kueytoc

from REUTERS: 'Croc Hunter's' father says he lost his best mate Bob Irwin refuses state funeral for Steve, saying he was an 'ordinary bloke' Updated: 5:19 a.m. ET Sept. 6, 2006 SYDNEY - Steve Irwin’s father said on Wednesday he lost his best mate when the TV naturalist known as the “Crocodile Hunter” died in a freak diving accident, adding that his son would hate the fuss of a state funeral. In the first public comments by Irwin’s family since his death on Monday while diving off Australia’s northeast coast, Bob Irwin thanked his son’s many fans from Australia and around the world for their messages of condolence. “Steve and I weren’t like father and son, we never were,” Bob Irwin told reporters outside Australia Zoo, the animal park in tropical Queensland state known to his son’s millions of viewers around the world. “We were good mates. I’ll remember Steve as my best mate ever,” he said. Irwin, 44, died after the serrated barb of a stingray’s tail pierced his heart. He had flirted with death many times on his “Crocodile Hunter” documentaries, seen by 200 million people, wrestling with some of the world’s most dangerous creatures. “Both of us over the years have had some very close shaves,” Bob Irwin said outside the zoo his son took over from him. “We made jokes of it. That’s not to say that we were careless but we treated it like it was just part of the job,” he said. News of Irwin’s death clogged Internet news sites and drew tributes from around the world. Prime Minister John Howard interrupted parliament on Tuesday to pay tribute to him, saying he was distressed by the loss of a remarkable Australian. Irwin’s death continued to dominate local newspapers, with the tabloid Daily Telegraph devoting seven pages to the story as well as a full-page color poster on Wednesday. 'Just an ordinary bloke' Authorities have offered Irwin’s grieving family a state funeral but Bob Irwin, dressed in khaki shirt and shorts like those his son made famous, said they were unlikely to accept. “The state funeral would be refused ... because he’s an ordinary guy, he’s just an ordinary bloke,” Bob Irwin said. Irwin is survived by his U.S.-born wife, Terri, and two young children. Terri Irwin has thanked staff at Australia Zoo for their support but has not spoken publicly since his death. “Terri’s holding up very well, considering,” Bob Irwin said. Bob Irwin, who taught Irwin how to handle dangerous animals, said he was burying a cow which had died while calving on his farm when he heard of his son’s death. He said that his son had died doing something he loved. “That’s a lot better than getting hit by a bus. But there is no comfort for me at this stage in anything at all.” Copyright 2006 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters.

No prob lah...juz throw in the bugger. You will enjoy its antics.

Some fact about Stingrays. How a Passive Stingray Can Become Deadly! By Robert Roy Britt LiveScience Managing Editor posted: 04 September 2006 12:16 pm ET Stingrays like the one that killed "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin are cousins of sharks. But unlike some sharks, which are fearsome predators with powerful jaws, the stingray is rarely a threat to humans and its small mouth is no threat at all. The tail of the stingray that killed Irwin is capped with a roughly 8-inch spear made of the same stuff that makes up shark scales, known as dermal denticles. The spear, which stiffens when the stingray feels threatened, is serrated like a steak knife and packs a venom that can be deadly to predators. The tip of a stingray's tail is serrated like a steak knife. "The venom itself is a largely protein-based toxin that causes great pain in mammals and may also alter heart rate and respiration," according to the Mote Marine Laboratory. "Stingrays do not attack people, however if it is stepped on, the stingray will utilize its spine as a form of defense," according to Nancy Passarelli and Andrew Piercy of Florida Museum of Natural History. "Although being pierced by the stingray’s spine is painful, it is rarely life threatening to humans." There are about 200 species of stingrays. They live in both freshwater and in the oceans. Many do not have the ability to sting. A stingray's mouth is on the underside of its flat body, so that it can feed on worms, crustaceans and other creatures on the seafloor. Its teeth are used to crack shells of prey. Stingray spines have been used by coastal tribes to create spears and arrowheads, according to the Miami Museum of Science. Irwin was likely killed not by the sting so much as the fact that the stingray's spear pierced his heart and caused him to bleed to death, according to news reports.

from AP article: 'Croc Hunter's' last moments caught on tape. Irwin pulled stingray barb from heart before dying on Great Barrier Reef Updated: 3:33 a.m. ET Sept. 5, 2006 CAIRNS, Australia - Steve Irwin was videotaped pulling a poisonous stingray barb from his chest in his last moments of life, officials said Tuesday, as tributes poured in for TV’s “Crocodile Hunter.” Police said there was nothing suspicious about Irwin’s death and no evidence he provoked the animal. Irwin, 44, was stabbed through the heart on Monday while snorkeling with a stingray during filming of a new TV program on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. John Stainton, Irwin’s manager who was among the crew on the reef, said the fatal blow was caught on videotape, and described viewing the footage as having the “terrible” experience of watching a friend die. “It shows that Steve came over the top of the ray and the tail came up, and spiked him here (in the chest), and he pulled it out and the next minute he’s gone,” Stainton told reporters in Cairns, where Irwin’s body was taken for an autopsy. Queensland state police were holding the tape as evidence for a coroner’s inquiry — a standard procedure in high-profile deaths or those caused by other than natural causes. Threats Irwin wasn’t used to Experts have said the stingray may have felt trapped between the cameraman and the TV star. Irwin, the popular host of “Crocodile Hunter,” rose to fame by getting dangerously close to crocodiles, snakes and other beasts. But Queensland Police Superintendent Michael Keating said there was no evidence Irwin threatened or intimidated the stingray, a normally placid species that only deploys its poisonous tail spines as a defense. Stainton said Irwin was in his element in the Outback, but that he and Irwin had talked about the sea posing threats the star wasn’t used to. “If ever he was going to go, we always said it was going to be the ocean,” Stainton said. “On land he was agile, quick-thinking, quick-moving and the ocean puts another element there that you have no control over.” Parliament took a break from the business of running the country to pay tribute to Irwin, whose body was being flown home Tuesday from Cairns. No funeral plans were announced but state Premier Peter Beattie said Irwin would be afforded a state funeral if his family agreed. Irwin’s American wife Terri, Bindi and their son Bob, almost 3, returned late Monday from a trekking vacation in Tasmania to Australia Zoo, the wildlife park where the family lived at Beerwah in Queensland’s southeast. 'Our wildlife warrior' At the park, hundreds of people filed past the entrance laying floral bouquets and handwritten condolence messages. Khaki shirts — a trademark of Irwin — were laid out for people to sign. “Mate, you made the world a better place,” read one poster left at the gate. “Steve, our hero, our legend, our wildlife warrior,” read another. “I thought you were immortal. How I wish that was true,” said a third. The park opened Tuesday because it was what Irwin would have wanted, said Gail Gipp, an animal health employee. Irwin was propelled to global fame after his TV shows, in which he regularly wrestled with crocodiles and went face-to-face with poisonous snakes and other wild animals, were shown around world on the Discovery Channel. The network announced plans for a marathon screening of Irwin’s work and a wildlife fund in his name. “Rarely has the world embraced an animal enthusiast and conservationist as they did Steve Irwin,” Discovery Networks International President Dawn McCall said in a statement. Experts differed on the number of human deaths caused by stingrays — anywhere from 3 to 17 — though they agreed that they were extremely rare. © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

let's hope so cos' I don't often see this fish.

Announcement from his homepage.

It was extraordinarily bad luck. According to AP report, he was on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and pierced into his chest and put a hole into his heart. From Associated Press (AP): Stingray kills 'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin By BRIAN CASSEY, Associated Press Writer Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the "Crocodile Hunter," was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44. Irwin was at Batt Reef, off the remote coast of northeastern Queensland state, shooting a segment for a series called "Ocean's Deadliest" when he swam too close to one of the animals, which have a poisonous barb on their tails, his friend and colleague John Stainton said. "He came on top of the stingray and the stingray's barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart," said Stainton, who was on board Irwin's boat at the time. Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said. Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword "Crikey!" in his television program "Crocodile Hunter." First broadcast in Australia in 1992, the program was picked up by the Discovery network, catapulting Irwin to international celebrity. He rode his image into a feature film, 2002's "The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course" and developed the wildlife park that his parents opened, Australia Zoo, into a major tourist attraction. "The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet," Stainton told reporters in Cairns. "He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, 'Crocs Rule!'" Prime Minister John Howard, who hand-picked Irwin to attend a gala barbecue to honor President Bush when he visited in 2003, said he was "shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin's sudden, untimely and freakish death." "It's a huge loss to Australia," Howard told reporters. "He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people." Irwin, who made a trademark of hovering dangerously close to untethered crocodiles and leaping on their backs, spoke in rapid-fire bursts with a thick Australian accent and was almost never seen without his uniform of khaki shorts and shirt and heavy boots. Wild animal expert Jack Hanna, who frequently appears on TV with his subjects, offered praise for Irwin. "Steve was one of these guys, we thought of him as invincible," Hanna, director emeritus of the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo and Aquarium, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Monday. "The guy was incredible. His knowledge was incredible," Hanna said. "Some people that are doing this stuff are actors and that type of thing, but Steve was truly a zoologist, so to speak, a person who knew what he was doing. Yes, he did things a lot of people wouldn't do. I think he knew what he was doing." Irwin's ebullience was infectious and Australian officials sought him out for photo opportunities and to promote Australia internationally. His public image was dented, however, in 2004 when he caused an uproar by holding his infant son in one arm while feeding large crocodiles inside a zoo pen. Irwin claimed at the time there was no danger to the child, and authorities declined to charge Irwin with violating safety regulations. Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken against him. Stingrays have a serrated, toxin-loaded barb, or spine, on the top of their tail. The barb, which can be up to 10 inches long, flexes if a ray is frightened. Stings usually occur to people when they step on or swim too close to a ray and can be excruciatingly painful but are rarely fatal, said University of Queensland marine neuroscientist Shaun Collin. Collin said he suspected Irwin died because the barb pierced under his ribcage and directly into his heart. "It was extraordinarily bad luck. It's not easy to get spined by a stingray and to be killed by one is very rare," Collin said. News of Irwin's death spread quickly, and tributes flowed from all quarters of society. At Australia Zoo at Beerwah, south Queensland, floral tributes were dropped at the entrance, where a huge fake crocodile gapes. Drivers honked their horns as they passed. "Steve, from all God's creatures, thank you. Rest in peace," was written on a card with a bouquet of native flowers. "We're all very shocked. I don't know what the zoo will do without him. He's done so much for us, the environment and it's a big loss," said Paula Kelly, a local resident and volunteer at the zoo, after dropping off a wreath at the gate. Stainton said Irwin's American-born wife Terri, from Eugene, Ore., had been informed of his death, and had told their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December. The couple met when she went on vacation in Australia in 1991 and visited Irwin's Australia Zoo; they were married six months later. Sometimes referred to as the "Crocodile Huntress," she costarred on her husband's television show and in his 2002 movie. On the Net: http://www.crocodilehunter.com

tis ole' devil is the culprit ?

Some useful info for divers & perhaps reefers who keep stingray... STINGRAY INJURIES, ENVENOMATION, AND MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

News headlines about his death are now flashing in major news media across the globe. from REUTERS: "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin dies By Paul Tait (1 hour, 11 minutes ago) Steve Irwin, the quirky Australian naturalist who won worldwide acclaim, was killed by a stingray barb through the chest on Monday while diving off Australia's northeast coast, emergency officials and witnesses said. "Steve was hit by a stingray in the chest," said local diving operator Steve Edmondson, whose Poseidon boats were out on the Great Barrier Reef when the accident occurred. "He probably died from a cardiac arrest from the injury," he said. Police and ambulance officials later confirmed Irwin had died and said his family had been advised. Irwin, 44, was killed while filming an underwater documentary off Port Douglas. Irwin had been diving off his boat "Croc One" near Batt Reef northeast of Port Douglas. A helicopter had taken paramedics to nearby Low Isles where Irwin was taken for medical treatment but he was dead before they arrived, police said. Irwin won a global following for his dare-devil antics but also triggered outrage in 2004 by holding his then one-month-old baby while feeding a snapping crocodile at his Australian zoo. He made almost 50 of his "Crocodile Hunter" documentaries which appeared on cable TV channel Animal Planet and won a worldwide audience. The series ended after he was criticized for the incident with his young son and for disturbing whales, seals and penguins while filming in Antarctica. Khaki-clad Irwin became famous for his seemingly death-defying methods with wild animals, including crocodiles and snakes. He made a cameo appearance alongside Eddie Murphy in the 2001 Hollywood film Dr Dolittle 2 and appeared on U.S. television shows such as "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and on children's television alongside The Wiggles. Irwin was married with two children, Bindi Sue and Bob Clarence. His American-born wife Terri was his business partner and frequent on-screen collaborator. (Additional reporting by Michael Perry in SYDNEY)

tat looks like a giant aiptasia in the background ! You may want to 'zap' it before it goes out of control in ya tank mate.

Let us keep a moment of silence & pays our deepest respect to a wonderful environmentalist whom had taught us so much about Mother's Nature. I have learnt so much about marine life & animals through his television shows. My prayers go out to his family. Updated: 1:36 a.m. ET Sept. 4, 2006 BRISBANE, Australia - Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and environmentalist known as the “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed Monday by a stingray during a diving expedition, Australian media said. He was 44. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary on the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Queensland state when the accident occurred, Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on its Web site. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. said Irwin was diving near Low Isles Reef near the resort town of Port Douglas, about 1,260 miles north of the state capital of Brisbane. Queensland ambulance service spokesman Bob Hamil confirmed that a diver had been killed by a stingray off Lowe Isles Reef but refused to say who the victim was until relatives had been notified. A rescue helicopter was sent from the nearby city of Cairns, and paramedics from it confirmed the diver’s death. “The probable cause of death is stingray strike to the chest,” Hamil said. Staff at Australia Zoo, Irwin’s zoo in southern Queensland, said they had heard the reports but could not comment. 'Crikey!' Irwin is famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchcry “Crikey!” in his television program “Crocodile Hunter,” which was first broadcast in Australia in 1992 and has aired around the world on the Discovery channel. He rode his image into a feature film, and developed the Australia Zoo as a tourist attraction. Irwin had received some negative publicity in recent years. In January 2004, he stunned onlookers at the Australia Zoo reptile park by carrying his 1-year-old son into a crocodile pen during a wildlife show. He tucked the infant under one arm while tossing the 13-foot reptile a piece of meat with the other. Authorities declined to charge Irwin for violating safety regulations. Later that year, he was accused of getting too close to penguins, a seal and humpback whales in Antarctica while making a documentary. Irwin denied any wrongdoing, and an Australian Environment Department investigation recommended no action be taken. Irwin was also seen as a vocal critic of wildlife hunts in Australia. The federal government recently dropped plans to allow crocodile safaris for wealthy tourists in the Northern Territory following his vehement objections. Irwin told the Australian television program “A Current Affair” that “killing one of our beautiful animals in the name of trophy hunting will have a very negative impact on tourism, which scares the living daylights out of me.” He is survived by his American wife Terri, from Oregon, and their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December. © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

I wanted to but the thought of goin' there (journey from the east ) & finding the shop closed again puts me off. Anyway, if u happen to see tat fish again, let me know.

Flasher/Filament/Pencil Wrasses are overlooked by most reefers. But once u know more about these species, u will learn to appreciate its colors, beauty & interesting antics. The challenge is to keep them alive for long periods of time as they are known to be 'high-jumpers' & of course their 'disappearing' act. But be warned, these cuties are 'addictive'.

Excellent ! Tat's what I'm looking for, it's the Royal Wrasse bro. Do u know how much are they selling ?

Not yet as the journey is too far out. I heard more MWs coming soon...

Mine is the smallest of the lot. Est about 4 inches. Male is even bigger, abt 6-7 inches. But its color is eye-fantastic ! I hope SL has a male specimen with size of 4-5 inches.

Can u tell me its latin name ?

If u try hard, a blue note can buy a pair !

Who call my name ???

I got it from Ah Beng over the weekend. They have both the male (big size) & female versions. I hope to add a smaller male version.

I'm also hoping to add the Royal Wrasse, P.Severnsi. Did u see it there ?

bro !

Yeah & I juz luv its 'black mask' eyes !

I wish it was a multi-color but wouldn't want to take a chance now. It's a reef-safe female Japanese Swallow, G.Semifasciatus.