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New Flaming Red Gorgonian Found

by | Feb 28, 2014 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Science

The new Pacific gorgonian, Psammagorgia hookeri, named for Peruvian biologist Dr. Yuri Hooker. A startling splotch of vivid crimson growing on the substrate was what first caught the eye of Peruvian marine zoologist Yuri Hooker in 2002 while he was diving in the relatively unexplored waters of the Peruvian Pacific. Not a sponge, which Hooker collects from time to time, the colorful organism turned out to be a gorgonian coral, but not one he could identify. Now a team from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the University of Costa Rica have collected the species again and have described as Psammogorgia hookeri in a new report published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association in the UK. Dr. Yuri Hooker, Peruvian biologist who first collected samples of the coral. “This new species may be found nowhere else in the world,” said Hector Guzman, marine biologist and soft-coral expert at STRI

CORAL Video: Frag Swap Set Up with HighDefCorals

by | Feb 26, 2014 | Corals, Events, Fish, Industry, Science, Tanks

Twin coral displays with LED lighting and video Displays are a trademark of High Def Corals, photographed at Reef Currents in late February 2014 – image by Paul Whitby It’s safe to say that HighDefCorals has taken the act of being a “Frag Swap Vendor” to a true art-form; they often have the swankest setup in the room. Gone are the days when vendors at frag swaps were simply hobbyists with a 20 gallon long and a metal halide light; these days frag swapping is serious business. Based in Oklahoma City, OK, Ed and Denise Brookshire, and partner Paul Whitby, dedicate their time to traveling the country to offer “[imported] livestock not found in your LFS.” For companies like HighDefCorals, perhaps we are better off thinking of their mobile setups as the gourmet food trucks of the aquarium industry. Last weekend at the inaugural Reef Currents conference and coral farmers market put on by MARSH, HighDefCorals took the time to film frag swap setup Friday night before the event on Saturday. What resulted is a 2-minute condensed look at the setup of the HighDefCorals display you see may see around your local frag swap or convention. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbvNGfR_s4c They make it look easy, but having been there myself to see the tear down (and to get drenched when a hose came off a high volume water pump that was draining a bucket) there’s a lot to be done even with such a well-thought out and engineered setup.

The Polyp Craze, a Look at Why Zoanthids and Palythoas are So Popular Even After All These Years

by | Feb 16, 2014 | Corals, Opinion, Science, Tanks

Sunny delight Zoas, Photo Credit: ReefKoi Corals In this hobby we see coral and invert phases come and go. From clams to chalices and even maxi mini anemones, it seems like they all go through a lot of initial hype then slowly decline in popularity. One of the mainstays in the hobby have been zoanthids and palythoas, which have been the craze for quite a while now. They have been in demand for what seems like an eternity and they do not appear to be getting less popular. Instead, it seems like they’re constantly on the rise. Zoas and palys are highly favored in the hobby by both beginner and expert reefers alike. They don’t require much in terms of care like other specimens and they grow under many types of lighting from T5s to LEDs. Polyps grow at the bottom of the sand bed or on your highest rock. They don’t necessarily need to be target fed like other corals and they also do not require us to dose things like calcium.

Corals for Cancer

by | Feb 13, 2014 | Corals

It seems like everyone I know is either related to or knows of someone with cancer.  Cancer is a complex, life-threatening disease which affects millions and there are over 200 different kinds of cancer!!...