by AquaNerd | Dec 3, 2013 | Events, Fish, Science
Photo Credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium/Randy Wilder We tend to shy away from Hollywood news, both in our personal lives and here on the blog, as it usually is nothing but garbage that has zero influence on our daily lives. But this story is significantly different. We’ve all heard about the recent death of actor Paul Walker, best known for his roles in the Fast and Furious franchise. What he wasn’t so widely known for was his passion for the ocean. Recently posted on the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Tumblr page, Walker originally went to school to study marine biology and was a self described “ocean addict”. Although he was eventually drawn away from his degree as he pursued acting, Paul used his influence to continually follow his original passion and even found a charitable organization, Reach Our Worldwide, which helped in disaster relief for events that occurred all over our globe. When not starring in popular car racing movies and spreading humanitarianism, Paul also served on the board of the Billfish Foundation and took part in scientific tagging expeditions of great white sharks. It truly is sad when an actor with such a heart and passion for man and animal kind loses his life so tragically. by Reef To Rainforest | Dec 3, 2013 | Events, Fish, Industry, Science
“Curse of the Caribbean”: from an oil painting by Pascal Lecocq. A frequent presence at marine aquarium and dive industry events, French artist Pascal Lecocq has departed from his usual whimsical compositions and offered his statement on the tragedy of Pterois spp. lionfishes spreading throughout the Caribbean and tropical Western Atlantic. CALLIGRAMME DE GRENOUILLE 30/ Calligram of Frog #30 by Pascal Lecocq. Click to enlarge. Known as “The Painter of Blue,” Pascal is best known for a painting called Corrida III depicting a scuba diver playing matador with Great White Shark. Here’s how the artist describes his approach to painting: Having always my head in the clouds, I’m painting an imaginary universe between outer space and the depth of the oceans, a refuge to escape the contemporary reality, I offer too to my viewers. As it happens, the traditional oil painting is my best way to share my thoughts and I try to bring it to perfection since 35 years, just to be sure the viewer will focus on the subject, not the medium. I’m increasing the layers of meaning (aesthetic, political, ecological, symbolic and allegorical), in an endless play (alliterations of words, shapes, numbers or letters) /building set (always using the Golden Ratio), not to confuse the issue or by intellectual arrogance, but on the contrary, to reach a greater majority of people able to understand the message. The transposition of the reality into an underwater world generates some humor, but hides more meanings. In addition, there’s my willing to share some knowledge and to build a better word. I want a keen viewer creating its own story from the painting or seeking the occult meaning. Therein, by intellectual game, I’m not sending a direct message, but a subtle one. I’m a painter of imagination, Surrealist, but won’t be surprised to be considered part of the Figuration Narrative. However, nobody yet cracks my Code, which will regard me as a Conceptual artist. More than considering the influences of Salvador Dali, The Mystic Lamb by Jan Van Eyck, Vermeer, The Isle of the Dead by Böcklin, think about the writings of a Georges Perec or the movies by Peter Greenaway. In fact, I’m a Postmodern painter. Besides, I attended Jean- François Lyotard’s philosophical courses, the theoretician of the Postmodernism at the Collège International de Philosophie (Paris 1986-7). Pascal Lecocq, Ph.D. His works are available as original paintings, prints, postcards and mugs at the Pascal Lecocq site and store. He will be exhibiting in the Art Basel Miami starting this weekend. Curator’s Voice Art Projects and Dr. Milagros Bello is so pleased to invite you to Digressions & Detours during the Art Basel Miami Events. The show takes place at the gallery from November 23, 2013 – January 25, 2014. Featuring for the first time Pascal’s oil paintings. OPENING COCKTAIL/GUIDED TOUR: Saturday, November 23, 2013 6-10pm with Pascal 299 NW 25th Street WYNWOOD ART DISTRICT Corner with NW 3rd Ave. One block back from Joey’s Restaurant Miami, Fl 33127, USA PH: + 1 786 357 0568 Images © Pascal Lecocq. by Reef To Rainforest | Nov 22, 2013 | Conservation, Events, Fish, Science
Paracheilinus rennyae, endemic in the waters of Komodo National Park. Image by Mark Erdmann, Conservation International. Although best-known as the home of the world’s largest living lizard, Komodo National Park in the Lesser Sunda Islands of Indonesia is also a noteworthy dive destination that attracts biodiversity researchers doing marine species surveys in the Coral Triangle. One of those scientists, Dr. Mark Erdmann of Conservation International, has found and described a gloriously pigmented new species of Flasher Wrasse, Paracheilinus rennyae. The fish, distinguished by its rounded dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, is named in honor of Renny Kurnia Hadiaty from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and in recognition of her scientific contributions to Indonesian fish taxonomy. Erdmann, Conservation International’s (CI) senior adviser to the Indonesian Marine Program, says that Renny’s Flasher Wrasse is endemic to East Nusa Tenggara, the province in southeastern Indonesia where Komodo Island National Park is located. Conservationists are hopeful that such discoveries will help protect such areas from development. Northern tip of Komodo Island, home to a living “dragon” and a diversity of marine life. “East Nusa Tenggara has more endemic species of flasher wrasses, which will hopefully encourage more tourists to come to Indonesia, since they can only see the endemic species here, including the new flasher wrasse,” Erdmann said on Wednesday. According to Erdmann, the first picture of a new, unknown wrasse was taken by a diver in Nusa Tenggara Timor (NTT) in 2010. “When the diver showed us the picture, we assumed it was a new species of flasher wrasse. Scientists from Udayana University [in Bali] later confirmed the species was genetically distinct from other flasher wrasse species,” he said. Following collaboration between scientists from Udayana University, Papua State University in Manokwari, Diponegoro University in Semarang, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Conservation International Indonesia, a description of the new species by Dr. Gerald Allen, Dr. Erdmann, and Ni Luh Astria Yusmalinda was published in the year-end edition of aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology. Popular among reef aquarium keepers and divers alike, flasher wrasses are known for their gaudy mating displays, in which the males flare their fins and “flash” electric-blue colors to attract females and initiate spawning events. Paracheilinus rennyae is genetically distinct from other known flasher wrasses in the Coral Triangle, with its closest relative being Paracheilinus angulatus from East Kalimantan, Brunei, Sabah and the southern Philippines. “The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry is increasingly aware of the need to generate more revenue from underwater tourism due to the country’s marine biodiversity, rather than solely depending on fishing,” Erdmann said. “But we haven’t yet calculated the value of these endemic flasher wrasse to NTT’s tourism,” he continued. Sources Jakarta Post Image, Northern tip of Komodo Island: Jon Hanson/Wikipedia/Creative Commons Abstract Gerald R. Allen, Mark V. Erdmann and Ni Luh Astria Yusmalinda: Paracheilinus rennyae, a new species of flasherwrasse (Perciformes: Labridae) from southern Indonesia, aqua, Volume 19, Issue 4 – 25 October 2013, pp. 193-206. The Indo-Pacific labrid fish Paracheilinus rennyae is described from four male specimens, 52.2-60.4 mm SL, collected in 15-21 m depth off southwestern Flores Island in the Lesser Sunda island chain of Indonesia. It is distinguished from most congeners by the lack of filamentous extensions of the dorsal fin rays in males and a rounded caudal fin margin, a combination of features shared only by P. octotaenia (Red Sea). It differs from the Red Sea species in having 13-14 rakers (vs. 16-18) on the first gill arch and several colour pattern differences. Genetic analysis (CO1) indicates it is closely related to P. angulatus from the Philippines and northern Borneo (Brunei, Sabah, and Kalimantan), but the two species exhibit marked differences in the shape of the median fins. by AquaNerd | Oct 28, 2013 | Events, Science
We’ve just learned from our fellow aquarium bloggers at Advanced Aquarist that the MACNA 2014 banquet might follow a very similar format to what we saw at MACNA 2013. This year’s conference broke the traditional boring mold by using the Master of Ceremonies concept to better organize the evening’s events and provide a boost in entertainment. Rich Ross oversaw the 2013 banquet as the MC, charming the crowd with hilarious commentary and juggling skills befit of a professional show on the Vegas strip. Next year’s show will feature Mitch Carl as the MC, and while we hear that this is a “Rich Ross Approved” speaker, we have no idea what talents we may see on display. Will Mitch jump through rings of fire? Will he stack random objects into a dangerous leaning tower of amazement? Or does Mitch have the comedic stylings that could rival any standup comic by AquaNerd | Sep 9, 2013 | Equipment
The nano enthusiasts at Innovative Marine are continuing their pre-MACNA product announcements with one more addition to their Auqa Gadget lineup. The MagnaFuge LED light fixture, as its name so perfectly eludes to, is a refugium light for the all-in-one Nuvo aquariums. It mounts directly to the back of the tank via neodymium magnets, and after a little peeling off of the black film, illuminates the rear chambers of the tank so that beneficial algae like Chaetomorpha can be grown. It’s not wholly dissimilar from other refugium lights available for AIO nano tanks, but its magnet mounts and powerful LEDs make it stand head and shoulders above the rest. One of the major benefits of the MagnaFuge, besides supplying a thriving refugium with light, is the fact that it sits behind the tank, out of view. Lights mounted above a rear chamber refugium would be far too distracting, especially if the tank sits in your bedroom and prevents you from getting to sleep in a dark room. In terms of firepower, this low wattage and small stature fixture maximizes its function by using a total of six 1 watt LEDs and 120 degree optics. The output is around the 6500K spectrum, which is definitely a good color for growing algae. The retail price for the MagnaFuge is set at $99, and we’ll be getting plenty of one on one time with it at MACNA next week. Specifications: LED Watts: 6 x 1 Watt Kelvin: 6500K Optics: 120 Degree Lumens per Watt: 120 Current: 350mA 4 Rare earth neodymium magnets Fixture Dims: 4.09” x 0.82” x 7.24” Magnet Dims: 2.76” x 0.82” x 1.77” MAP: $99 embedded content
