Harlequinmania

Click through to see the images. The Philippine Department of Tourism is actively inviting top underwater photographers and dive tour operators from around the world to their reefs. The initiative's goal is to promote the Philippines as the preeminent diving/underwater photography location in the world. According to Philippine's Tourism Secretary, Alberto Lim: "It’s still a small market but it’s growing. We have only a few number of photographers yet; We're still working on it. We’re trying to promote a very specialized type of diving and we’re starting now. We will make people realize that we have the best dive sites in the world." As governments realize the monetary value of conserving their natural habitats, eco-tourism has gained a lot of traction over the years. Eco-tourism brings in significant revenue while educating travelers and funding ecological conservation. Here are highlights of the biodiversity found in The Coral Triangle, according to wikipedia: Reef building corals The Coral Triangle comprises the highest coral diversity in the world: 76% (605) of the world’s coral species (798).The highest coral diversity is found in the waters of the Bird's Head Peninsula of Indonesian Papua, which hosts 574 species (95% of the Coral Triangle's total, and 72% of the world’s). Within the Bird’s Head Peninsula, Raja Ampat is the world’s coral diversity bull’s eye, with 553 species.The Coral Triangle has 15 regionally endemic coral species, and shares 41 regionally endemic species with Asia. Regional centers of endemism in the Coral Triangle include the Sulu Sea and North Lesser Sunda Islands/Savu Sea in Indonesia, and Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea.Coral Reef fishes The Coral Triangle has the highest diversity of coral reef fishes in the world: 37% (2,228) of the world’s coral reef fish species (6,000), and 56% of the coral reef fishes in the Indo-Pacific region (4,050).8% (235 species) of the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle are endemic or locally restricted species. Within the Coral Triangle, four areas have particularly high levels of endemism (Lesser Sunda Islands, Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands, Bird’s Head Peninsula, and Central Philippines). source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/may06/busi8.html View the full article

Click through to see the images. The Philippine Department of Tourism is actively inviting top underwater photographers and dive tour operators from around the world to their reefs. The initiative's goal is to promote the Philippines as the preeminent diving/underwater photography location in the world. According to Philippine's Tourism Secretary, Alberto Lim: "It’s still a small market but it’s growing. We have only a few number of photographers yet; We're still working on it. We’re trying to promote a very specialized type of diving and we’re starting now. We will make people realize that we have the best dive sites in the world." As governments realize the monetary value of conserving their natural habitats, eco-tourism has gained a lot of traction over the years. Eco-tourism brings in significant revenue while educating travelers and funding ecological conservation. Here are highlights of the biodiversity found in The Coral Triangle, according to wikipedia: Reef building corals The Coral Triangle comprises the highest coral diversity in the world: 76% (605) of the world’s coral species (798).The highest coral diversity is found in the waters of the Bird's Head Peninsula of Indonesian Papua, which hosts 574 species (95% of the Coral Triangle's total, and 72% of the world’s). Within the Bird’s Head Peninsula, Raja Ampat is the world’s coral diversity bull’s eye, with 553 species.The Coral Triangle has 15 regionally endemic coral species, and shares 41 regionally endemic species with Asia. Regional centers of endemism in the Coral Triangle include the Sulu Sea and North Lesser Sunda Islands/Savu Sea in Indonesia, and Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea.Coral Reef fishes The Coral Triangle has the highest diversity of coral reef fishes in the world: 37% (2,228) of the world’s coral reef fish species (6,000), and 56% of the coral reef fishes in the Indo-Pacific region (4,050).8% (235 species) of the coral reef fishes in the Coral Triangle are endemic or locally restricted species. Within the Coral Triangle, four areas have particularly high levels of endemism (Lesser Sunda Islands, Papua New Guinea – Solomon Islands, Bird’s Head Peninsula, and Central Philippines). source: http://www.malaya.com.ph/may06/busi8.html View the full article

Click through to see the images. (1920x1200 pixels) Click the download button to view the wallpaper. Right-click the wallpaper and "set as desktop background" or save the file on your computer. photo by James Wiseman PREVIEW View the full article

Click through to see the images. Phishy Business writes: We have an opportunity to bring in a very rare fish IF someone is interested enough to preorder it. This is the first time I've ever heard of a Japanese Bigeye, Pristigenys niphonia, being available to the hobby, as they are typically found in waters no less than 250 feet deep. Frankly, this is not a cheap fish, and is likely of interest to hardcore collectors. $899. If interested, please email orders@phishybusiness.com and we will work out the details. Potential buyers should know this species gets to about a 25cm (10 inches) - although they are fairly stationary and thus do not require lots of swimming space - and requires dimly lit environment. This fish would make a stunning addition for anyone with a deep pocket. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Phishy Business writes: We have an opportunity to bring in a very rare fish IF someone is interested enough to preorder it. This is the first time I've ever heard of a Japanese Bigeye, Pristigenys niphonia, being available to the hobby, as they are typically found in waters no less than 250 feet deep. Frankly, this is not a cheap fish, and is likely of interest to hardcore collectors. $899. If interested, please email orders@phishybusiness.com and we will work out the details. Potential buyers should know this species gets to about a 25cm (10 inches) and is likely territorial like other Bigeyes. This fish would make a stunning addition to an "aggressive" FOWLR tank for anyone with a deep pocket. View the full article

From a bucket of seawater, scientists have unlocked information that may lead to deeper understanding of organisms as different as coral reefs and human disease. By analyzing genomes of a tiny, single-celled marine animal, they have demonstrated a possible way to address diverse questions such as how diseased cells differ from neighboring healthy cells and what it is about some Antarctic algae that allows them to live in warming waters while other algae die out. View the full article

From a bucket of seawater, scientists have unlocked information that may lead to deeper understanding of organisms as different as coral reefs and human disease. By analyzing genomes of a tiny, single-celled marine animal, they have demonstrated a possible way to address diverse questions such as how diseased cells differ from neighboring healthy cells and what it is about some Antarctic algae that allows them to live in warming waters while other algae die out. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Head and lateral line erosion (HLLE) is a disease in fish that can severely affect certain species of both freshwater and marine fish. The disease starts out as tiny holes or pits around the fish's eyes and progresses down along the fish's lateral line. In extreme cases it can progress onto certain fins. The particular disease is known to affect at least 20 marine species. In an upcoming article in Coral Magazine, Jay Hemdal reports on work focused on this area. This particular study was funded by the Toledo Zoo Foundation and the Toledo Zoological Society and it will be formally published in the North American Journal of Aquaculture shortly. The Study Past work has indicated that granular activated carbon might be a potential source of head and lateral line erosion in aquarium fish and the staff at the Toledo Zoo observed a similar trend in incidence of head and lateral line erosion in their fish population when using activated carbon. To investigate this potential source, Jay and others setup three 120 gallon systems with 35 Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bihianus) evenly distributed between each system. Variables such as light, voltage, air supply, filtration, diet, maintenance, water quality, acclimation, and collection technique were all rigorously controlled throughout the study. The first system had a 500 gram mesh bag of unwashed lignite carbon added to the sump. The second system had 500 grams of pelletized carbon added. The third system was used as a control. During their monitoring, the fish in the first system (unwashed lignin carbon) started exhibiting HLLE after 20 days and after four months all fish were exibiting HLLE. The fish in the second system (pelletized carbon) did not show outward signs of HLLE. However upon microscopic examination, legions were found. Fish in the third system (control) showed no signs of HLLE. A post-HLLE diet study was conducted on the fish and it was found that the fish with the most severe HLLE exhibited long-term health effects (lower body weight). Jay's report is an important paper to read for anyone that is interested in HLLE expression in aquarium fish and the report also publishes a table of the fish species that are most commonly affected by HLLE. If you are using activated carbon in your systems, you owe it to yourself and your fish to read this article. (via Coral Magazine) View the full article

Click through to see the images. The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. This Mother's Day, they are asking people to adopt a coral reef as a gift to their mothers. Coral reefs are home to some of the greatest biodiversity of life on the planet; Science is continually discovering chemicals found only in coral reefs that hold promising medical potential - medicines that can someday save mothers from diseases such as breast cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, asthma, and arthritis. The Nature Conservancy is currently offering Adopt A Coral Reef in the Bahamas or Palau. Your adoption will fund preservation and restoration projects at these coral reefs. You can adopt an acre for $50, or half an acre for $25. To adopt a coral reef or to learn more, visit The Nature Conservancy's Adopt A Coral Reef website. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Hobbyists have been waiting anxiously to recieve the Nano version of the ever-popular Aqua Illumination Sol LED fixture ever since it was debuted at MACNA Orlando last fall. This sleek LED fixture is designed with a "touch control" panel, allowing the user to individually dim the intensity of the Cree® LEDs. Additionally, the picture displayed above show an updated sleek white housing covering the aluminum heatsink and fan. The Sol Nano LED Fixtures are scheduled to hit retail store shelves very soon. When they do, you can look forward to a hands-on product review from yours truly. View the full article

Click through to see the images. The folks over at Deep Blue Aquarium Professional are quickly becoming a mainstream supplier of aquarium-related products, and they seem to follow the popular trends when it comes to aquarium styles and dimensions. Deep Blue is introducing a new line of mass-produced shallow aquariums, popular among both stores and hobbyists alike. These aquariums can be used either as frag tanks for coral propagation or as a shallow display like The Basin Tank Reef Aquarium of Kyle Verry. The new aquarium sizes include a 60 Gallon (48x24x12'') and an 80 Gallon (48x24x18''), available in both standard and reef-ready models. To the nano crowd: don't worry; they didn't forget about you. Deep Blue Aquarium Professionals are also releasing a 30 Gallon "Rimless Mini Frag" aquarium with the dimensions of 24x24x12''. These new Deep Blue Aquarium Professional aquariums should be hitting your local fish store very shortly. We look forward to seeing what our readers will create with them! View the full article

Click through to see the images. Contrary to other findings and general assumptions, Montastraea faveolata colonies appear tolerant to climate change thus far. Helmle, Dodge, Swart, Gledhill, and Eakin took core samples from M.faveolata colonies and analyzed them for annual extension, density and calcification rates. Montastraea faveolata are massive-type corals like Closed Brain Corals. Helmle writes: "Massive reef-building corals are not as susceptible to declines in Ωarag [aragonite saturation state] as demonstrated by laboratory experiments; local processes, such as high seasonal variation in Ωarag in the Florida Keys, may be temporarily enabling these corals to maintain their historical rates of calcification; the role of Ωarag in controlling calcification is masked amidst considerable natural inter-annual variability; or the actual in situ reef-site carbonate chemistry is decoupled from the oceanic values, which could occur as a result of shifts in benthic community metabolism, mineral buffering and/or coastal biogeochemical processes." It's good to know some corals (albeit naturally slower-growing types) have demonstrated tolerance to climate change. Unfortunately, the same resiliency is not exhibited by the fast reef-building corals such as Acropora, Pocillopora, and Porites. Reference Helmle, K.P., Dodge, R.E., Swart, P.K., Gledhill, D.K. and Eakin, C.M. 2011. Growth rates of Florida corals from 1937 to 1996 and their response to climate change. Nature Communications 2: 10.1038/ncomms1222. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Contrary to other findings and general assumptions, Montastraea faveolata colonies appear tolerant to climate change thus far. Helmle, Dodge, Swart, Gledhill, and Eakin took core samples from M.faveolata colonies and analyzed them for annual extension, density and calcification rates. Montastraea faveolata are massive-type corals like Closed Brain Corals. Helmle writes: "Massive reef-building corals are not as susceptible to declines in Ωarag [aragonite saturation state] as demonstrated by laboratory experiments; local processes, such as high seasonal variation in Ωarag in the Florida Keys, may be temporarily enabling these corals to maintain their historical rates of calcification; the role of Ωarag in controlling calcification is masked amidst considerable natural inter-annual variability; or the actual in situ reef-site carbonate chemistry is decoupled from the oceanic values, which could occur as a result of shifts in benthic community metabolism, mineral buffering and/or coastal biogeochemical processes." It's good to know some corals (albeit naturally slower-growing types) have demonstrated tolerance to climate change. Unfortunately, the same resiliency is not exhibited by the fast reef-building corals such as Acropora, Pocillopora, and Porites. Reference Helmle, K.P., Dodge, R.E., Swart, P.K., Gledhill, D.K. and Eakin, C.M. 2011. Growth rates of Florida corals from 1937 to 1996 and their response to climate change. Nature Communications 2: 10.1038/ncomms1222. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Fisheries waste is a big deal as so much waste is produced on an annual basis that much of it ends up getting dumped into the ocean in order to deal with the growing mountain of "yuck." Companies end up paying big fines for their dumping of this waste as well as the ocean just can't handle this huge influx of organic waste. One scientist, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) assistant professor Andy Soria, believes he has found a way to make a dent in the problem: create energy from the waste stream by turning the fish guts into a fuel source. Dr. Soria has a Ph.D. in Wood Science and his current focus is on turning low value biomass into fuel sources. Lately he has been experimenting with pelletizing a slurry of fish waste with wood and wood waste from the forest industry and then placing them in a gasifier which would then produce something equivalent to natural gas. It's an interesting concept, but one major concern I had when I read about this was that the pellets would stink of rotting fish. Apparently this isn't the case as they smell like a fresh fishy river and not rotting fish like one would suspect. Based on his research, he has found that these wood pellets can accomidate up to 25% fish waste (head, tails, guts) and still make a viable fuel source in a gasification process. He believes his process could utilize up to 20,000 metric tons of fish waste annually which would reduce the total amount of fish waste disposal by 20%. “This is the first piece,” he said. “This project proves fish waste can make energy.” (via SitNews.us, University of Alaska Fairbanks) View the full article

Scars on the jaw of a 120-million-year-old marine reptile suggest that life might not have been easy in the ancient polar oceans. The healed bite wounds were probably made by a member of the same species. Such injuries give important clues about the social behavior of extinct sea creatures from the time of dinosaurs. View the full article

Scars on the jaw of a 120-million-year-old marine reptile suggest that life might not have been easy in the ancient polar oceans. The healed bite wounds were probably made by a member of the same species. Such injuries give important clues about the social behavior of extinct sea creatures from the time of dinosaurs. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Approximately 10 years ago, bodies of giant squid were found off the north coast of Spain. Interestingly, the remains appeared shortly after ships in the area had used their air guns to generate low frequency sonic blasts for oil and gas prospecting and other maritime exercises. When the bodies of the squid were examined, the scientists found that their "mantles [were] reduced to pulp, [there were] bruised muscles, and lesions in statocysts" (statocysts are an organ used by squid and other aquatic creatures for balance). For quite a while, scientists suspected that loud sonic pulses could have produced the damage they saw in the recovered bodies and recently a study was published that many believe put this issue to rest and prove that loud sonic blasts are the culprit The Experiment As reported in NatGeo, scientists obtained a number of cephalopods - squid, octopi, and cuttlefish - and subjected them to loud (157-175 db), low frequency sound blasts (50-400 Hz) for two hours. After the time limit was up, the cephalopods were either killed immediately or allowed to live for an additional 4 days before being killed. The Results Autopsies of the bodies indicated damage to the statocyst - specifically the tiny hairs in the statocyst which help the cephalopods balance. The damage to these hairs essentially crippled the animals swimming ability. The animals that were left for four days before being killed showed additional damage to their statocyst - legions that are indicative of acute noise exposure over longer periods of time. The article concludes: At the time of the giant squid deaths, "we hypothesized that the giant squid died in one of two ways: either by direct impact from the sound waves or by having their statocysts practically destroyed and [the squid] becoming disoriented," Guerra explained. "The disoriented animals might wander up from the depths to the surface, where the temperature difference kills them." Though the new research presents enough evidence to "raise the alarm," more studies are necessary before a solid case can be made that human-caused noise pollution is causing pervasive damage to marine life." (via NatGeo) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Free to Attend! Free Door Bags stuffed with goodies! Raffle Prizes all day! Speakers and DIY Demos on hot topics in the hobby! Top Business and Hobbyist Sellers from all over the carolinas and beyond! View the full article

Click through to see the images. There will be: Presentation by Paul Whitby Amazing raffle prizes awarded all day! Exotic Corals and Fish! Latest Aquarium Products! Vendors and Hobbyist Traders! Come join our family of marine aquarium enthusiasts. View the full article

Click through to see the images. The goal of this change is to ultimately reduce pollution of the world's oceans with trash and it "could save more than 1 million plastic bags from being used." Instead of plastic bags they "will offer customers paper and reusable sacks" for their usage. As mentioned above, this change coincides with the debut of their new Turtle Reef attraction and is meant as an added emphasis on keeping trash and plastics out of the world's oceans as plastic bags are problematic for ocean turtles as they sometimes mistake them for their favorite food source -- jellyfish. “I think it’s important that our guests can learn that they too can play a role in keeping trash and pollution out of the sea turtles’ ocean environment,” said Thad Dirksen, SeaWorld’s curator of fishes. I personally applaud their efforts to increase the public awareness of this problem. (via SignOn San Diego) View the full article

Click through to see the images. As reef enthusiasts may know, sponges are generally benign; The majority also do not compete for the same space as photosynthetic corals. However, some species - known as excavating sponges - can erode aragonite matrices, causing actual damage to corals and the reef structure itself. Manuel González-Rivero, Laith Yakob and Peter Mumby developed a mathematical model to describe the competition between corals, seaweed, and sponges. The model takes into account rates of growth, coral erosion, grazing of sponges and seaweed by fish, nutrient levels, physical interaction of the three groups, and habitat disturbance. What they discovered was that given certain conditions (e.g. high nutrients, low algae competition, low sponge grazing by fishes), sponges can indeed out-compete and overtake corals as the dominant life form. Should sponges dominate corals at the ecosystem level, recovery is unlikely. The equilibrium between corals and algae still play the dominant role, but this study hopes to show the importance of factoring sponges into ecological models for reef ecosystems. via http://planetearth.nerc.ac.uk/news/story.aspx?id=972 View the full article

Most of us wouldn't consider slow-moving snails to be high-metabolism creatures. But at one point in the distant past, snail metabolism sped up, according to a new study of marine snails. View the full article

An international team of scientists report on the first observatory experiment to study the microbial life of an ever-changing environment inside Earth's crust. View the full article

Click through to see the images. The Family Pomacentridae contains over 300 species altogether, some of which are without a doubt the most common fishes in the marine aquarium hobby. Almost all of them are marine, primarily being found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but there are a few that may be found in brackish waters, and several species are found in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, as well. Some of these species are as colorful as a fish can be, and many stay relatively small in size. Some can get along just fine with other fishes and invertebrates, and they're relatively inexpensive, too. So, they sound wonderful as a whole, but the problem is that only a few species make good additions to most aquariums, rather than all of them. The fact is, despite the general popularity of these fishes, many can be absolutely nasty towards their tankmates. Some get much, much bigger than you might think, and some get quite plain looking or even ugly as they age, too. So, this clan of fishes certainly merits a closer look. Most of the members of the family are simply called damsels by hobbyists, but some members are called chromises, all of which belong to the genus Chromis. The clownfishes, which hang around in anemones and belong to the genus Amphiprion or Premnas, are also in the same family with the rest of these, too. But, we'll be sticking with just the "regular" damsels and the chromises here. Clownfishes, despite being in the same family, are unique enough to warrant full-coverage in their own article. The Good There are many good things to say about the damsels and chromises. Many are very colorful, and some actually seem to glow under bluish-colored aquarium lighting. Even those that are covered only by black and white stripes and spots can be attractive, as well. Again, many also stay relatively small, even when full grown, which is desirable to most reefkeepers. In fact, quite a few of them won't get any larger than two or three inches at the most. I've provided the maximum reported sizes for several species below (from www.fishbase.org), but keep in mind that these are exactly that - maximums. Most specimens won't get so large in aquariums, and are often considerably shorter in length even when perfectly healthy and well cared for. Some species will get along well with other individuals of the same species, and with other species of fishes, too. Many can even be kept in groups of several individuals, which will move around larger tanks in schools. And, almost all of them will leave whatever sorts of non-fish life you have alone, as well. Additionally, the damsels (but not so much the chromises) are categorically tough. Very hardy indeed, so much so that they have been the number one type of fish used to cycle new aquariums for as long as they've been available as best as I can tell. Less than stellar water quality is seldom a problem for them, and most will survive the process of establishing the biological filtration cycle in a tank in stride. No they aren't bulletproof, but compared to other sorts of fishes, they're certainly ranked high when it comes to survivability under adverse conditions. As best as I can tell, they'll also eat just about anything that you add to a tank that is considered fish food. Flake food, brine shrimp, blood worms, fine bits of fish, clam, and squid meat, sheets of algae, frozen cube foods, etc. Most of them will take it all, and will nibble at some of the unwanted algae that grows on rocks and such, too. And, as if that's not enough, they're cheap. Marine fishes are quite expensive compared to freshwater fishes, but damsels and chromises can still be picked up for just a few dollars at any shop you might visit. Thus, there are lots of reasons to like them. The Bad As great as all of that might sound, there are some problems when it comes to many of the damsels. In fact, many of the commonly offered species should be avoided by reef aquarists altogether. Keep in mind that doesn't mean these same undesirable species aren't perfectly fine by themselves in a nano reef, or in non-reef aquariums stocked with larger/more aggressive fishes that can take care of themselves, though. Regardless, some damsels may be very colorful when they're small, but lose their desirable appearance as they age. Some actually turn completely brown or black when they are mature. Some of them can get much bigger than you might think, too. Several species that are often seen at shops at one to two inches in length can grow and grow until they're the biggest fish in a tank at times (depending on what else is in the tank, of course). Still, these are trivial issues compared to the absolutely nasty attitudes many damsels have. Even at small sizes, these fishes are often territorial in nature, and can decide that a large section of a large tank is their territory, or that everything within a small tank is. They'll defend what they consider to be their own real estate, even against peaceful fishes that are much larger than they are, to the point of pestering them to death. Such damsels will chase and nip at practically any fish that doesn't have the guts to fight back, and you'd be surprised at how many larger fishes won't. If this persists, the victim will oftentimes become highly stressed since there's nowhere to move on to, so that they'll hide all the time, and may end up sick, and might even die. Large damsels may outright murder smaller fishes, too. Speaking of, in general you should never try to keep more than one damsel of the same species together unless they have plenty of room and hiding spaces. For that matter, it's usually a bad idea to mix different species in confined quarters, too. Remember, they can be very territorial, and another damsel, regardless of type will typically be seen as a direct competitor for space. However, some can be kept in schools at times, and the same goes for the chromises. In fact, the popular chromises are best kept in groups and will stick together and swim around in a pack, oftentimes near the top of a tank. I'll also add that while they typically won't bother invertebrates, there are some species that will snack on tiny worms and crustaceans that are quite beneficial in some tanks, especially those that have deep sand beds. Little things like amphipods and copepods will make quick meals for some of them. All things to be considered... Some Common Species There are lots of damsels and chromises, but I've listed a few common ones below, all of which I've had some personal experience with as a hobbyist and when operating an aquarium maintenance business in the past. Just enough to give you a good idea of the variability found between the species, and what may or may not be a good choice for your aquarium. Keep in mind that how common a species is at shops, or how popular they are overall, has little or nothing to do with how suitable they are for a reef aquarium. As you'll see, many of these are no good for reefers, even in large aquariums. The sergeant major damsel, Abudefduf vaigiensis The sergeant major damsel. Named for its sergeant-striped body, these damsels and their close cousins can be spotted on just about any dive, anywhere there's warm water. This is one of the species that looks cute when small, but can grow to a whopping 8 inches and may eat small invertebrates if given the chance. The blue devil damsel, Chrysiptera cyanea The blue devil damsel. Awesome blue, but called a devil and a lot of other words that I can't write here for good reason. They only reach about 3 inches at best, but when it comes to nastiness, these little things can be real terrors. I've added these to reef aquariums in the past, and regretted it on every occasion. So, they're off-limits now, no matter how cheap, tough, and pretty they are. The yellow tail damsel, Chrysiptera parasema The yellow tail damsel. Mostly blue with a bright yellow tail, these are a little smaller than the blue devils and are far less aggressive. That doesn't mean they're necessarily peaceful though, and for a fish with a maximum size of about 2.5 inches, some individuals can be surprisingly obnoxious. Still, these are a far better choice than a blue devil, and most times they don't cause any troubles, so I generally recommend them. The azure damsel, Chrysiptera hemicyanea The azure damsel. This species also reaches about 2.5 inches, and looks a lot like a yellow tail with some extra yellow. The tail and the whole belly is bright yellow, with the rest being that same blue color as the two previous species. These are some of my personal favorites, as they tend to be even less aggressive than the yellow tails, although I have had a couple over the years that had poor attitudes. Still, I like them enough to recommend them, too. The talboti or Talbot's damsel, Chrysiptera talboti The talboti or Talbot's damsel. This one also reaches about 2.5 inches, but doesn't look at all like the three above. No blue body on this one, but they still have attractive colors, with a black spot on their back. Very pretty, and quite possibly the most peaceful of all the damsels. This species is highly recommended due to its generally peaceful nature, small size, and hardiness, as well. The three-stripe damsel, Dascyllus aruanus The three-stripe damsel. It is odd to me that with all the colorful marine fishes out there, some that are only black and white are still neat looking enough to bring home. The three-stripe is a good example, as its look is nothing more than 3 broad black and white stripes on a body that doesn't get more than about 2.5 inches long. Unfortunately, they not only lack color, but they generally lack any tolerance for other fishes, too. Yes, they can be pretty mean. The four-stripe damsel, Dascyllus melanurus The four-stripe damsel. This one is very similar to the three-stripe damsel in both appearance and attitude. They get just a little bigger, maybe reaching about 3 inches, and they have a black tail rather than a white/clear one, but that's about it. Mean again. The domino or three-spot damsel, Dascyllus trimaculatus The domino or three-spot damsel. These will fool you for sure. They're seen for sale everywhere and look like cute little dominos when young, but they can also be very aggressive, too. What's worse is that they typically lose the bright spots, turn a kind of crummy black, and get up to 4 inches long. The neon-velvet damsel, Neoglyphidodon oxyodon The neon-velvet damsel. Same for this one, but worse. When young, this species has cool looking neon blue racing stripes on its black body, but they lose these and turn completely black as they age, and can get up to about 6 inches in length. These are also exceptionally aggressive, even more so than the domino damsel, and I say should never be added to a reef tank. The Atlantic jewel damsel, Microspathodoon chrysurus The Atlantic jewel damsel. Same, again, except that these will loose all of their bright spots and grow to about 8 inches in length. Mean, mean, mean. Big ones will even take a nip at divers that get too close, which I've experienced myself. The blue-green chromis, Chromis viridis The blue-green chromis. Finally, we get to something else that I can recommend. The blue-green chromis is a nice color, only gets up to about 3 inches maximum, can be kept in groups, and won't bother each other or any other sorts of fishes either. Nice. On top of that, they also like to hang around near the top of aquariums, rather than constantly hovering close to and moving about the rockwork. This species is great for larger/deeper tanks, as a small school of them can really add to the overall look, instead of having a lot of less-traveled or even empty space at the top. The blue chromis, Chromis cyanea The blue chromis. Another schooler, which can be kept singly if you like, these can also be kept in groups and are generally peaceful. This species can reach a maximum of about 6 inches in length though, so they may get a little bigger than what you want. Still, if you don't mind the size, these are a much better choice than the blue devil damsel if you're looking for something blue. To End So, that's enough to give you a pretty good idea of what these fishes are like, and as I'm sure you noticed, I only recommended a handful out of these species for reef aquariums. Of course, there are so many species that I can't cover even a significant percentage of them here, but you've got the basic idea now. Thus, it's up to you to do some homework if you want to try any of these or the others, and I suggest taking a look at Fish Base (www.fishbase.org) before making any purchases. On this site you'll able to find some specific information about their maximum sizes, habitat, and diets, etc. to help you make informed decisions, and you can often find juvenile and adult photographs for many of them, as well. View the full article

A new study offers some clues about how small aquatic birds survive in extremely cold climates. View the full article