Reef Threads Podcast #287
3D image of a piranha generated by the Adam Summers, Univ. of Washington program.
We return for the 287th time. This week’s topics include fish breeding, Kathy Leahy, the Long Island Aquarium reef video, MACNA, anemone tanks, lionfish at Wegmens, and 3D scans of fish. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and ChristineSponsor: Rod’s Food
Rod’s Food website
Long Island reef video
Two hour video of Long Island Aquarium’s epic 20,000g reef, Leonard Ho, Advanced Aquarist
Lionfish at Wegmans
Lionfish Roars Into Wegmans Seafood Departments
3D fish images
Professor seeks to 3D scan every fish species in the sea, Leonard Ho, Advanced Aquarist
Spawning Event at the CRF Nursery
https://vimeo.com/179650430 Check out this fantastic new video from Rich Ross. He has been working at the Coral Restoration Foundation‘s coral nursery in Florida with a team of scientists to better understand Acropora Cervicornis sexual reproduction, with the...Salty Q&A: Is My Lionfish Going Blind?
Bright aquarium lighting is sometimes implicated in causing blindness, especially in lionfish (Pterois spp.)QuestionI have a volitans lionfish that’s been in my 200-gallon tank for over two years, and lately it has begun to act like it can’t see. At feeding times, it makes an effort to grab food that’s drifting by but usually misses—like it can tell that food is in the water but can’t see it well enough to get it in its mouth. Is there a way to tell if this fish is actually going blind versus having some other health problem? – Submitted by Sean Myles Answer Thanks for your question, Sean! In his book The Salt Smart Guide to Preventing, Diagnosing, and Treating Diseases of Marine Fishes, Jay Hemdal addresses the issue of blindness in fish—specifically the subtle symptomatic differences between a fish that is going blind and one that is actually ill to the point of becoming moribund. Here is that particular excerpt from his book, which I think will answer your question better than I can: Blindness A very common symptom reported by home aquarists is that one of their fish has become blind. This, more often than not, is a result of a fish becoming ill to the point that it is moribund (close to death) and is not just blind. Basically, a fish that bumps around the aquarium, runs into the tank sides, and ignores food may not be blind at all; it may just be dyingNothing Mysterious about the Mystery Wrasse’s Charms
Mystery Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus)Pseudocheilinus ocellatus, the mystery wrasse (aka the tail-spot wrasse, white-barred wrasse, or five-barred wrasse), is somewhat uncommon in the hobby and usually priced accordingly. But if you can get past the sticker shock for such a modest-sized fish, you’ll find this species can be a worthy aquarium candidate. Physical traitsExhibiting the banana-with-fins morphology typical of so many wrasses, this denizen of the western central Pacific reaches around 4 inches in length. Its yellow-rimmed eyes move independently and seem to be constantly appraising the goings on both inside and outside the tank. Base coloration is quite variable, commonly lavender to pinkish/purplish, while the face is yellow with purple/pink lines. The caudal peduncle is yellow and adorned with a prominent ocellus, or eyespot.400-year-old Greenland shark ‘longest-living vertebrate’
Greenland sharks are now the longest-living vertebrates known on Earth, scientists say. [embedded content] Researchers used radiocarbon dating to determine the ages of 28 of the animals, and estimated that one female was about 400 years old. The team found that the sharks grow at just 1cm a year, and reach sexual maturity at about the age of 150. The research is published in the journal Science. Lead author Julius Nielsen, a marine biologist from the University of Copenhagen, said: “We had our expectations that we were dealing with an unusual animal, but I think everyone doing this research was very surprised to learn the sharks were as old as they were.” The former vertebrate record-holder was a bowhead whale estimated to be 211 years old. But
