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Joe Rowlett

  • Joe is classically trained in the zoological arts and sciences, with a particular focus on the esoterica of invertebrate taxonomy and evolution. He’s written for several aquarium publications and for many years lorded over the marinelife at Chicago’s venerable Old Town Aquarium. He currently studies prairie insect ecology at the Field Museum of Natural History and fish phylogenetics at the University of Chicago.

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Recent Content

Permafrost Mushroom Is The Latest Aquarium Hotness

Permafrost Mushroom Is The Latest Aquarium Hotness

Nov 30, 2018 |

https://www.facebook.com/BaliAquarium/photos/a.681770158615092/1810200945772002/?type=3&eid=ARDHbSapwDoruttVB3kcxY_A3iaWuI0StTZZJOxdraJGN93bURmqqNJ2MNUIppvmVAyBF4OEKewCHVpC&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARDoZKXgKPm-KTvAyULjFU68WAXifkph-e4IlFEyHrsIbmJcO4oNhpOnFJDj560UCZ_5-IEoW-HejJlKuvBGF2DYfyk8zx6wQMNSzdBEZEHjefYjjByVGXcupM1oxXUuNP8-6PI0YOOxuBR4ofd5pPHLW0_tqqDHFo7VIXTvZJjVYwZ_ahoeff03hIrd7NEOqSbLoISwtIG6La2rwaAQ1AlKXOQs7XgxjFVisL49P3Hy28rFlGXLi7MH1MMRtP78sr6j8NLFIwvW4r1HksIA1UxsFCvmUn4xi_yv-m-w1JofrWrXMYiZuGHQHzaWv6XRgsD_yjtEuaUCFV1FpOrgep3w_Q&__tn__=EEHH-R

Move over, Jawbreaker Mushrooms… out of the way Bounce Mushrooms… there’s a new corallimorph king in town.…

Antigonia, A Mysterious Fish From The Deep

Antigonia, A Mysterious Fish From The Deep

Nov 26, 2018 |

https://www.facebook.com/FormosaFish/videos/732245793812357/

The fish seen in this video is named Antigonia, and it belongs to a small family, Caproidae, whose members are known commonly as boarfishes.…

Deepsea Highlights From The Okeanos Explorer’s Latest Expedition

Deepsea Highlights From The Okeanos Explorer’s Latest Expedition

Nov 20, 2018 |

For the past month, NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer has been busily studying the marinelife around Puerto Rico as part of their Océano Profundo 2018 expedition. From “shallow” reefs at 250 meters to the deepest dive ever attempted in the region—5,000 meters into the briny depths around Mona Seamount—the ocean revealed a treasure trove of incredible finds.…

Plectranthias randalli, A Spectacular Rariphotic Perchlet Collected!

Plectranthias randalli, A Spectacular Rariphotic Perchlet Collected!

Nov 18, 2018 |

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2112691065707873&set=a.1387461684897485&type=3&eid=ARAxhOW-C8U47tHz0rdFZgxaTVjlM4pcxVth_n44RebUzfG8m0GUnKeWPOCBowA_ApVEaYf2rt5EXKqG

This beautiful orange-striped boi, known scientifically as Plectranthias randalli, was recently collected from the deep reefs of Taiwan by Yan Jiaxian of FormosaFish, and it might very well mark the first time that this species—a true holy grail among the perchlets—has made its way into the aquarium trade.…

The Enigma of Aenigmanthus & The Rise Of Epizoism

The Enigma of Aenigmanthus & The Rise Of Epizoism

Nov 17, 2018 |


In shallow water coral reef ecosystems, the closely related genera Zoanthus and Palythoa (AKA “zoas” & “palys”) are easily the two most abundant and familiar representatives from the order Zoantharia, but a number of lesser-known groups also exist.…