Fish Trends & Moder n Aquarium Design
Swish
December 2011
Modern Aquarium Designs
14
New designs for your bathroom
Aquatic Escape
16
Best diving in the Philippines
Fish News
24
Goliath Grouper making a comeback
Choosing A Clownfish
December 2011 www.swishmag.com
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Contents Swish Magazine Mission Statement: Swish is a unique publication that collects and shares all of the latest knowledge and trends regarding fish species, modern aquarium designs and fascinating aquatic destinations. We give you reliable information that is relevant to your life as a fish hobbyist beyond simply the standard home aquarium tank. We provide a variety of in-depth material to encompass the best complete aquarist lifestyle.
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Features Q&A Saltwater
Answers to all of your questions, concerns and inquiries regarding your saltwater tank. Michael Delk
Q&A Freshwater
Answers to all of your questions, concerns and inquiries regarding your freshwater tank. Stan Sung
Aquatic Escape
We found the most amazing scuba diving and aquatic get-away spots in the Philippines. Iggy Tavares
Choosing A Clownfish
Anemonefishes (aka clownfishes) have long been the darlings of the marine aquarium hobby. Read everything you need to know to add one to your tank. Howard Goldstein
December 2011
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Columns Fish of the Month Modern Aquarium Designs Fish News Events Calendar Events Calendar
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December 2011 Swish 3
QA &
Q
Breeding Frogfish Easy?
Hi, TFH. I have been a reader for about 15 years now. I live in the Philippines and routinely go to the Cartimar in Pasay, Manila to get marine fish for my tank. Several months back, I visited one store that had some saltwater frogfish that had been converted to fresh water. I picked up two (one orange, the other yellow) and figured I would try them out. At first I thought they would die because all the feeder fish I could find wanted to eat my frogfish (they are a bit on the lethargic side of the fish spectrum). I finally got them to eat baby guppies. Now they are doing well and actually look alive. Yes, a few times I almost flushed them because they looked dead.Is it easy to breed these fish, and, if so, what size of an aquarium would I need? They are currently in a 5-gallon tank and seem happy. Thank you. Peter Housh via email
“A
It’s always great to hear from our long-time readers! Assuming the frogfishes you purchased are antennariid species (members of the family Antennariidae), I hope you’re currently keeping them in salt water, as most members of this family are strictly marine and can’t really be converted to fresh water, despite the fact that your specimens species. One obstacle to captive breeding is that there’s no easy way to discern males from females by sight. Another is that frogfishes are not above cannibalism and will eat anyconspecifics that are small enough to fit in their capacious mouths—including potential mates. Keeping two specimens together in a 5-gallon tank is very likely asking for trouble down the road.
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Yet another challenge to the successful captive breeding of frogfishes is that their larvae have a prolonged planktonic stage and need special accommodations, and they must be fed extremely tiny live foods, both of which are very difficult to provide in captivity.
Q
Bubble-Tip Anemone Clouding Water
I was watching my reef tank this morning, when suddenly my bubble-tip anemone released a milky white substance that very quickly clouded the whole tank. Is this normal activity, and am I correct in assuming that the anemone was spawning? Does this substance pose a threat to my corals or fish? Oliver LaClair Corona, California
“A
Yes, what you observed was a natural reproductive event and not at all unusual for the bubble-tip anemone Entacmaea quadricolor. The material in the water is not directly harmful to fish or corals, but if not removed, it will begin to decompose and overwhelm your biofilter. I would recommend performing a substantial water
Saltwater change at this point to dilute it. Also, if your protein skimmer is dialed in just right, you should start to see a significant increase in foam production, which is a good sign because that means the stuff is getting pulled out of the system. Activated carbon us another useful tool for clearing up such cloudiness.
Q
Sun-Lit Reef Tank
Is it feasible to light a reef tank using only natural sunlight? I have a large picture window that allows in a pretty good amount of light, and I’m considering positioning a 75-gallon reef tank in front of it. Does this sound like a viable option for a hobbyist on a very tight budget? Richard Monks Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Remember, a tropical reef aquarium demands a predictable 10- to 12-hour photoperiod per day. The window in question may allow in a fair amount of sunlight, but that (along with the intensity of the lighting) is bound to change markedly as the sun’s position and the number of daylight hours change throughout the year. Also, the illumination would reach the invertebrates on one side only and from an oblique angle rather than from overhead as it does in nature. Not to mention, you’d have to compensate for the undesirable temperature swings that typically occur in the vicinity of a window during the of a day and throughout the year. Yet another potential drawback is that your viewing opportunities would necessarily be restricted to daylight hours, which, depending on your work schedule, could really limit your enjoyment of the tank.
“
“A
It can be feasible to utilize natural sunlight to illuminate a reef tank. For example, some hobbyists install a light chimney in their home (commonly in place of a skylight), which utilizes reflectors to capture sunlight and focus it down onto the aquarium. However, I wouldn’t recommend using a picture window to achieve this end. December 2011 Swish 5
Q
Cleaning Coral Skeletons
A friend just tore down her saltwater aquarium and gave me several intricate coral skeletons that she had used as decorations. I’d like to put them in my tank, but my friend wasn’t very good about tank maintenance, so they’re coated with algae. They’re going to need a thorough cleaning before I can put them in my tank. I’ve heard you can use bleach to clean coral skeletons. Would you recommend doing this? Are there any better options? Keith Alcala Pensacola, Florida
“A
Plain chlorine bleach can certainly be used to clean your coral skeletons. After brushing off any loose algae/debris, soak the skeletons in a bleach/freshwater mixture (with a ratio of approximately a half cup of bleach per gallon of fresh water) for a few hours and then soak/rinse them repeatedly and thoroughly with fresh water until no bleach odor is detectable. Treat your last batch of rinse water with a chemical dechlorinator to eliminate any residual chlorine. Another option—and one I’ve used many times to kill algae on ricks, aquarium ornaments, etc.—is to scrub away as much algae and debris as possible under running fresh water and then place the skeletons outside in a sunny location for a few days, rotating them occasionally. The sunlight exposure will bleach them very efficiently.
Photo credit: Hristo Hristov-Aquasaur
Photo credit: Hristo Hristov-Aquasaur
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QA &
Q
Aggression Avoided
How soon after shocking an aquarium can you be certain that all the fish in it will get along together? I just shocked my first freshwater community tank a week ago, and so far everyone seems to be playing together nicely. Can I safely assume my fish won’t fight at this point? Or what is a good time period to be able to judge their adjustment.
Photo credit: O. Seycek 2010
Bailey Meyers Madison, Wisconsin
“A
Well, without knowing which species you have in your community tank, I really can’t say whether you’re out of the woods yet or not. Oftentimes, aggression manifests itself immediately after fish are introduced to a tank or shortly thereafter once the specimens begin to stake out individual territories. But in other cases, a tank that is perfectly peaceful for months or even years can suddenly turn into a war zone. The latter situation can sometimes occur, for example, when a juvenile specimen of a particularly aggressive/territorial species reaches sexual maturity or when a male and female of a species pair up and attempt to drive all the other fish out of their breeding territory in anticipation of spawning or in defense of their eggs or fry. As with so many aspects of aquarium keeping, there simply is no hard-and-fast guideline for aggression that applies in every instance. Tour best bet for avoiding highly aggressive interactions among your livestock is to research the temperament, social structure, and reproductive behavior of each species you plan to introduce and to make sure all of the species you combine have a proven track record of compatibility.
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Q
Moony A Freshwater Fish?
One of my local fish stores, which sells both freshwater and marine fish, has a school of silver moonies on display. Finding these fish really attractive, I asked a young staffer if they need to be kept in a freshwater or saltwater tank. He replied that they’re found in freshwater, brackish, and marine water in the wild, so I could basically take my pick. That sounds highly questionable to me. Could you please set the record straight? I have a large freshwater setup and won’t buy them if they require salt water. Edwin Rybak Cleveland, Ohio
“A
There’s a kernel of truth in what the young staffer told you, but I would disagree with his conclusion. The silver moony Monodactylus argenteus (most likely the species you saw) does range through waters or varying salinities—from freshwater to brackish
Freshwater estuarine to fully marine environments. However, long-term success with this species seems to hinge on keeping it in fully marine are at least high-end brackish conditions. Specimens kept in fully fresh water don’t tend to fare as well. Apart from providing brackish to marine salinity, you need to have a pretty sizable tank if you want to keep the species, which can reach approximately 10 inches, must be kept in groups of at least five specimens, and demands a lot of open swimming space. I would recommend a tank capacity of at least 150 gallons for a group.
Q
Fire Eel Care
I recently bought a fire eel from my local fish store, and I have some questions about it that I hope you can answer for me. One, how big a tank does this fish need? Two, what does it eat? I can’t seem to get mine interested in anything. Three, is it normal for the fish to just hide in a corner? David Clutter Akron, Ohio
Photo credit: Hristo Hristov-Aquasaur
“A
I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that you should always research aquarium livestock before making a purchase. That said, let’s take your questions in order. The fire eel, probably Mastacembelus erythrotaenia, has the potential to reach about 40 inches in length, so you can expect your specimen to outgrow your current system in time. A 55-gallon tank would be the absolute minimum housing for this species, if it is kept alone. M. erythrotaenia feeds primarily on small invertebrates (worms, insect larvae, etc.) in nature. Oftentimes, live foods, such as blackworms, small earthworms, brine shrimp, etc., are needed to get this species eating in captivity. In time, it can be weaned onto non-living foods. And, it’s helpful, at least initially to feed this nocturnal predator after lights out. With respect to its hiding in the corner, that’s not unusual, but it indicates an improper setup. M. erythrotaenia requires lots of caves and crevices for hiding during the day as well as a fine-grained substrate for burrowing.
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Fish
Month
of the
Mikrogeophagus altispinosus
(Haseman 1911) (Perciformes, Cichlidae, Geophaginae)
Common Names:
Altispinosus, Bolibian ram, hifin ram. (Note than hifin morphs of M. ramirezi are also called hifin rams.) In the same way that all Pelvicachromis species are often called “kribs” (a name based on an earlier name for the orginal species in the hobby, P. pulcher), both Mikrogeophagus species are called “rams” (a name based on the specific name of the original species in the hobby, M. ramirezi)
Type Locality:
Rio Mamore, below mouth of Rio Guapore, San Joaquin, Bolivia
Range:
South America: Amazon River Basin, in the Guapore River drainage in Brazil and Bolivia, and in the Mamore River drainage in Bolivia
Taxonomic Troubles:
Originally described as Crenicara altispinosa. You may also see it referred to as Papiliochromis altispinosus or misspelled as Microgeophagus altispinosus. The genus was erected fro the two ram species, separating them from the genus Apistogramma.
Size:
8 cm (3 inches)
Preferred Water Chemistry:
Tropical freshwater. Fairly adaptable to various hardness and pH values. Does not require the very warm, soft, acidic water needed by M. ramirezi; normal tropical aquarium parameters are fine. 12 Swish December 2011
Difficulty:
A fairly hardy aquarium species, much more suitable for a typical community tank than the “other ram,” the more well known M. ramirezi. Like its congener, the Bolivian ram requires high water quality, however, and good filtration with frequent water changes will keep dissolved wastes to a minimum. The Bolivian ram is peaceful except when breeding, and even then it is not a tyrant.
Tank Setup:
A planted tank with caves, driftwood, or artificial highways is perfect. Tankmates should be peaceful and large enough not to be seen as food. Spawning typically takes place on a flat rock or other substrate.
Feeding:
A sandsifting omnivore. Will take almost any aquarium food. Live foods are a special treat and excellent for conditioning breeders.
Photo credit: Jonathan Young
Description:
Less intense than but similar in color to N. ramirezi, it has a pleasing pattern of gold belly on an iridescent bluish body with red highlights on the fins, a thin dark bar down the face through the eye, and a dark splotch in the middle of the body.
Breeding:
Not difficult to breed. It is best to allow pairs to develop within a group of juveniles. Like many other rainforest dwarf cichlids, this fish can often raise a brood in a community aquarium without excessive loss of fry any without the parents battering their tankmates. A dedicated breeding aquarium of 20 gallons or so is, of course, optimum for maximum yield. Free-swimming fry are able to take baby brine shrimp immediately.
Notes:
This is an underappreciated species in the aquarium hobby. Its smaller congener is much better known and more widely available, which is unfortunate, since the Bolivian ram is not as finicky when it comes to temperature and water chemistry. It is definitely worth looking for this species if you want a colorful, peaceful dwarf cichlid for a planted community. Or, if you have had trouble maintaining rams and would like something similar that is not as demanding, the Bolivian ram may be just the thing for you! December 2011 Swish 13
Modern Aquariums The Silverfish Aquarium is a complete tropical aquarium system. This aquarium is like a mansion with a lot of rooms but for fishes. The Silverfish Aquarium is hand-made aquarium made by Octopus Studios a company based on the Cote d’Azur, France. Particular consideration towards the long-term use of the Silverfish Aquarium was undertaken during the design and development of this product. The result of this is that the maintenance necessary to keep the Silverfish Aquarium is no greater than that of a regular aquarium. In fact, due to the extremely high quality filters used, along with an innovative filter combination, maintenance effort can be slightly lower than with a standard rectangular design.
Top-Left: Photo credit: AquaFront Ltd. Bottom-Left: Photo credit: BCXSY Bottom-Right: Photo credit: Opulent Items Inc.
The repetitive geometrical shape of Infinity Aquarium designed and produced by BCXSY creates a visual metaphor to life in the fish bowl. Hand crafted from cut glass, Infinity Aquarium scales down a vast concept of time and space. Material: Hand-crafted glass plate aquarium. BCXSY has done something I’ve always dreamed of doing, they’ve created what may be the first multi-faceted aquarium. The angular form creates a mirror effect, generating a real cubist image. The angles remind us greatly of one our favorite artists DAIM. 14 Swish December 2011
Many people enjoy keeping an aquarium. There is something calming about watching tropical fish swimming and the tank is a great focal piece. Intalbrass’ Moody Aquarium Sink will liven up boring routines like washing hands and brushing teeth. It is really a functional aquarium. The tank is watertight and sits on a chrome finish brass stand with an integrated towel rail in the front. Access for feeding and tank maintenance is through the two soap dishes on either side of the sink. Water circulation, oxygenation and filtration are all delivered by the powerhead provided.
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PADI Scuba Diving in the Philippines
With 7107 islands (covering a land area of 299,746 square kilometres/115,739 square miles) and a coastline twice the length of the United States, the Philippines can legitimately be called Asia's beach capital. With a tropical climate, warm water, long and white sandy beaches, nearly 40,000 square kilometres/15,444 square miles of coral reefs, mind-blowingly beautiful flora and fauna, (including many endemic species) - the area is truly a diver's paradise. Home to 77 million people, the Philippines is the third largest English speaking country in the world and has a rich history with an Asian, European and American influence. Filipinos warmly embrace visitors and are generally very friendly and relaxed. You'll often hear the cheerful salutation “Mabuhay” meaning welcome. The country has three main island groups – Luzon in the north, Visayas in the middle and Mindanao - the largest island - in the south. The national capital of Manila is on Luzon Island.
The Philippines offers a full range of diving for divers of all experience levels. Shore diving on the home reef - one located in front of beach resorts - is popular, but divers can also hop on a day boat or liveaboard to access the sheer reef walls and atolls offshore.
Highlight Locations PUERTO GALERA - Known as the Pearl of Mindoro, Puerto Galera is approximately 160 kilometres/99 miles from Manila on Mindoro Island and offers at least forty
prime dive sites. Mindoro Island is separated from Luzon by the Verde Island Passage, which is flushed by the current from the South China Sea. The resulting strong current (up to six knots) makes this a prime drift dive. The marine life here is spectacular. And all just a dive away. Drift dive along the breathtaking walls, flirt with swim-through or just marvel at the schools of snapper, emperors, eagle rays, barracudas, turtles, tuna and the occasional shark. The most famous dive site is The Canyons, but with depths ranging from 5-40 metres/16-130 Photo credit: Papua New Guinea Department of Tourism
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feet, at Puerto Galera there is something for every diver - from novice to advanced. BORACAY - With 4.0 kilometres/2.5 miles of sugary white sand beaches and azure waters, Borcay Island is touted as having some of the finest beaches in the world. Because it is generally calm and offers easy access to most dive sites, Borcay is ideal for novice divers. If you have the experience and are looking for thrills, Yapak is your dive site. At Yapak, the top of the wall starts at 30 metres/98 feet then plunges straight down. Prepare for surprises because you never know what you'll see. Patrolling whitetip and grey reef sharks, schools of tuna, manta rays and eagle rays have all been known to make an appearance. This is all in addition to a vibrant wall encrusted with corals of every description. DUMAGUETE - Dumaguete, on Negros Island, with its spectacular variety of dive sites, is making waves among divers is the know. Divers will find awesome walls, stunning coral gardens and prolific fish life - much of which is accessible from the beach. Just 30 minutes from Dumaguete is Apo Island, popular with divers for its vibrant marine life. Experienced divers know Dumaguete for muck diving where you can discover unusual and juvenile creatures like tiny transparent shrimps, neon nudibranchs and huge basket sponges adorned with hundreds of colorful crinoids. Divers wanting to see it all here are in luck because some dive centers offer island hopper cruises to allow multiple dives on different islands.
Photo credit: Phoby - Scuba Diving Adventure
SUBIC BAY - Subic Bay, off of Luzon Island, was once the largest United States Naval facility in the Philippines. Today it offers a wide variety of wartime wrecks and easy reef dives - many of which lie less than 50 metres/165 feet from dive centers and boast a variety of sharks, dolphins, and turtles. The USS New York is the most famous wreck in the area. With its intact cannons and prolific barracuda, lionfish, spotted sweetlips, grouper, lobster and spotted rays, this advanced wreck dive is perfect for underwater photography. Diving in Subic Bay ranges from 5 - 40 metres/ 16 - 130 feet deep.
Depth: 5 -40 metres/16 feet - 130 Visibility: 5 - 45 metres/16 - 148 feet with strong seasonal and local variability. Currents: Mostly mild, but some current is always present due to the tidal flow between the islands. In some areas, currents can be very strong. Water Temperature: 23 - 30°Celsius/73 - 86° Fahrenheit depending on the season. Air temperature: average 25-32°C/78-90°F with a 77 percent mean humidity. Dive Season: You can dive year-round in the Philippines but the dry season from November to June brings the warmest water and the best visibility.
MALAPASCUA - Malapascua Island is fast becoming a diver’s hotspot known for thresher sharks, whitetip sharks, manta rays and devil rays. From December to February, hammerhead sharks are also known to pass by. Monad Shoal, is known as a thresher shark viewing spot, but with batfish, flutemouth, barracuda, tuna, mantis shrimp, pipefish, scorpionfish, lionfish, moorish idols, schooling bannerfish, unicornfish, squid, octopus and various moray eels, it's a great dive even without the toothy critters. Diving is from 5 - 35 metres/16 - 115 feet, there is something for every diver - from beginner to advanced. Article Courtesy of PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors)
Weather: There are three distinct seasons in the Philippines: December-March is the northeast monsoon (called Amihan). There are strong winds during this time. April-June are the summer months with dry and warm days with little wind July-November is the southwest monsoon (called Habagat). It is wet and rainy but the water is warm. Access: With relatively few shore dive sites, boat diving is the norm in the Philippines. Most dive sites are within an hour of the dive shops although a number of multiday and liveaboard trips are also on offer. Skill Level: With conservative depths, warm, clear water and good visibility, diving in the Philippines is suited to divers of all skill levels.
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Choosing
Clownfish & Anemone for Your Aquarium
Article by Scott W. Michael Photo Credits: Eunice Messersmith
Anemonefishes (aka clownfishes) have long been the darlings of the marine aquarium hobby. Not only are most of them attractive in color, but their amazing partnership with the "flowers of the sea" - the sea anemones - makes them fascinating additions to one's captive ocean.
S
ea anemones (phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa) are unusual animals with a simple body plan. They consist of a base (which is attached to the substrate), a column While most and a disc. The disc is where the anemonefishes are mouth and tentacles are located. well-suited to life in the The tentacles are armed with marine aquarium (especially stinging cells that are used to fend captive-raised individuals, off most predators and also to which are now readily capture small prey. Not all sea available), their invertebrate anemones available to hosts are not always that anemonefishes are adopted by easy to maintain over them as hosts. To date, 10 different the long haul. species from five different genera have been found harboring anemonefishes in nature. The hosting anemones are relatively large species (from 8 to 39 inches in diameter), but their shape and tentacle structure can differ considerably. Some have long tentacles (e.g., Heteractis spp.), while others have short, stubby tentacles (e.g., Stichodactyla spp.). The color of these anemones can vary between and even within a species. For example, the magnificent sea anemone (Heteractis magnifica) can have a brown, green, pink, orange or even scarlet-red base. Anemonefishes that inhabit sea anemones are all residents of coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific, and all inhabit relatively shallow water. The reason they are most common at lesser depths is because these 20 Swish December 2011
anemones host zooxanthellae (dinoflagellate algae) in their tissues. These algae species require the intense rays of the sun to photosynthesize, the byproducts of which provide nutrients for their sea anemone host. The result is that these sea anemones are limited to clear, shallow, sunlit waters where their symbiotic algae partners can thrive. In my experience, the two keys to successful anemone care are strong lighting and adequate water movement. If you are serious about keeping clownfish-hosting sea anemones, purchase the best lighting system you can afford metal (e.g., metal halide, high output or very high output fluorescent lighting systems). Anemones also need strong water movement, which serves to oxygenate their tissues and wash away waste products. When providing water flow for your cnidarians, make sure that the intake of the water pump has a strainer or sponge barrier to prevent the anemone from getting into the pump's impeller. It is not uncommon for an anemone to insert its tentacles or base into the intake opening of a water pump; the impeller will lacerate the tentacles, which will kill the anemone. The propeller-type pumps are great for producing a more gentle flow. Those sea anemones that tend to wander a lot are also prone to migrating over overflow boxes. This can plug up the overflow and cause flooding problems. Another thing to remember when keeping anemones is that not all species come from the same habitat. Some prefer to attach to hard substrates, while others plunge their bases into soft sediments. (You will find notes in the species accounts in this article regarding the various species' microhabitat preferences. Make sure you meet these microhabitat preferences in your aquarium. Not all aquarists feed their sea anemones, relying instead on the "solarpowered" algae in the anemone's tissues to provide needed nutrients. Yet supplemental feeding of your sea anemone is a good idea. They will eat finely chopped seafood (shrimp, clam, marine fish flesh) and mysid shrimp. Simply place the food among the tentacles once or twice a week. Some species may also prey on their fish neighbors.
Photo Credits: Eunice Messersmith
December 2011 Swish 21
For example, members of the genus Stichodactyla can be dangerous to tankmates, catching and consuming careless or startled fish. This often occurs at night when the lights go off and the fish are moving about the aquarium trying to find refuge. It is important that an anemone is not harmed when it is removed from a holding tank (especially species that attach to hard substrate). If the base is ripped during the removal process, it can open a site for bacterial infections and cause death. One way to remove the sea anemone from the rockwork (or the aquarium glass) is to use the edge of a credit card (this should be done carefully). Some aquarists suggest placing an ice cube against the base, which is said to eventually cause the anemone to release its grip (I have never tried this). If the anemone is attached to a small piece of rock, I recommend taking the rock along with the anemone. Photo Credit: Eunice Messersmith Photo Credit(R): Eunice Messersmith
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News:
Numbers Rise Off Florida
FSU biologists fish for reasons behind the comeback of the endangered Epinephelus itajara By David Alderton
n the waters along Florida's east and west coasts, Florida State University marine biologists are collecting new data on the once severely overfished Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara), a native species that is making a comeback in the southeastern United States after a 21-year moratorium on its capture, while remaining critically endangered everywhere else in the world. The three-year study will determine what specific conditions and fishy behaviors are supporting the goliath grouper's population recovery in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico around the Sunshine State. Findings from the research could help to answer whether there is a sustainable fishing level for this species or are there better economic uses of this marine resource? The answers will be crucial to the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. They set policy on the management and conservation of the slow-moving giants, some of which grow to lengths of 9 feet and attain weights of 400 to 800 pounds.
New Study Techniques
Meanwhile, the new study will be unique in two key ways. "First, while in the past scientists had to sacrifice the fish to gather age, reproductive and predatory information, at FSU we've developed a non-destructive means of obtaining the data that spares its life," explained Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory scientist Christopher C. Koenig, who will lead the project with colleagues at the University of South Florida and the University of Florida. "Second, these new, non-lethal data-gathering methods allow us to actively engage commercial and recreational fishermen in the scientific process," Koenig said. "We will train the fisherman to obtain scientific samples, and to tag and release the fish." Among other revealing things, those samples will help Koenig and his colleagues assess the ages of individual Atlantic goliath grouper, which can live for up to 50 years. Learning the average age of the fish in the region should make more clear just how reproductively successful the species has been in the aftermath of the extreme overfishing that occurred in Florida coastal areas during the 1980s, triggering the fishing moratorium on goliath groupers that has been in effect since 1990. The scientists also will investigate predatory behaviors and migration patterns that could be contributing to population recovery. What they learn may guide future conservation and fishery management decisions on a wide range of specific issues. "For example," said Koenig, "a recreational catch-andrelease enterprise, the scope and impact of which are currently unknown, has developed despite the moratorium on goliath grouper harvest. There also is considerable recreational
24 Swish December 2011
interest in harvesting for science and in allowing restricted recreational harvest on a regular basis. "Another relatively unstudied group with an economic stake in this species is the diving community," he said. "Interest in underwater viewing of unexploited marine populations, especially including large animals such as goliath grouper, is on the rise." With competing interests to either reopen the goliath grouper fishery at some level or declare the species endangered, Koenig acknowledges "the management arena has become politically charged and begs for better scientific knowledge." http://www.fishchannel.com
"While we'd like to be optimistic about its recovery, the reality is that the goliath grouper is exceptionally vulnerable to fishing pressure," Coleman said. "These fish also are vulnerable to habitat loss, which in the South Florida ecosystem has been altered to such a high degree over the last 100 years that suitable mangrove nursery habitat in all probability presents a serious bottleneck to the production of this species."
Photo Credit (R): NOAA/FKNMS Photo Credit: NOAA/FKNMS
Events
& Aquarium Shows Calendar
http://www.fishchannel.com
December 2011 Reef-a-Palooza
When: Dec. 2-4, 2011 Where: The Orange County Fair and Exposition Center Building 18 88 Fair Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626 More info at: Greg.Carroll@SCMAS.org
January 2012 The GuppyCon Aquarium Convention
When: January 6-8, 2012 Where: Holiday Inn Boston-Somerville Hotel 30 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143 What: Aquarium convention
Potomic Valley Aquarium Society Speaker When: January 14, 2012 Where: Green Acres School 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA What: Bob Bock — "Native Killifish"
Potomic Valley Aquarium Society
When: December 17, 2011 Where: Green Acres School 4401 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA What: Fall all-day auction
Federation of Texas Aquarium Societies (FOTA)
When: December 31, 2011 Where: Airport Doubletree Hotel, San Antonio TX What: FOTAS CARES will highlight work with various Texas school systems showing their commitment to raising and propagating endangered fish species. More info at: http://www.hillcountrycichlidclu b.com/fotascares/ 26 Swish December 2011
North Jersey Aquarium Society
When: January 21-22, 2012 Where: Quality Inn 10 Polito Avenue Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 What: Vendor Expo, Tropical Fish Show, Huge Auction
New England Fancy Guppy Association
When: January 27-29, 2012 Where: Check ifga.org website. What: IFGA Sanctioned Guppy Show and Auction More information available at ifga.org
Reader’s Poll Of the species listed, what marine fish do you consider the most beautiful in the hobby?
Sergeant major Clownfish Mandarin dragonet Royal gramma Queen angelfish Milletseed butterflyfish
Previous Poll Results What fish aliment has affected your fish in the last year? Popeye
2.96%
Finrot Saltwater ich
8.60% 8.60%
Fungus
9.95%
Freshwater ich
21.77%
None of the above. My tanks have been disease free
Photo Credit: Hristo Histov
48.12%
http://www.fishchannel.com/fish-community/polls
December 2011 Swish 27
Photo credit: Hristo Hristov
Photo credit: Hristo Hristov
Modern Aquarium Designs