these angels can be successfully mixed by adding them at the same time, moving around parts of the habitat, disrupting their territories, or bringing in ever-larger specimens.” Robert Straughan, pioneer of marine fish collection in the 1950s, already knew you could cohabitate angelfish. He first stated that, “Young angelfish live a The initial home for the juvenile Holacanthus pairs was this 92 gallon corner display tank lit with Ecoxotic PAR 38 LEDs, featuring aquacultured Florida Live Rock and all Florida-native gorgonians and fish. A 300 gallon saltwater pond is plumbed into this system and can house any pairs that outgrow this initial display.
The entire marine hobby, for decades, followed a rule of one angelfish per species per tank. That rule was often augmented with the secondary rule of keeping only one angelfish per genus per tank
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solitary existence until mating time, and they usually choose to live alone until they are mature. For this reason, just one should be kept in the aquarium unless there is at least an inch difference in their body length, and then, they should all be introduced to the aquarium at the same time.” Indeed, there is a case to be made for cohabitating angelfish. Both Straughan and Fenner go on to make a recommendation that I will strongly reinforce here - don’t try pairing Holacanthus unless you have the facilities (tanks) to house these fish separately should attempted cohabitation not work out. In the second and final installment, I’ll show you how new information and a deeper understanding of the Caribbean Angelfish of the genus Holocanthus may have changed our outlook. Specifically, we’ll look at the preliminary results of attempted cohabitation (pairing) of these stunning, yet underappreciated angelfish.
Two juvenile Rock Beauties visually interacting with each other while still being held in isolation, awaiting physical introduction.
The second compatible juvenile pair of Rock Beauties I formed. The wrasse in the image is the Clown Wrasse, Halichoeres maculipinna, from Florida. A closer view of the Caribbean biotope reef tank, with three of the four Holacanthus Angelfish visible. The Banded Butterflyfish, Chaetodon striatus, is another beautiful species hailing from Florida waters.
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coral
New & Unusual Corals from Western Australia Jake Adams
Images by author except as noted
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can remember the day and even what I was doing when I heard that Australia was really going to open up for coral exports to the U.S. and the world. When Aussie corals started arriving at local fish stores from coast to coast, hobbyists were stunned by the sheer diversity of species and colors that we saw from Aussie lords, scolies, and chalice corals. Over the last year we’ve seen an influx of new corals from Western Australia that may not be as ostentatious as those from Eastern Australia, but they are unique among corals from all over the IndoPacific. I’m talking about new colors of Micromussa amakusensis and M. minuta, branching Favites that look more colorful than Australogyra, and the cute little mini-Scolymia. If you haven’t heard much about these new corals, it’s partly because they are a little bit dark in color when they arrive in the U.S. and haven’t yet had a chance to color up and go “mainstream.”
Symphyllia wilsoni is a species from Western Australia that is already well known in the marine aquarium hobby, but the west coast of Oz is home to at least three other unique Mussids. Micromussa amakusensis and M. minuta are already available from different locations all over Australia and the Indo-Pacific, but as we already know with many species of corals and fish, there can exist a lot of regional variability.
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One particular Micromussa amakusensis that is worth mentioning hails from Darwin, Australia, a little more north than west but the case in point is that they look really awesome and different from previous imports. Micros from Darwin are all landing in fairly dark colors but when blue-lighted, you can see how much potential they have to color-up. Many of the Darwin micros have an almost ‘rainbow lord’ kind of color pattern with swirls of orange and orange mouths contrasted by dark rings of purple or bright orange. Apparently, where they are collected in Darwin, the micros have almost completely displaced the Acanthastrea lordhowensis, and their local abundance means that there is a lot of local diversity too. Darwin micros have been shipping to the U.S. for just over a month as of this writing. The one piece I acquired for myself has really started to color up under LED lighting. The red and orange colors came out brightly and quickly but some of the deep purple undertones are only now beginning to catch up. At present, the pieces of Darwin micros that are being offered are all great looking colonies. I think that once these Darwin micros settle into captivity, they will have the potential to become nice show pieces of Micromussa that stand well apart from the typical reds and grays usually seen from Tongan micros. Micromussa minuta is a species whose color palette is also becoming more diversified from collections in the Indian Ocean. When the large polyped, red Micromussa minuta was first imported, coral handlers thought they were dealing with a fleshy form of
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Micromussa amakusensis
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-colored Scolymia australis from the IndoPacific which was often mislabeled as Acanthastrea maxima. I had the chance to ask Dr. Charlie Veron about this miniscoly from Western Australia and his first response was that Western Australia was ‘unexplored territory’ when it came to corals - so the mini-scolies could be just that, a regional variant of Scolymia australis or they could represent something entirely new.
Micromussa minuta. Image by Live Aquaria.
Platygyra or Goniastrea. Once there were more colonies of minute micros being seen and cuttings revealed the skeleton beneath, it became clear that we were seeing red, green, and mottled colonies of Micromussa minuta being imported from Western Australia. Since they are being imported in reasonable numbers and are not super brightly colored, the price for whole colonies of M. minuta is not that much and is well worth it for the deep red, bright green, and mottled red and green colors of this species from Western Australia. Some of the oddest surprises to come out of Western Australia are the mini-scolies which are all about one to one and a half inches in diameter. They have unusual characteristics that sometimes resemble only Scolymia australis and other times incorporate features of Trachyphyllia, Indophyllia, and Cynarina. The mini-scoly from Western Australia is comparable to the small and muted Scolymia australis from Western Australia. Images by Gonzo’s Coral Frags.
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Even if the taxonomy of the mini-scolies is uncertain, it is clear that they are distinct in their shape and colors. Adding to the mystery is that a handful of specimens recently imported did look exactly like little mini-scolies but with weird pastel colors overlaying the typical brilliant bleeding apple coloration. However, the majority of the specimens imported are somewhat muted in appearance, with subtle colors that could potentially be enhanced through artificial aquarium lighting. The typical mini-scoly is a light green, red, or orange coloration with thin streaks of color visible under blue lighting. I picked one up about two months ago and the subtle orange stripes it had turned into bright and distinct orange stripes that are contrasted vividly by a dark brown base coloration. Thin green streaks have appeared in between the orange stripes and the polyp overall doesn’t expand its tissue much beyond the skeleton - only enough to give it a slightly puffy appearance. With my mini-scoly, I am concerned with giving it enough light to really bring out its colors while not bleaching it with too much light. Perhaps my favorite new stony coral from Western Australia is the branching Favites complanata which is also collected in Darwin. The branching Favites is much more colorful than the usual branching Australogyra moon coral from the Solomon Islands. Whereas Australogyra is mostly gray with a hint of imaginary green color, F. complanata from Darwin is very beautiful, sometimes with a light tan color overall and a pattern of lighter stripes following the septa
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- but the real deal is light brown with bright green oral discs. There are a lot of moon corals that have a subtle branching inclination like Favites halicora, Favites pentagona, and some Goniastrea, but the branching of Favites complanata is very deliberate.
Stick with Sprung
Where it is collected, branching Favites complanata occurs in shallow and slightly turbid water, so high flow and moderately bright light will be required to help promote the branching shape. I’ve been keeping a specimen of Darwin branching Favites complanata in a high flow and higher light placement in a reef aquarium during which time the base has begun to encrust onto the rock, and the tips have definitely shown a reasonable amount of branching growth, at least more than you would expect from a moon coral. Better yet, the branching Favites has shown itself to have very small and short sweeper tentacles so it does not require the kind of clearance space from other corals that is required of Montastrea and Goniastrea species. This fall has been an exciting one for coral junkies, with new species and new colors of familiar species becoming more available from Western Australia. Although the Darwin micros and mini-scolies are arriving more muted than their counterparts from Eastern Australia, this just means that there is more surprise in what colors and appearance they will take after an extended period of time in captive aquaria. If you like distinctive corals, then you should really be on the lookout for the branching Favites as it is also a very unique coral which could potentially become a nice, large colony of branching moon coral. We may all be a little overloaded on Australian corals, especially on high-dollar lords and scolies, but stay on the lookout as we are sure to see more cool, new stony corals from the west coast of Australia in the coming months.
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Favites complanata
coral
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fish
Fake
Fish!
part 2
Pseudanthias in the Home Aquarium
Henry Schultz Images by Sabine Penisson
C
onsidering the vast numbers of species in the genus, the various habitats in which they are found, and in many cases the distinctive characteristics from one species to the next, it becomes difficult to paint this genus with a broad brush. Therefore, I’ve chosen first to give some of the basic, yet genus-encompassing tidbits in regards to captive aquarium life for Pseudanthias but will offer more specific husbandry recommendations for various species further into the column.
One of the bigger concerns with keeping Pseudanthias is modeling an appropriate community of tank mates. More often than not, Anthiinae are very aggressive towards their conspecifics. However, outside of their own genus, Pseudanthias are, for the most part, not the aggressors in an aquarium. Small fish such as gobies or blennies are often not in harm’s way, especially if they are of the sand beddwelling type. Wormfishes and other small dither fish may have problems co-existing, but as a whole, Pseudanthias will leave other aquarium residents alone provided they do not feel threatened by them. Of course “threatening” is not just reserved for larger fish, but
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also fish which occupy the same niche in the aquarium or maintain the same feeding strategies. If the Pseudanthias feels threatened by the feeding tendencies of a Flasher Wrasse, for example, one should expect the Pseudanthias to chase away the competition. On the other hand, large predatory fish should be avoided. This includes such fish as Lionfish, larger groupers, large Moray eels, and Scorpion fish. Pseudanthias generally remain fairly small – a good sized snack for the aforementioned species. Good aquarium tank mates for Pseudanthias would include Surgeonfish, Butterflyfish, both large and dwarf Angelfish, and most passive fish which remain on the sand bed. Other small open water swimmers, such as wrasses from the genus Cirrhilabrus or Macropharyngodon can be mixed successfully provided there is ample room, food, and hiding spots available. Skittish wrasses, such as Paracheilinus, will likely meet their demise at the hands of Pseudanthias simply by jumping out of the aquarium. (See the Pseudanthias/fish compatibility chart on page 32.) Motile invertebrates are, for the most part, not at risk. Cucumbers, starfish, urchins, and even most shrimp of the cleaner varieties are usually safe sharing the aquarium with Pseudanthias. Those that are at risk, however, are small decorative shrimp which are not known cleaners and even some of the smaller cleaners. If it appears
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the shrimp could be consumed whole by the Pseudanthias, there is a mighty fine chance that will happen. A quick look back at the family lineage confirms that Pseudanthias are in fact part of the Grouper family, and as such we should consider them highly predatory despite their diminutive size. Sessile invertebrates, however, are at no risk whatsoever. Feeding Pseudanthias is definitely another area where I can discuss the group as a whole. All of them are planktivores, and all of them are hardy eaters in the wild. A few species will have difficulty converting over to prepared foods in an aquarium, but as a whole the genus adapts well to commercially available aquarium foods. Mysis species shrimp should be the staple of the diet, whether they are frozen/thawed or freezedried. That alone will keep your Pseudanthias healthy, but a much more varied diet will help keep the brilliant colors of the fish. Gut-loaded brine shrimp or bloodworms will be eagerly consumed, and over time, Pseudanthias will begin to accept almost anything you drop into the aquarium as food including dried, vitamin-enriched pellet foods. Getting enough food to the Pseudanthias is perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome when keeping Anthiinae. In the wild, they consume gross amounts of food. They do not cover great distances swimming as do Surgeonfish, but only because Pseudanthias swim in place. They do, however, swim nearly constantly, thereby increasing the metabolic demand for a continuous food source. Additionally, one will need to have a very high flow-rate of water in the aquarium to mimic their natural environment – thereby increasing the metabolism of the fish still more. A minimum feeding of twice daily will be required to maintain weight on these highly active fish. The key word here is “minimum” as these fish will do much better with five to six smaller feedings throughout the day in comparison to just two larger feedings. It takes some effort and a disciplined feeding schedule to promote vibrant health for this genus. In addition, one would be proactive to also have a functioning refugium attached to the aquarium able to provide a continuous natural, live food source for Pseudanthias. Although not essential, it would be ideal.
conjunction with the genus-wide small size of the fish, combine to
P. pleurotaenia (male)
make a great aquarium fish for smaller aquariums – provided one can meet the demands of a fish with such a high metabolism. If we were only discussing a single Pseudanthias in the aquarium one could easily get by with a standard 75 gallon aquarium. However, the greater concern comes when you begin to mix these fish with other genera, especially for the more aggressive members of Pseudanthias (more below) or even when keeping small harems. In those instances the size of the aquarium would increase proportionally to what your intentions are with the fish load. Thinking of a harem of eight to ten Pseudanthias? You should probably consider having nothing less than a 180 gallon aquarium – and even that is on the small side. Personally, I have an eight foot long, 320 gallon aquarium and don’t find it large enough to house a nice harem with an additional variety of fish from other genera. The harem would dominate the display and become the focal point. This isn’t bad, of course, if that is your intention. Aesthetically however, I don’t care for it; there’s just too much variety out there! A fellow local hobbyist has a 10' x 4' x 4' reef aquarium of roughly 1,000 gallons. In his aquarium, the Pseudanthias harem melts into the display and is attractive but not overwhelming.
Aquarium size is not a great concern despite the high rate of activity displayed by Pseudanthias, mostly because the energy is generally directed towards staying in one place. In human terms, it could be compared to our “forever pools” where we swim in place during rehabilitation from injury or exercise. Or, if you will, a fair comparison would be if we could place Surgeonfish on treadmills in our aquarium; it would be much the same situation. So these fish don’t necessarily need huge square footage per se. That, in P. bartlettorum (male)
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Meet the Species All of the species within Pseudanthias can be considered attractive fish, most having quite the palette of color. Although some species are certainly more striking than others, not a single species of Pseudanthias could be called unattractive. Unfortunately, not all species are ideal for the home aquarium. With a genus as diverse as Pseudanthias, I’m often disappointed by the number of people that continue to generalize these species. Amongst the most common generalizations heard is the ever-infamous, “All Anthias need to be kept in schools,” or the almost as oft-proclaimed, “All Anthias are hardy aquarium fish.” Well, this is simply not true. Consider that the marine aquarium hobby still refers to Pseudanthias as Anthias. Given this initial error (this statement is referring to a genus which lives in a completely different ocean) it’s no doubt the vague generalizations that follow are immediately wrong. Additionally, absolutely no generalizations should be made of the genus Pseudanthias as a whole. The subgenera within Pseudanthias can almost be generalized (note I said “almost”), and thus this offers me an ideal way of breaking down the large genus. ---- Subgenus Franzia ---The bullies of the family can be found in the subgenus Franzia. The three species within Franzia are all aggressive towards conspecifics, as well as other aquarium mates. Given there are only three species in this subgenus, Franzia is a bit more accurate in its generalizations merely because the limited number of species
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restricts the variation. Neither of the other two subgenera can be generalized as successfully. Despite the desire to kick the snot out of their tank mates, the three species within Franzia are all easily kept and considered hardy. Matched with other aquarium fish which can hold their own, they make ideal residents for the home aquarium. Consideration of aquarium size and available hiding places for tank mates is an important consideration with these species. Hobbyists prefer to call them Lyretail Anthias, but ichthyologists have named them Pseudanthias squamipinnis. Much of the information that hobbyists use to broadly generalize the entire genus originates with this particular species. Images of shoals of Pseudanthias of over 2,000 individuals are common. This is because Lyretails prefer to ride the currents on steep drop-offs above the reef crest while feeding in daylight hours. It should not be a surprise that Lyretail Anthias are a favorite fish to capture for the native fish catchers. Occurring in concentrations in excess of several thousand, and consistently in the open water, with a natural depth range often above 60 feet but rarely below 130 feet, Lyretails can be found in the wild in a vast area encompassing the Red Sea to New South Wales, Australia. Despite the large number of fish in the wild shoals, shoals in the aquarium rarely work long term unless the aquarium is several hundred gallons in size and a shoal of eight or more individuals is kept with exactly one male. This is because the aggression from the male can be dispersed over all the animals and generally results in a shoal that does not slowly dissolve. In a shoal with fewer individuals, the aggression can be concentrated and this ultimately leads to the demise of the
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weakest fish. The next weakest fish will then be harassed to death, and this continues to happen until the male is all alone. This aggression will not only be directed towards conspecifics or even other species of the genus, but most likely all planktivores found in the aquarium. Small wrasses and the like will be harassed and will need plenty of hiding places should you decide to keep a male Lyretail with them. Dwarf angels display more of a personality conducive for the Lyretail aquarium. The Lyretail, much like its close Pseudanthias huchtii cousin, will not quite reach a length of five inches as an adult. In fact, care for Pseudanthias huchtii could be considered similar to Pseudanthias squamipinnis. Pseudanthias huchtii is a mean-spirited aquarium fish best kept as the lone Anthiinae. Groups of 10 or more are possible, but require a very large aquarium, and thus my recommendation is to stick with a single individual. In the wild this species will interact with P. squamipinnis, but unless you have a large enough aquarium to display a small school of P. squamipinnis, it is best not to intermix this species with any other Anthiinae. This particular species is rarely found deeper than 65 feet, thereby making it a great selection for a brightly lit stony coral aquarium. Because it is common in the Philippines and Indonesia, in addition to preferring shallow water, aquarists have the opportunity to purchase it easily enough at a relatively low cost. ---- Subgenus Mirolabrichthys ----
P. squamipinnis (females)
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There is some good and some bad when discussing the subgenus Mirolabrichthys. Firstly, most fish in this subgenus are non-aggressive. However, the bad is that most fish in this subgenus are prone to an early demise in the home aquarium.
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P. squamipinnis (male)
P. huchtii (male) P. bartlettorum (male)
Pseudanthias bartlettorum, or Bartlett’s Anthias as we call them in the aquarium hobby, ironically enough, is the exception to the “rules” of Mirolabrichthys simply because it is the exact opposite of most fish in this subgenus. It is easy to care for, readily adapting to aquarium life, and it is a pugnacious little bugger, ready and willing to defend its home turf. If you ever get the chance to witness this it may surprise you that a fish as small as three inches has so much fight in it. Call it Napoleon’s complex I suppose. Therefore, keep only one male per aquarium unless you have an aquarium of several hundred gallons or more. In that case, the standard company line for aggressive Pseudanthias holds true: a single male to eight or more females. Although Bartlett’s Anthias does not form shoals nearing the proportions of Pseudanthias squamipinnis, they do prefer much the same type of habitat. Crystal clear water with a strong current on exposed, steep reef drop-offs will collect smaller scale shoals with a couple of males and up to 30 females. Depths
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P. dispar (male)
P. pascalus (male & female)
down to 100 feet will hold concentrations of this species around a few select islands, namely the Marshall Islands and Line Islands. Pseudanthias dispar is more typical of the subgenus Mirolabrichthys. They are regularly prone to harassment from more belligerent aquarium mates, thereby requiring a peaceful aquarium, and they are not considered hardy fish once brought into the aquarium trade. Should you wish to try your hand at success, several individuals are probably a better bet than a lone individual. As they are rarely found deeper than 50 feet and more than likely are found in the 20 feet depth range, they do make good candidates for a stony coral aquarium. The Queen Anthias – what an amazingly beautiful fish. It is a large Pseudanthias, reaching nearly seven inches in total length as an adult. For those keeping track, ichthyologists and astute hobbyists refer to this species by the Latin name Pseudanthias pascalus. A relatively affordable price tag is mostly due to its shallow collection depths and vast geographical distribution. Indonesia, French Polynesia, Japan, the Great Barrier Reef, New Caledonia and Sulawesi waters all hold concentrations of this species. Although this fish can be found down to 200 feet of depth, aquarium specimens are generally collected from 50 feet or less. The biotope most commonly preferred by this species is highly variable – from steep drop-offs to shallow rubble zones, yet they all share one common element – strong water movement. Slack water movement is not tolerated. While hovering high up in the churning water column this
P. pleurotaenia (male)
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species will gather in groups to feed. Getting this fish to feed in captivity is the task at hand, however. Most individuals will refuse to eat, thereby making it a difficult species and less than ideal for most hobbyists. Again, the one male to multiple female ratio is ideal along with several feedings per day. Amongst the female collective, one can try tossing in a few Pseudanthias tuka, a closely related species. Another interesting addition would be Hoplolatilus starcki, a natural mimic of Pseudanthias pascalus. ---- Subgenus Pseudanthias ---The final Pseudanthias to discuss for this column is Pseudanthias pleurotaenia. It is a member of the final subgenus which I have not yet covered. Unfortunately, there really aren’t any guidelines or generalizations for this subgenus. It is a rather large subgenus, with quite a variance amongst species. Pseudanthias pleurotaenia has a distinctive pink square spot right in the center of its body. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that within the hobby we have named this fish the Squarespot Anthias. Of course this can be confusing considering only the male will have this square-spot, while females can often be confused with several other species of the genus, most notably Pseudanthias sheni. The fish, overall, is hardy, often doing well in a home aquarium. They are, however, a deep water species, and thus acclimation to aquarium lighting is slow. My recommendation is to keep only one individual per aquarium unless we are dealing with a very large aquarium. Essentially, much the same care as most of the fish in this genus.
P. pleurotaenia (female)
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Pseudanthias COMPATIBILITY CHARTS Invertebrate
Clams Bivalves Snails Nudibranchs/ Sea Slugs Shrimp
Crabs Lobsters Cucumbers Urchins Starfish Sponge/ Tunicates Feather/Fan Worms Bristleworms Hard Corals Soft Corals Sea Anemones
Will CoExist
May CoExist
X X X X X
Will Not CoExist
Will CoExist
Angels, Dwarf Angels, Large Anthias Assessors
X X X
Basses Batfish Blennies Boxfishes Butterflies Cardinals
X X X X X X
Catfish Comet
X X
Cowfish Damsels
X X
Dottybacks Dragonets Drums Eels
X X X
Filefish Frogfish Goatfish Gobies Grammas Groupers Hamlets Hawkfish
X
Jawfish
X
Lionfish Parrotfish Pineapple Fish
X X
May Will Co- Not CoExist Exist X
Notes
Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well.
X X X X X X
Most shrimp will do well but tiny ornamental shrimp such as Thor amboinensis may be at risk. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well.
X
Should co-exist well.
X X X
Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Should co-exist well. Some sea anemones are capable of consuming Pseudanthias species.
X
Fish
Note: While many of the invertebrates listed are good tank mates for Pseudanthias species, you should research each invertebrate individually before adding it to your aquarium. Exceptions to the rule may exist.
Pipefish Puffers Rabbitfish Sand Perches Scorpionfish Seahorses Snappers Soapfishes Soldierfish Spinecheeks Squirrelfish Surgeonfish Sweetlips Tilefish
X
X X X X X X X
X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Toadfish Triggerfish Waspfish Wrasses
X X X X
Notes Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Highly dependent upon species. Should make good aquarium mates, but Assessor will hide a lot. Add Assessor first. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates, but Cardinal will hide a lot. Add Cardinal first. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Comet will hide during daylight. Should make good aquarium mates. Damsels may become overly aggressive. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Small eels will be fine, but large aggressive eels must be avoided. Should make good aquarium mates. May consume Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. Stick with the sand dwellers. Should make good aquarium mates. May consume Pseudanthias. May consume Pseudanthias. Smaller Hawkfish fine, larger ones may harass and attack Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. Add Jawfish first and allow to settle in. May consume Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Pineapple Fish will hide during daylight. Best kept in an aquarium by itself. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. Should make good aquarium mates. May consume Pseudanthias. Best kept in an aquarium by itself. May consume Pseudanthias. May consume Pseudanthias. May consume Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. May consume Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. May consume Pseudanthias. Should make good aquarium mates. Add Tilefish first and allow to settle in. May consume Pseudanthias. Highly dependent upon each Triggerfish. Should make good aquarium mates. Most should make great aquarium mates. Avoid Flasher Wrasses.
Note: While many of the fish listed are good tank mates for Pseudanthias species, you should research each fish individually before adding it to your aquarium. Some of the mentioned fish are better left in the ocean or for advanced aquarists. P. squamipinnis (male)
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Conclusion Despite translating into “Fake Fish,” Pseudanthias species are anything but fake, although their gaudy colors may appear to be fantastical at times. Many species of this genus are readily available at approachable pricing, with care easy enough for even the beginner aquarist to succeed. For the more advanced hobbyists, a challenge can be waiting with some of the more difficult species. And for the wealthy amongst us, the hard-to-find species will present a worthy search for the rare fish collectors. Pseudanthias species truly represent fish with something for all levels of hobbyists. References
-Baldwin, C. C. 1990. Morphology of the larvae of American Anthiinae (Teleostei: Serranidae), with P. squamipinnis comments on relationships within the subfamily. Copeia 913-955. -Bleeker, P. 1871-76. Atlas ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néêrlandaises, publié sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial néêrlandais. Tome VII. Percoides I, Priacanthiformes, Serraniformes, Grammisteiformes, Percaeformes, Datniaeformes. Atlas Ichthyol. v. 7 1-126. -Fishelson, L. 1970. Protogynous sex reversal in the fish Anthias squamipinnis (Teleostei, Anthiidae) regulated by the presence or absence of a male fish. Nature 227: 90-91. -Heemstra, P. C. and Randall, J. E. 1999. Family Serranidae. In: Carpenter, K. E. and Niem, V. E. 1999. Species identification guide for fisheries purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Bony fishes part 2 (Mugilidae to Carangidae). FAO, Rome. iii-v; 2069-2790. -Herre, A. W. C. T. 1927. A new genus and three new species of Philippine fishes. Philipp. J. Sci. 413-419. -Jordan, D. S. and W. F. Thompson. 1914. Record of the fishes obtained in Japan in 1911. Mem. Carnegie Mus. v. 6 (no. 4): 205-313, Pls. 24-42. -Kamohara, T. 1954. Eleven additions to the fish fauna of Prov. Tosa, including one new species of the family Serranidae. Res. Rep. Kôchi Univ. 1-6. -Katayama, M. and Amaoka, K. 1986. Two new anthiine fishes form the eastern tropical Pacific. Jpn. J. Ichthyol. 213-222. -Kendall, A. W., Jr. 1984. Serranidae: development and relationships. In: H. G. Moser et al., eds. Ontogeny and systematics of fishes. Am. Soc. Ichthyol. Herpetol. Spec. Publ. No. 1: 499-510. -Linnaeus, C. 1758. Systema Naturae, Ed. X. (Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata.) Holmiae. Systema Nat. ed. 10 i-ii + 1-824. -Masuda, H., Amaoka, K. and C. Araga, T. Uyeno and T. Yoshino 1984. The fishes of the Japanese Archipelago. Tokai Univ. Press. Fish. Japanese Arch. Text: i-xxii + 1-437. -Peters, W. C. H. 1855. Übersicht der in Mossambique beobachteten Seefische. Monatsb. Akad. Wiss. Berlin 428-466. -Popper, D. and Fishelson, L. 1973. Ecology and behavior of Anthias squamipinnis (Peters, 1855) (Anthiidae, Teleostei) in the coral habitat of Eilat (Red Sea). Jour. ?Exp. Zool. 184(3): 409-423. -Randall, J. E. and Hutomo, M. 1988. Redescription of the Indo-Pacific serranid fish *Pseudanthias bimaculatus* (Smith). Copeia 669-673. -Randall, J. E. and Allen, G. R. 1989. Pseudanthias sheni, a new serranid fish from Rowley Shoals and Scott Reef, Western Australia. Rev. Fr. Aquariol. 73-78. -Randall, J. E., Allen, G. R. and and R. C. Steene 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Fishes Great Barrier Reef 1-507. -Whitlet, G.P. 1964. Fishes from the Coral Sea and Swain Reefs. Rec. Austral. Mus. 26(5): 145-195.
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education Madeleine King
Central Campus: An Ocean of Knowledge in Landlocked Des Moines
T
he Department of Marine Biology and Aquarium Science at Central Campus High School in Des Moines, Iowa, is reviving the interest of youth in the aquarium field. Dr. Karen Stiles started the program 26 years ago with a single aquarium and 12 students. Today, over 160 students are part of the program that maintains multiple tank systems totaling 14,000 gallons of saltwater. The goal of the program is simple: give the students an environment where they can actively learn about organisms living in the oceans, and learn what affects them in their natural habitats. The teachers also emphasize the importance of independence by giving each student a certain job for which they are responsible. Because of this, the program teaches students to be both leaders and team players. The department is split between two classes: Marine Biology and Aquarium Science. Students are allowed to take one or both of the classes. Students are usually 16 to 18 years old with the exception of a few students from the Des Moines Area 34
Community College. From coral and shark anatomy to water quality and disease control, the program offers a hands-on approach to learning and high school and college credits for the courses. The classroom holds an assortment of over 100 tanks including 13 live coral tanks, a 1,000 gallon shark tank, a 2,400 gallon ray tank, and another two 600 gallon tanks. One of the 600 gallon tanks will be dedicated to large marine fishes and the other will hold mainly live coral. Just recently, one of our live coral tanks was designated as a low environmental impact tank and will be filled with only captive-bred fish and coral. The room is also the future home of a 500 gallon Moon Jellyfish breeding system where students will learn to breed jellyfish and eventually distribute them to public aquariums. The program also breeds clownfish in the separate brood stock room which holds around 25 separate fish pairs. The students mix their own saltwater which is stored in holding tanks on the floor above, alongside the purified RO water. The water is then piped from above and delivered by gravity into our various tank systems to allow for ease in water changes and topping off sumps with RO. The marine biology class, taught by Dr. Stiles, focuses on the study of marine animals as well as the ocean environment and ecology.
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The marine biology lab at Central Campus.
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The classroom holds four coral troughs designated for coral propagation.
The floor above the classrooms holds storage tanks for RO and saltwater.
Students divide their class time between aquarium care, lectures in the classroom, and dissections of animals. In class, students are assigned specific tanks to take care of. They rotate between the tanks throughout the year. Through the care of these tanks and animals, students master knowledge of several species’ anatomy as well as basic biological systems. Students eventually learn to name and classify a variety of reef fishes, coral, and other creatures. Dr. Stiles, a seasoned marine biologist, also teaches her students the basics of the field. They have the opportunity to receive their sailing license, thanks to the two weeks spent at a nearby lake learning the terminology and practice of sailing. Dr. Stiles emphasizes the present environmental state of the world and teaches her students its effect on the ocean and its reefs. By the end of the class, students have had the opportunity to experience and master the care of numerous types of organisms in a variety of environments. The aquarium science class, taught by Kirk Embree, formerly a public aquarist, is a fairly new addition to the marine biology department. It focuses on the industry side of the marine field. With his background, Mr. Embree teaches the skills required for environmental jobs, research positions, recreational and wastewater fields, as well as jobs pertaining to fisheries, aquaculture, the pet trade, and public aquariums. Instead of just focusing on the ability to succeed in a position, Mr. Embree teaches students all aspects of attaining and sustaining a job including educational opportunities beyond his class, making resumes, and common work environment situations. Because of the many tanks within the room, students encounter various situations that require them to master problem solving skills. Students learn the basics of caring for an aquarium such as water quality, live food culture, coral propagation, and basic plumbing. Keeping with the hands-on learning approach, students spend the majority of their time caring for the tanks and their inhabitants. In the lab, students feed and observe the fish, as well as keep records of irregularities and problems in the systems. The classroom has four coral troughs in which students learn to propagate and grow coral. After propagation, students then learn how to properly introduce corals to new tank systems.
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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)
Two of our ten rows of aquariums.
Students are given individual and group tasks depending on the day. Proposing your own projects or solutions to problems is highly encouraged in the classroom. It is these characteristics of independence and leadership that prepare the students so well for their future career paths. A current class project is caring for and breeding clownfish. The students oversaw their first successful hatching at the beginning of the last school year and are now continuing that process as well as caring for the adolescents and juveniles from subsequent hatchings. In the coming years, it is the goal of students to perfect their breeding methods to yield more fish per batch. The class also wants to begin to branch out and start breeding other species of marine fishes. Recently, the television show “Tanked,” from Animal Planet, donated a four foot by four foot kreisel tank that will be the future home of a jellyfish display. This project is expected to be up and running within the next year. Like every other project in the room, the teachers will oversee the care of the jellyfish tank, but it will be maintained and cared for by the students. As part of the program, students are invited to attend a field ecology trip to both Florida and the Bahamas in the spring. It usually consists of one to two weeks spent diving on coral reefs, learning the ecology of the area, and interacting with both local people and marine animals. The trip to Florida and the Bahamas generates additional college credit for students. It is the intent of the trip to provide experiences that the classroom cannot because of its landlocked location in Iowa. It is a chance for students to see first-hand what they have learned about in class and an opportunity to apply and expand their skills and knowledge of marine life in a new setting. Students also have opportunities to visit the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines and Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo’s aquariums as well as Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. These additional trips are fantastic supplements to the program, providing additional experience beyond the classroom. The program also offers the opportunity to attain both sailing and diving certifications. Certified PADI SCUBA instructors visit with the students at the pool in Central Campus and train the students in the basics of diving. Students receive PADI Open Water SCUBA
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Karen Stiles and Kirk Embree oversee the student transfer of the program’s new epaulette shark.
The 2,400 gallon ray tank.
certification and take these skills to the ocean in both Florida and the Bahamas where they can advance their certification as well as take part in diving expeditions. This program is one of many at Central Campus, a building that holds classes for fashion design and merchandising, film and broadcasting, graphic design, communications, and photography, as well as many other trade-based classes. The campus is located in downtown Des Moines and serves as an addition to the scholastic classes that students take at their individual high schools. This program gives students an entirely unique environment in which to learn. It wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Des Moines Public School District as well as the many local organizations’ donations and various community support. It is truly a gem of the Midwest. Above all though, it is the students that drive this program to succeed. They spend their weekends, holidays, and their summers at school feeding and caring for the animals, all because the program so captivates them and encourages them to take an active role in learning the skills for their future professions or hobbies.
Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2012 in Dallas, Texas, September 28-30. (dfwmacna.com)