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Palytoxin!

by | Sep 18, 2015 | Cephalopods, Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, MACNA, Science, Tanks

Palythoa grandisMany of us are inspired to keep marine life for its exotic beauty or interesting behavior. But if we’re being perfectly honest, we have to admit there’s also something intriguing about keeping—and displaying to our friends and family—marine organisms that have dangerous or potentially deadly defense mechanisms, such as venomous spines, potent toxins, or razor-sharp teeth. For those hobbyists who like to flirt with danger, the marine aquarium trade certainly offers its share of prickly and poisonous characters—from venomous fishes to deadly cephalopods to noxious sessile invertebrates. There are even organisms we can buy that offer stunning beauty and potency in equal measure.Among these best-of-both-worlds critters are many of the zoanthids we’re so fond of keeping in our reef systems. These polyps (most of the ones we keep being from the Zoanthus and Palythoa genera) have much to recommend them, being very hardy and often stunningly beautiful. But some of them also contain a potent neurotoxin, called palytoxin, in their tissues and mucus that can make people very sick or even cause death if they’re not handled properly. Of course, blithely mentioning that certain popular zoanthids have the potential to sicken or kill people raises a whole host of questions that demand prompt, thorough answers. Among them: What is the nature of palytoxin

The Striated Frogfish: a Great Choice for the Oddball Fish Aficionado

by | Sep 11, 2015 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Science, Tanks

Striated, or hairy, frogfish (Antennarius striatus)Marine aquarists who are drawn to cryptic species with unusual morphology rather than bright colors might want to give the striated frogfish (Antennarius striatus) a second look. Actually, depending on the system it’s kept in, it may be necessary to give it a second (or third or fourth) look, as this angler is truly a master of camouflage. Physical traitsLike most antennariids, A. striatus is somewhat monstrous—albeit fascinating—in appearance, having a globular body that is cleverly obscured with myriad protrusions and frilly appendages. Its modified pectoral fins look almost like little legs, which is pretty cool (but also kind of creepy). Striated frogfish commonly exhibit brown and tan tiger striping, but they can modify their coloration to blend in with different surroundings. The maximum recorded size for this species is between 8 and 9 inches, though most specimens aren’t apt to get quite that large

Freshwater Dips and Seahorses

by | Sep 10, 2015 | Fish, Science, Seahorses, Tanks

Occasionally a seahorse hobbyist runs into a situation where a freshwater (FW) dip is indicated. A FW Dip can be used as both a therapeutic and a diagnostic tool. As a therapeutic tool it can help rid the seahorse of ectoparasites on the body, in the oral cavity, as well as in the gills. As a diagnostic tool, observation during the dip will give you a good idea if there is a parasitic load or not. It can also be done prophylactically on new arrivals from suspect sources, on wild caught (WC) specimens or when a tank mate has had known parasitic load. We have been doing FW Dips for over 11 years. We have found that every species we have encountered has handled FW Dips just fine