by AquaNerd | Feb 9, 2016 | Corals, Fish, Invertebrates, Opinion, Photography, Reef, Science
[embedded content] Atoll is a new app available for reef aquarium and diving enthusiasts to download on the iPhone. Atoll is an interactive mobile app which includes a comprehensive database of coral. Atoll provides vibrant photos and detailed information allowing users to more easily identify coral which they encounter on a dive or purchase as an addition to their aquarium. This can be critical information especially when dealing with corals which exhibit aggressive behavior and could potentially wreak havoc in your aquarium if placed in close proximity to other species. Atoll also provides useful information to hobbyists relating to appropriate water temperatures and pH levels for your own aquarium. Atoll also allows users to submit photos of unknown coral for the community to identify. This is by AquaNerd | Jan 30, 2016 | Corals, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Cynarina is a genus of stony coral in the family Lobophylliidae. It is a monotypic species which means that the only species in the genus is Cynarina lacrymalis. Sometimes reaching up to 6” for a single polyp, these corals are very fleshy in appearance and often referred to as the Cat’s Eye, Tooth Coral, Doughnut Coral or Meat Coral. The coral is found in the Western Indo-Pacific Ocean and ranges in many different color forms from pastel to vivid and translucent. The coloration in the Cynarina coral pictured above is both beautiful and very unusual and therefore classified as an “Ultra” coral. This coral was just featured in a newsletter from livestock wholesaler, Eye Catching Corals. Aquarium Care Cynarina corals are not considered to by AquaNerd | Jan 20, 2016 | Corals, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Jason Fox Lemon Lime Pocillopora Pocillopora corals have been in the US aquarium trade for about as long as SPS corals have been coming into to the US. They are generally one of the more easy corals to keep and they are typically pale yellow, pink to reddish in color. Pocillopora have also been know to sexually reproduce in the aquarium. The most common species in the trade is Pocillopora damicornis. The growth form is cauliflower-like and the branches are often densely packed together. Common names include; Cauliflower Coral, Brush Coral, or Cluster Coral. These corals are some of the most sought after with longer hairy polyps that are green in color and differ from the coloration of the coral which is primarily yellow. Pocillopora by AquaNerd | Dec 19, 2015 | Fish, Invertebrates, Science
In our last article, A Closer Look At Sleeper Gobies, Genus Valenciennea, we covered the diet, care and behavior of the 15 recognized species of Valenciennea gobies. Today we look at another genus of sand sifting gobies known as, Istigobious. Istigobius is a genus of gobies found in fresh, brackish and marine waters along the coasts of the Indian and western Pacific oceans. Istigobius was described originally as a subgenus of the genus Gobius (Whitley, 1932; Murdy and Hoese, 1985) and then in 1979 Hoese and Winterbottom reviewed the family and subsequently elevated Istigobius to generic status. Similar to Acentrogobius, Istigobius’s morphology differs by having its nose extend beyond the top of its mandible (lower jaw). Additionally, Istigobius was found to be most closely related to Exyrias, though Exyrias by AquaNerd | Dec 17, 2015 | Fish, Invertebrates, Reef, Science
Valenciennea bella – Photo by Kevin Kohen Valenciennea is a genus of small, bottom-dwelling fish from the family Gobiidae. They can be found sifting sandy bottoms, along the edges of coral reefs and on flats in the Indo-Pacific. Behavior Valenciennea will perch directly on the substrate for extended periods of time while resting from sifting sand though their mouths. Also referred to as “hover gobies”, these fish can also be observed floating motionless directly above the sand bed or other substrate. The resting behavior of Valenciennea gobies has resulted in the common name “sleeper gobies”. Currently there are 15 recognized species of Valenciennea gobies but only a few are found prevalently in the US aquarium trade. Below is a list of observed species in order
