Harlequinmania

Another new week !

The poster is up.. Hope to see all of you at the event.

Nice tank.. more photo please Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Try feeding fresh lala shell fish to get it to start feeding. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. Just days after a paper explaining how the Great Barrier Reef has lost over half of its coral in the last 27 years (pdf), MP Bob Katter wants to pay public divers to help control this scourge of the reef. According to the report, crown-of-thorns starfish are said to have caused 42% of the overall coral loss, which makes them an easy target for countermeasures. While this is great in theory, crown-of-thorns starfish are also dangerous to divers as their spines contain "saponins" or detergent-like molecules that can cause a sharp, stinging pain if a diver's hand or body part are punctured by the spines. Pain can last up to a week or more and spines can break off in the skin. If lodged deep enough, these spines may need surgically removed. Crown-of-thorns starfish need handled with care. Currently, control programs are run by the government with trained divers injecting crown-of-thorns starfish with sodium bisulfate which is toxic to the starfish. MP Katter's plan is somewhat reminiscent to the lionfish derbies that are held in Florida throughout the year to help control invasive lionfish populations. In his plan, the diver with the most kills would be crowned (no pun intended) the Australian starfish champion. "We can do something about the starfish so we need to address that," Katter said. "I'm going to go to all the different councils to get them to consider pooling their resources together, and then we'll get the Federal Government to match it with a grant for the starfish champion" he stated. "It will [also] stimulate scuba diving on the reef." The report also stated that if something is not done, the total coral cover could halve again in 10 years. (via Townsville Bulletin) View the full article

Click through to see the images. From the Office of Communications, Ex-Im Bank of the United States: In a victory for American small business, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) has authorized a $105-million direct loan to the Brazilian state of Ceará to finance the export of American goods and services for the construction of a state-of-the-art aquarium in Fortaleza, Brazil. The transaction will support approximately 700 American jobs, according to bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology. At least 90% of the export contract value will be provided by U.S. small businesses. "Ex-Im Bank's financing for this transaction will level the playing field for an American exporter in Brazil - one of the Bank's nine key markets - and enable the company to confront foreign competition on an equal footing," said Ex-Im Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. "As a result, the transaction will directly support hundreds of American small-business jobs in a specialized industry. The aquarium, which attests to the craftsmanship of American workers, will be a major tourist attraction in Brazil that will help support jobs here at home." International Concept Management Inc. (ICM), a small business founded in 1995 and headquartered in Grand Junction, Colo., will oversee the design and construction of the Acquario Aquarium. The company has previously executed contracts in more than 20 countries, and its portfolio includes the AquaDom in Berlin, the Burj-Al-Arab Hotel in Dubai, and the Macau City of Dreams in Macau. "We are proud to be a partner with the state of Ceará in Brazil for this very prestigious and highly visible project," said Roger R. Reynolds III, president and CEO of ICM. This project will employ several hundred people in Colorado, as well as more than 1,000 nationally through a network of over 15 U.S. subcontractors, suppliers and partners throughout the U.S. The involvement of Ex-Im Bank through this lengthy development process was instrumental in bringing the financing for this project together. An anticipated tourist attraction, the aquarium will boast four floors housing 25 large tanks containing approximately 15 million liters of water and showcasing 500 marine species and 35,000 individual specimens. As the Export-Import Bank of the United States reported, the aquarium will also feature interactive exhibits, two 4D cinemas, one 3D cinema, and an educational platform dedicated to the research and preservation of aquatic life along the Brazilian coastal regions. When completed, Acquario will rank as the largest aquarium in the Southern Hemisphere and the third largest in the world. Wells Fargo Bank will serve as the documentation agent and the letter-of-credit bank for the transaction. As of the end of FY 2011, Brazil accounted for $2.7 billion of Ex-Im Bank’s total credit exposure. Also in FY 2011, Ex-Im Bank approved approximately $410 million of authorizations to support export sales to Brazil. View the full article

Click through to see the images. Last year I wrote about a paper in the journal PLoS ONE detailing how researchers had found deadly palytoxin-containing Palythoa spp. zoanthids in aquariums in the United States. Shortly thereafter, Adrienne Longo-White recounted her experience with poisoning from palytoxin while working on and around saltwater aquariums and her story was pretty scary. She explained everything she went through from onset of the poison, the emergency room visit, and finally her recovery. Recently while reading the 3Reef forums I happened upon another incidence of palytoxin poisoning. However this time it was from just rubbing ones eye. For those of you that do not recall what palytoxin is, here is a snippet from my blog post last year explaining what it is and what can happen if you are poisoned by it: ...Palytoxin is produced by certain zoanthid species and has a LD50 in mice of just 300 ng/kg -- meaning that 50% of mice dosed with just 300 nanograms of palytoxin per kilogram of body weight will die within a specified testing time. To give you a bit of scale on its potency: 1 gram of palytoxin can kill approximately 170 million mice - that's a lot of mice! This toxin is second only to maitotoxin in its lethality which has an LD50 in mice of 50 ng/kg. Palytoxin targets the sodium-potassium pump proteins in cells and effectively shuts down the ion gradient that is essential for cell function. Symptoms of palytoxin poisoning include "angina-like chest pains, asthma-like breathing difficulties, tachycardia, unstable blood pressure, hemolysis (destruction of red blood cells), and an electrocardiogram showing an exaggerated T wave. The onset of symptoms is rapid, and death usually follows just minutes after." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palytoxin) It's nasty stuff. Obviously this is a compound we do not want to come into contact with in our aquariums! What appears to have happened is a member of the 3Reef forums named 'schackmel' was working at her local fish store while they had a huge sale on zoanthid colonies. She purchased a colony, took it home for her tank, and dipped it as one should before adding it to any system. The zoanthids appeared stressed from the dip based on the forum note and somewhere, somehow, 'schackmel' rubbed her left eye after handling them. What followed was pretty frightening to say the least (not for the faint of heart): A closeup of the damaged eye. Note the ulcer around the cornea. 'schackmel' went from 20/70 vision on Saturday to 3/200 on Wednesday. 3/200 is legally blind. One big thing to note is the white ulcer surrounding her cornea. The doctors are very concerned about this. Initially the doctors did not know what to do as the problem progressed far faster than anything they had encountered before. Fortunately 'schackmel' was able to explain to them what palytoxin is and what it can do to a person. Currently she is on Vicodin for the pain and Prednisone (a steroid) in order to help with the healing process. She has seen eye specialists and seems to be making some progress as the pain has somewhat lessened although not much has changed with her vision. If you would like to follow 'schackmel's progress, follow the thread over at 3Reef. We hope for a speedy recovery! View the full article

Try checking with iwarna Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. These extraordinary macro-photography of pelagic plankton come from Solvin Zanki's Flickr photo set. The only thing more awe-inspiring than Solvin's photographic skills are his photo subjects. The first three photos are of the amphipod Phronima sp. - AKA the pram bug. Does the top photo look familiar? It's because the pram bug served as an inspiration for the creation of the xenomorph monsters in James Cameron's science fiction classic Aliens. Pram bugs latch onto and feed on the innards of free-living salps (planktonic tunicates), eating their prey from the inside out ... no doubt further inspiration for the Aliens' monster design team. The better to eat you with! The pram bug is one sinister looking plankton. A beautiful copepod (Sapphirina sali) And another copepod (Gaussia princeps). Pods come in all shapes, sizes, and colors! One more copepod (Euchirella sp.) just in case you didn't believe us. This is an alciopid polychaete (segmented worm) extending its proboscis. In other words, it's sticking out its inner throat/tongue to snag its prey. Another polychaete: The Tomopteris produces yellow luminescence when it is disturbed. A balled up ostracod (Gigantocypris muelleri) Believe it or not, this critter will one day grow up to become a crab. This is its planktonic larval stage. A splash of red: A deep sea amphipod, Lanceola sp. Another deep sea denizen, Clio recurva. While it may resemble a miniature squid, it's actually a gastropod. But this is a cephalopod! Hello Octopus defilippi [via echinoblog] View the full article

Click through to see the images. There are several species of stony coral belonging to the genus Euphyllia available to hobbyists, which are a popular bunch for good reasons. These corals can be very attractive, can grow to large sizes, and can thrive in aquariums with acceptable water quality, lighting, and flow. Many can even touch each other without doing any damage, meaning several specimens can be arranged together to make a unique display. However, there are some downsides to euphyllid ownership. So, I'll give you some information about the species in the genus, how to care for them in aquaria, and some of the problems they can have, or pose. Euphyllia Species Euphyllia ancora This species, known to hobbyists as the hammer coral, is found in the waters of the northern Indian Ocean, the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, southern Japan and East China Sea, and east as far as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (Turak et. al. 2008a). It has especially long tentacles when extended, like many other large-polyp stony corals, but they're tipped with sausage, anchor, or hammerhead-like knobs, which is where its common name comes from. It typically comes in various shades of brown and fluorescent green with the tentacle tips often being lighter or different colored, but occasional specimens may be pinkish, orangish, or bluish. It also has a curving, wall-like (flabello-meandroid) skeleton. Note that this species is also called the anchor coral at times, but I'll address this second name below. The wall-like/flabello-meandroid skeleton of E. ancora. A small E. ancora, the hammer coral, with its tentacles retracted. Close-ups of the typical tentacle tips of E. ancora. Euphyllia paraancora This species, known to hobbyists as the branching hammer coral, is found In the waters of the central Indo-Pacific, west Pacific and central Indian Ocean (Turak et. al. 2008b). It also has especially long tentacles that are with tipped anchor or hammerhead-like knobs, and also typically comes in various shades of brown and fluorescent green, with the tentacle tips often being lighter or different colored. Specimens bearing tentacles of other colors can be found at times, too. However, this species has a branching (phaceloid) skeleton rather than a flabello-meandroid skeleton. The branching hammer coral, E. paraancora, with its tentacles retracted, revealing that it has a branching skeleton. Euphyllia divisa This species, known to hobbyists as the frogspawn coral, is found In the waters of the central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, southern Japan islands and East China Sea, the Solomon Islands, Fiji, and Palau (Turak et. al. 2008c, Randall 1995). It also has very long tentacles when fully extended, but rather than end with little hammers, they're covered with short branches that are tipped with small rounded knobs. The tentacles are sometimes almost clear, but are typically various shades of fluorescent green and brown like those of E. ancora, with the knobs on the tentacles being lighter/different colored too, often being cream colored. It also has a flabello-meandroid skeleton. The frogspawn coral, E. divisa. A close-up of the typical tentacles of E. divisa. Euphyllia paradivisa This species, known to hobbyists as the branching frogspawn coral, is found in the waters of the central Indo-Pacific and American Samoa (Turak et. al. 2008d). Like E. divisa, it also has very long tentacles ending with numerous knob-tipped branches and comes in the same colors. But, it has a phaceloid skeleton. The branching/phaceloid skeleton of E. paradivisa. The branching frogspawn coral, E. paradivisa. A close-up of the typical tentacles of E. paradivisa. Euphyllia glabrescens This species, known to hobbyists as the torch coral, is found in the waters of the Gulf of Aden, north and west Indian Ocean, Arabian/Iranian Gulf, central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, southern Japan and East China Sea, southwest Pacific, Micronesia, American Samoa, and rarely in the Red Sea (Turak et. al.2008e). Like the others, this species has long tentacles when extended, which are typically brown or fluorescent green. However, the tentacles aren't as fancy as those of the above species, as they end with a simple, small, rounded tip. The tips are typically lighter/different in color though, usually being cream. Its skeleton is also phaceloid in form. The branching/phaceloid skeleton of E. glabrescens. The torch coral, E. glabrescens. Euphyllia paraglabrescens This species, which would likely be called a torch coral, has a scattered distribution In the waters of the Indo-West Pacific, being found in the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Japan and the East China Sea. It is "extremely rare" in all locations except in Ôjioya Port, Tanegashima, which is the only place where it has been found in Japan. (Turak et. al. 2008f). According to (Veron 2000), its skeleton is nearly identical to that of E. glabrescens, but the tentacles are green or gray and relatively short. Despite finding several pictures of specimens identified as E. paraglabrescens online, considering its rarity, and after looking at the pictures presented in Veron (2000), I'm quite sure I've never seen this species offered in the hobby. In fact, every picture of an aquarium specimen I found online was clearly not E. paraglabrescens, but you can see some specimens that are by looking at the Corals of the World website (AIMS 2011a). Euphyllia cristata This species, better known as the grape coral, is found in the waters off east Africa, in the Andaman Sea, central Indo-Pacific, Australia, Southeast Asia, southern Japan and East China Sea, and the West Pacific (Turak et. al. 2008g). It typically has shorter tentacles than the species above (except E. paraglabrescens), and is usually green or pale gray with light-colored tentacle tips, which are also knob-like. However, occasional specimens are quite translucent or even clear, with only the tentacle tips being colored. Small solitary polyps are common, although some grow to larger sizes that are phaceloid in form. It's distinguished from the other species primarily by the possession of large blade-like septal ridges that prominently extend from the top of the skeleton and can be clearly seen between the bases of the tentacles. And again, despite finding several aquarium specimens identified as E. cristata online, a couple were, but a couple dozen clearly were not. You can take a look at AIMS (2011b) online for some good examples of the species, though. Regardless, this species has been very rarely offered in the hobby, but that may change soon. I just found that aquacultured specimens have become available from at least one vendor (Liveaquaria.com), and they look very nice. Euphyllia yaeyamaensis This species, which is also called frogspawn coral, is found in waters of the central Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia, Japan and East China Sea, and the west Pacific (Turak, et. al. 2008h). It has shorter, fatter tentacles than E. divisa though, which are covered with very short (practically non-existent) branches tipped with small knobs. The tentacles are typically purple-gray, or sometimes greenish-gray or translucent, while the knobs are usually the same color or lighter. It also has a phaceloid form, and is very rarely seen in the hobby. Again, there are many aquarium-related photographs online of corals identified as E. yaeyamaensis, but as best as I can tell most all of them are E. divisa/paradivisa. Again, you can take a look at AIMS (2011c) online for some good examples of the species. Euphyllia baliensis In addition to all of these, there's a new species of Euphyllia, which is being called a bubble coral. According to Adams (2012) this coral is found only off a single island near Bali and its branches are thinner than a pencil. The tentacles are rather short, and end with knobs that look like those of E. ancora/paraancora, being anchor or hammer-like. It's also grayish brown in color, with some green in the center of each polyp, and has a phaceloid skeleton. You can take a look at Adams (2012) online for some pictures and a little more information. Euphyllia fimbriata And lastly, while doing some homework for this article I came across the name E. fimbriata, which I hadn't heard in years. While this species is not listed in any of the aquarium literature I have or on the AIMS Corals of the World website, it is listed on the Integrated Taxonomic Information System, the World Register of Marine Species, and the Encyclopedia of Life websites as a valid species called the bean coral. I thought it was an outdated name that had been replaced with E. ancora, but the Encyclopedia of Life site says it is synonymous with Madrepora fimbriata. So, quite frankly I'm not sure what the deal is with this one. Oh, what fun taxonomy can be... To add, I found information on the Animal World website indicating that E. fimbriata is a distinct species, is called the hammer coral, and is not found around Australia. It further explains that E. ancora is called the anchor coral, which lacks the hammerhead shaped tentacle tips and instead has semi-circular or sausage shaped tips. So, I had to dig some more, and then found that Borneman (1997) says that E. fimbriata is "a now extinct designation". So, I give up! If anyone has any specific expertise on the subject, feel free to chime in. Euphyllia in the Aquarium When keeping any of these species in aquaria, water quality should be within the limits of what is considered appropriate for a reef aquarium. Salinity should optimally be from 34 to 36 ppt (specific gravity of 1.025 to 1.027), temperature should be in the mid-seventies to low-eighties Fahrenheit, pH should be around 8.2 to 8.4, alkalinity should be kept between 7 to 12dKH, and calcium should optimally be 400 to 450ppm. Phosphate should be kept as low as possible, too. It is not uncommon for various specimens of Euphyllia to become substitute homes for clownfishes, especially if there's no suitable anemone present for them to live in. Specimens may not extend their tissues/tentacles as much as usual when a clownfish first decides to "move in", but they typically become accustomed to the activities of such fishes and return to their normal behavior, often in a matter of days. Small commensal shrimps may be found amongst their tentacles as well, and I've even found barnacles living in/on a few specimens, too. None of these seem to harm the coral in any way, though. I don't know what this is, but it formed on an E. specimen in one of my own aquariums many years ago. It did get bigger or smaller at times, but persisted for over a year before disappearing if memory serves. I gave the coral to a friend about three years ago, but still see it in his aquarium regularly and the bubble has never come back. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know. No one that I've showed this to has had an answer. They can be found in a wide variety of conditions, and I've seen various colonies in waters that were fairly dim and turbid to waters that were brightly lit and crystal clear. So, they aren't too picky when it comes to lighting, unlike some other corals. With this in mind, aquarium lighting can be anything from a couple of high-output fluorescent tubes over a small aquarium, like a 20-gallon (which will likely end up being too small before long), up to intense metal halide or LED lighting. Basically, as long as the lighting is suitable for keeping a variety of corals, it will be fine for a euphyllid, too. You really can't overdo it either, as long as a specimen is given plenty of time to acclimate to tank conditions. Currents should be low to moderate, and turbulent flow rather than a constant stream from one direction is best. It should be at least strong enough to get the tentacles moving around a bit and keep detritus from settling on them, but it also should never be so strong that it prevents their expansion. None of these corals will open up and extend their tentacles if the current is too strong, as doing so could lead to tissue damage caused by any of the sharp edges found on their own skeleton. If you want to feed any of these corals, they'll be happy to receive essentially anything meaty that you offer. Anything from brine shrimp to bits of fish, squid, or clam meat works great when provided by hand, and I used to feed a large hammer coral with live guppies, too. I did "disable" them a bit before giving them to the coral, but once the tentacles had a hold on the little fishes, they were swallowed down quickly. You do need to be mindful of overdoing it though, as they don't really require being fed anything if kept in a healthy and well-stocked aquarium, and too much added food can lead to increased nutrient levels in your tank which results in trouble from unwanted algal growth. Feeding may help them stay healthier and increase growth rates, but then again, I've seen many euphyllids absolutely thrive in aquariums without being fed anything at all. Do note that these corals can get big too, with large aquarium specimens easily covering a space over a foot in diameter. They can keep going from there too, and they can do it relatively quickly. When cared for properly the branching species will not only add size to any existing branches, but will add more branches, too. Thus, they can also be propagated and used to make more specimens if you choose. It's a simple task to cut or even break away branches from a colony, then move them to a new spot and fix them in place. If conditions are suitable, they'll grow a whole new colony, which can be further broken up in the future, as well. It could be a pro or a con depending on the surroundings, but these corals can grow to very large sizes and need lots of space. They have also been known to reproduce via budding in aquaria, with small polyps emerging from the base of a colony. These can drop away from the mother colony to start new ones, so be on the lookout for them. These corals also have separate sexes and have been observed releasing sperm and eggs in aquaria, too (Delbeek & Sprung 1994). To add, Veron (1986) says they may also brood larva, and Fadlallah (1983) reported that they have released planula larva in the wild. Potential Problems While these corals are generally quite hardy once acclimated to aquarium life, there can be problems in the beginning. Euphyllids oftentimes do not ship particularly well, especially E. glabrescens and any specimens that have been collected by cutting them away from larger colonies. For reasons unknown, specimens of E. glabrescens often arrive from collection areas in bad shape much more frequently than the other commonly-offered species. Specimens of species having non-branching skeletons are sometimes collected by sawing or breaking off portions of relatively large colonies and may have problems, too. This is because there is no way to remove pieces of these colonies without cutting/tearing the coral's flesh along with the skeleton. Likewise, even when non-branching specimens are collected whole, the sharp septal ridges at the top of the skeleton can cut/tear tissue if it is mishandled. Specimens of species with branching skeletons can suffer from the same thing during shipping, as well. You can see that this E. ancora specimen has been cut/broken, which damages the coral's tissue. Oftentimes such specimens will recover without issue, but sometimes they do not. You can see that several of the sharp skeletal septa of this E. divisa specimen have been broken, which can easily injure any of these corals from the inside. The most common result of such injuries is a brown-jelly infection, which is an attack on any injured flesh by an assortment of microorganisms. The coral's tissues basically turn into a light brown glob of slime, which can spread quickly and destroy an entire non-branching specimen of any size in the worst cases. Conversely, if a brown-jelly infection strikes individual branches on a branching colony, those branches are doomed, but the others may be just fine. You can cut/break away any dead branches and typically spare the rest of them. You can see that this E. glabrescens specimen has been devastated by a brown jelly infection, which has killed most of the polyps. Specimens may suffer from tissue recession at times too, even when everything else is doing well. This is seen as the peeling back of the tissues from the skeleton, which can eventually lead to other health issues (such as overgrowth by algae), or even death. Poor water quality is very likely the cause in most cases, but like I said, sometimes this seems to happen when everything is apparently okay. Fortunately this is uncommon when specimens are cared for properly. Other than that, it's important to keep in mind that species bearing long tentacles can be quite dangerous to any other corals nearby. They have relatively strong stings, and are some of the only corals that can cause pain/injury when handled by some people. To add, many specimens will produce numerous sweeper tentacles that can greatly extend their reach. These specialized tentacles are much longer than the rest, and they carry a greater number of stinging cells, too. So, you should always try to avoid contact with their tentacles, handle them by the skeleton only if possible, and give them plenty of space in an aquarium so that they do not damage/kill other corals. All euphyllids carry a strong punch when it comes to stinging, and they should be given plenty of room. Here you can see E. divisa sending out a mess of long sweeper tentacles, which can severely damage neighboring corals. Also note that sweeper tentacles are most often produced when specimens are exposed to strong currents. Not when it's strong enough to hurt them, rather when flow is tolerable but fast. Thus, you should try to reduce water flow over a specimen if any sweeper tentacles appear. Borneman (2001) also mentions that the tips of sweeper tentacles may stick to the substrate and break away at times, which can then give rise to new colonies. And, these tips may also pinch off at times and drift around an aquarium where they can stick to other surfaces. Borneman suggests that this may be a novel means of asexual reproduction and/or a means of defense, as the tips are packed with stinging cells and can damage other corals they may come into contact with. While I was able to find a couple of forum posts indicating this has happened in a few hobbyists' aquaria, I have to say that after being in the hobby for over 20 years I've never seen this happen, and don't personally know of anyone that has, though. Still, as I mentioned at the beginning, many euphyllid species can touch each other without issue. Oddly enough, specimens of E. ancora, E. paraancora, E. divisa, and E. paradivisa can be arranged so that they not only touch at times, but have their tentacles intermeshed with each other's. So, it's possible to create a very beautiful and unique setting in an aquarium if different species with different looks are placed together. Trying to do so with the other species is very risky, though. While a few hobbyists have successfully mixed specimens of E. glabrescens in with these others, this almost always ends badly. I don't know of any cases of the remaining species being placed with those above either, and found nothing online suggesting it has been accomplished successfully. So, I wouldn't try it unless you're willing to take big chance and keep a very close watch for any troubles. Specimens of E. ancora, E. paraancora, E. divisa, and E. paradivisa can be kept close together, as they do not sting each other. It is risky, but some hobbyists have succesfully kept E. glabrescens close enough to E. ancora, E. paraancora, E. divisa, and/or E. paradivisa for them to touch without damaging each other. To finish, if you decide to get one of these, choosing a good specimen is an important first step. Any potential purchase should be looked over very carefully and avoided if there are any signs of trouble whatsoever. Brown jelly infestations can spread very rapidly, so even the smallest bad spot on a coral can quickly lead to the loss of a specimen and you should be particularly wary of non-branching specimens that have been cut/broken away from larger colonies. Also note that these corals often periodically retract their tissue/tentacles, even when healthy, and that a specimen being offered at a store may get much larger than it would seem. In other words, if you see a healthy looking specimen, but the tentacles are pulled in close to the skeleton, don't forget that they may reach much further out once the coral is in you aquarium. So, you need to be sure you have the room to accommodate it, or don't buy it. References Adams, J. 2012. Euphyllia baliensis is a new large polyp stony coral with extremely thin branches. Reef Builders. URL: http://reefbuilders.com/2012/09/17/euphyllia-baliensis/#ixzz27LMc8QyV Animal World, undated. URL: http://animal-world.com/Aquarium-Coral-Reefs/Hammer-Coral Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2011a. Corals of the World: Euphyllia paraglabrescens. URL: http://coral.aims.gov.au/speciesPages/species_metadata/0870/image# Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2011b. Corals of the World: Euphyllia cristata. URL: http://coral.aims.gov.au/speciesPages/species_metadata/0146/image# Australian Institute of Marine Science, 2011c. Corals of the World: Euphyllia yaeyamaensis. URL: http://coral.aims.gov.au/speciesPages/species_metadata/0419/view# Borneman, E. 1997. Sweeping Beauty: A tale of anchors, hammers, and other things. URL: http://www.reefs.org/library/aquarium_net/0197/0197_2.html Borneman, E. 2001. Aquarium Corals - Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History. Microcosm/T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 464pp. Delbeek, J.C. and J. Sprung. 1994. The Reef Aquarium: Volume One. Ricordea Publishing, Coconut Grove, FL, 544pp. Encyclopedia of Life, undated. URL: http://eol.org/pages/1006629/names/synonyms Fadlallah, Y.H. 1983. Sexual reproduction, development and larval biology in scleractinian corals. A review. Coral Reefs, 2:129-150. Integrated Taxonomic Information System, undated. URL: http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=53640 IUCN, 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Randall, R. H. 1995. Biogeography of reef-building corals in the Mariana and Palau islands in relation to back-arc rifting and the formation of the eastern Philippine Sea. Nat. Hist. Res. 3:193-210. Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008a. Euphyllia anchora. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008b. Euphyllia paraanchora. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008c. Euphyllia divisa. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008d. Euphyllia paradivisa. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008e. Euphyllia glabrescens. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008f. Euphyllia paraglabrescens. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008g. Euphyllia cristata. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Turak, E., Sheppard, C. & Wood, E. 2008h. Euphyllia yayamaensis. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.1. URL: www.iucnredlist.org Veron, J.E.N. 1986. Corals of Australia and the Indo-Pacific. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii, 644pp. Veron, J.E.N. 2000. Corals of the World, Vol. 2. Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia, 429pp. Wood, E.M. 1983. Reef Corals of the World: Biology and Field Guide. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, NJ, 256pp. World Register of Marine Species, undated. URL: http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=289216 View the full article

Nice Cultured bali SPS coming Thursday 12pm at iwarna. Also some exciting fishes such as yellow frogfish, halfmoon angel, yellow zebra angel, masked swallow angel, moorish idols and lots of blue tangs.... Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Hi Guys, Thanks for all the support. I am closing this order earlier on 10 Oct in order to have enough time to make the T-shirt before the event. Please indicate your order here if you are interested.

Click through to see the images. The upcoming MACNA 2013 will mark 25 years of the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America's yearly conference where reefkeepers from across the world come together to check out the latest equipment, hear great speakers, and spend time with old friends and new. The Florida Marine Aquarium Society will host MACNA 2013 at the posh Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa from August 30 to September 1, 2013 and it looks like they will spare no expense if the photos of the hotel on their website are any indication of the atmosphere: The Westin Diplomat Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. MACNA 2013 already has an impressive lineup of speakers tentatively slated to talk at the conference including Tony Vargas, Julian Sprung, Matt Wandell, Craig Bingman, Ph.D., Kevin Kohen (MASNA 2012 Aquarist of the Year), Colin Foord, and others. In addition, the vendor booths are already filling up with vendors like Red Sea, Caribsea, Reef Brite, Two Little Fishies, Ecotech Marine, Marineland, and Seachem signed up for floor space. MACNA recommends you purchase your tickets soon and reserve your hotel room early to save on the cost. A full conference pass is currently priced at $109. The full conference pass provides the best "bang for the buck" as it grants the holder full access to the three-day conference including speaker presentations, vendor hall, the Friday reception dinner, and Saturday banquet dinner. The event planners note that tickets are non-refundable but fully transferable in case someone cannot attend. Keep up-to-date on the happenings with MACNA 2013 by following them on Facebook and Twitter. I am certain that they will have a lot of updates in the coming months. We look forward to seeing you there! View the full article

Click through to see the images. Starting this October until April, 2015, the Toledo Zoo Aquarium - founded in 1939 - will close its doors to the public as it undergoes renovation. This marks the first ever major renovation for Toledo Zoo Aquarium. 80% of the funding will come from a 2006 Lucas County tax levy with the remainder provided by private contributions. If the name Jay Hemdal rings a bell, there's good reason. Hemdal has been active in aquarist communities throughout the years and has written numerous articles for Advanced Aquarist. We congratulate "one of our own" for this exciting development and wish Toledo Zoo Aquarium all the success. Three years is a long time but we have no doubt it will be worth the wait! View the full article

AM = Aqua marine

Phillipine shipment arriving in AM today .. Anyone check out yet? Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. The study, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, provides the first-ever global projection of the potential reduction in the maximum size of fish in a warmer and less-oxygenated ocean. The researchers used computer modeling to study more than 600 species of fish from oceans around the world and found that the maximum body weight they can reach could decline by 14-20 per cent between years 2000 and 2050, with the tropics being one of the most impacted regions. "We were surprised to see such a large decrease in fish size," says the study's lead author William Cheung, an assistant professor at the UBC Fisheries Centre. "Marine fish are generally known to respond to climate change through changing distribution and seasonality. But the unexpectedly big effect that climate change could have on body size suggests that we may be missing a big piece of the puzzle of understanding climate change effects in the ocean." This is the first global-scale application of the idea that fish growth is limited by oxygen supply, which was pioneered more than 30 years ago by Daniel Pauly, principal investigator with UBC's Sea Around Us Project and the study's co-author. "It's a constant challenge for fish to get enough oxygen from water to grow, and the situation gets worse as fish get bigger," explains Pauly. "A warmer and less-oxygenated ocean, as predicted under climate change, would make it more difficult for bigger fish to get enough oxygen, which means they will stop growing sooner." This study highlights the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions and develop strategies to monitor and adapt to changes that we are already seeing, or we risk disruption of fisheries, food security and the way ocean ecosystems work. (Press Release, EurekAlert) View the full article

Click through to see the images. Joe Pineda and Nic Tiemens (both of Infinity Aquarium Design) will host "Ultimate Aquariums," set to air on October 12, 2012 at 1pm ET/PT (12 CT) Infinity Aquarium Design is a Los Angeles-based aquarium design, fabrication, installation and maintenance company. HGTV describes their new special programming: Ultimate Aquariums features over the top, uber-expensive, one-of-a kind aquariums for celebrities and the wealthy. From concept to design and install, we'll get a first-hand look into how these amazing custom aquariums are created with dramatic reveals. With a 1,000 pound column tank, a search for rare fish for Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker's unbelievable aquarium—each aquarium creation is awe-inspiring. This is the third cable television program to hit the air waves in recent years (the others being Animal Planet's "Tanked" and Nat Geo WILD's "Fish Tank Kings"). Note: "Ultimate Aquariums" is an one-time special programming, not a new series. In 2007, HGTV reached out to the aquarium community in search of "ultimate aquariums" to showcase in one of an upcoming episode of their series "Man Land." We don't not believe such an episode ever aired. We thank our sponsor Marine Depot for providing us the heads-up for this news. View the full article

First week of the month.. New week new shipment.

Some update,from jireh marine. Cream angels, emperor, large size Koran, cleaner shrimp, regal angel , blue tang ect.. and lots of captive breed seahorse already feeding on mysis. Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Rumours that all the farm will be moved.out and replace by new housing.. maybe they are preparing for it? Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

Click through to see the images. Back in March, Reef to Rainforest Media launched an ambitious project: investigate the plight of the Banggai Cardinalfish and write a book about it in time for DFW-MACNA in late September. They used Kickstarter to fund the campaign and on April 8 the $25,000 project was successfully funded. Through the coming months, the project coordinators periodically posted updates and we were able to talk to Ret Talbot about the project and soon learned the names of the science team heading on the expedition to study Banggai's in their native habitat. The last project update on Banggai Rescue's blog was from July showing the science team in action. DFW-MACNA is now upon us and unfortunately due to issues with expediting the publication of the book, a road bump was encountered in the publication process which delayed publication. According to Matt Pedersen, Reef to Rainforest Media will be at MACNA explaining the situation and handing out flyers promoting the upcoming book. No word is given on the actual publication date. However we will keep you apprised as things progress. View the full article

i would use an air pump with air stone instead of a powerhead since the powerhead will introduce heat into the water. Daily 30% - 50% water change if necessary.

Click through to see the images. Reef Hobbyist Magazine Volume 6, Issue 4 features the following articles: Apogon Reef (Leonardo den Breejen’s tank spotlight) A Regal Spawn (Darren Nancarrow’s P. hepatus spawning article) Introductory Marine Breeding (Kelan Larson’s beginner’s guide to clownfish breeding) Chingchai’s Exquisite Reef (RHM Staff visit Chingchai in Bangkok) Quarantine and Acclimation (Mindy van Leur) Awesome Possums (Adam Mullins highlights possum wrasses) Look for the Q4 issue in local fish stores beginning October 1. Readers may also sign up for a free online subscription at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com to stay informed when a new RHM online issue is released. " height="408" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="680"> "> "> View the full article

Photos of Iwarna latest shipment. Photo from their facebook page.