by AquaNerd | Aug 12, 2013 | Fish, Invertebrates
We don’t often promote violence, but this video recently posted on Break.com is quite breathtaking. It features a bobbit worm, a type of huge bristleworm that’s often found as a hitchhiker in marine aquariums, attacking a lionfish and dragging it into its burrow. The worm extends its feeding tentacles into the was, barely above the surface of the sand, which presumably attracts prey fish to venture close enough for an attack. The lionfish wanders too closely and is quickly snatched up despite appearing far larger than the worm. The visible portion of the worm is quite misleading. Only a tiny mouth is visible, but the worms can grow to be well over 6 feet long, even in captivity. This is likely the reason why the meals have to be so large. In the aquarium, these worms don’t have near as much sand to dig into, but that doesn’t make them any less dangerous by AquaNerd | Jul 24, 2013 | Conservation, Fish, Industry, Sustainability
At the end of June, the Hawaiian Board of Land and Natural Resources, with a 4-2 vote, passed new laws limiting collecting of fish for the aquarium trade to a 40 species “white list” for the Big Island. In addition to the creation of a white list, three of the species found on that list will also have specific bag limits, which are detailed below. Along with the white list, the vote also puts an outright ban on spear fishing with SCUBA gear for West Hawaiian waters. This list and its bag limits are a bit confusing and seem incomplete. Regardless, they may not even have an impact on the number of fish being imported into the hobby. This white list is for the Big Island of Hawaii only, including West Hawaii, but other areas won’t share the same legislation, at least for now. Other counties may adopt a similar set of rules and regulations, which could really handcuff the trade throughout the state. All that said, I do not see any big issues with a white list or bag limits, to be quite honest. The white list is what bothers me the most, as it prevents certain species that could be eventually aquacultured from ever reaching that status, and it excludes other fish that might be in an extreme abundance, but merely left out. Below are bag limits and the 40-species white list, both taken from Fish Channel. Bag Limits Yellow Tangs: no more than five larger than 4.5 inches or five smaller than 2 inches Gldring Surgeonfish (Kole Tang): no more than five per person per day larger than 4 inches Achilles Tang: limit of 10 per person per day The West Hawaii White List The following list represents the fish species that may still be taken for the aquarium trade in Hawaii. Fish not on the list are protected. Yellow tang Chevron tang Goldring surgeonfish Achilles tang Tinker’s butterflyfish Orangespine Unicornfish Forecepfish Goldrim surgeonfish Potter’s angelfish Fourspot butterflyfish Yellowtail Coris Ornate Wrasse Orangeband surgeonfish Bird wrasse Eyestripe Surgeonfish Multiband butterflyfish Saddle wrasse Brown surgeonfish Flame wrasse Thompson’s surgeonfish Peacock grouper Bluestripe snapper Redbarred hawkfish Psychedelic wrasse Hawaiian Whitespotted toby Fisher’s angelfish Hawaii Dascyllus Milletseed butterflyfish Blacklip butterflyfish Pyramid butterflyfish Shortnose wrasse Black durgon Spotted boxfish Blackside hawkfish Hawaii longfin anthias Eightline wrasse Fourline wrasse Smalltail wrasse Lei triggerfish Gilded triggerfish by AquaNerd | Jul 9, 2013 | Aquaculture, Fish
Last year, Oceans Reefs & Aquariums unleashed their gorgeous Black Snowflake Clownfish onto the aquarium keeping world. At the time, only one grade of the fish was available, but that’s all changed. Now, ORA is also selling a premium grade version of their Black Snowflake, which have more striking patterns, more thorough white coloration, and several spots. Also announced with the new fish’s availability is lower wholesale pricing, which will help bring down retail costs to the consumer. According to ORA, it took several years of selective breeding to refine the coloration on this fish. And we can say that by judging from the pictures, that effort has really paid off. The fish are outright stunning and, in our opinions, far surpass the original ORA Snowflake clownfish in terms of beauty. Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we’re sure most of you would agree. The new Premium Black Snowflake Clowns are showing up on availability lists this week, so get your store to order you a pair. by AquaNerd | Jul 3, 2013 | Aquaculture, Events, Fish, Science
The MBI Workshop is the only marine aquarium conference that is dedicated strictly to captive breeding and nothing else, and this year’s gathering is just around the corner. In less than two weeks, aquarium breeders from around the globe will join together at the Cranbrook Institute of Science to listen to world renowned guest speakers and share their experience with breeding marine ornamentals. The guest speaker list is composed of Matthew Carberry, Chad Clayton, Martin Moe and David Watson, with a lunch breaking the day into two even blocks. The conference opens up to the public at 8:30 am on July 13th, closing with its final guest speaker at 4:15 pm. Unlike other aquarium conferences, the MBI Workshop won’t focus on the latest and greatest aquarium gear. Instead, these guys and gals will do nothing more than chat about breeding stuff, a cause we wish we had more time to invest in. In addition to the single day workshop, this particular event is flanked by before and after get togethers that are sure to be fun. If you’ve ever hobknobbed with us aquarium nerds, then you know what we’re talking about. Tickets are sold online only (see link at the top of this page) to the tune of $45, and it gets you into full event including all of the speakers, lunch during the workshop, and even the Sunday BBQ. So, if you’re interested in marine breeding and have a free weekend on July 13th, be sure to swing by and say hello. by AquaNerd | Jun 17, 2013 | Industry, Invertebrates, Photography
Anyone who has been around the hobby long enough knows that marine snails, specifically turbo snails, can get pretty big. Mexican turbo snails are typically the largest we see, with certain individuals growing to be just a tad smaller than a baseball. But a recent import of ultra large Trochus snails (Trochus niloticus) by UK based Ocean Corals has us rethinking just how big and beefy marine snails can get. They recently shared images of what they’re calling King Turbo Snails on their Facebook page, which show these mega Trochus snails to be near 4-5″ in diameter and several inches tall. These snails are almost too large to fit in your hand! The going rate for these ginormous snails is £30 each, or just a shade under $50 at current exchange rates. A total of four were imported, but two have been sold as of yesterday. As far as information about this species goes, Gerald Heslinga of Indo-Pacific Sea Farms has a viewable paper on them HERE.
