When is a Toadstool Coral not a Toadstool Coral?

Zoological taxonomy is not for the feint of heart. Take, for instance, the humble Toadstool Coral— a stalwart soft coral recommended to every rookie reef aquarist. Despite the ubiquity and importance of these corals in reef ecosystems, our understanding of their...

Overview of Sponges

Although commonly regarded as the most primitive multicellular animal group, sponges – members of the phylum: Porifera, are both diverse and interesting. Currently, this phylum is described as consisting almost completely of 3 distinct classes: Demospongea, Calcarea,...

The Naming of Fish

There are new species of fish being discovered all the time.  In the last year alone, the discovery of a new species of fish living at extreme depths in the South Pacific, nine new species of handfish (a group related to anglerfish) off the coast of Australia, and two...