Reef Hobbyist Magazine Q1 2011

first QUARTER 2011 | Volume 5

BREEDING DWARF ANGELFISH pt. 1 selection, pairing, and conditioning www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com

features

6

ATTEMPTING NUCLEAR FUSIOn Adam Mullins, co-owner of The Mystic Reef, is a professional reef aquarist and blogger. How far would you go in an attempt to coax your coral to take on the color of a neighbor?

Adam documents and shares the results of one experiment he conducted in an attempt to fuse the Nuclear Green and Purple Death Palythoa morphs. Image by author.

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flashlightfishes: for experts only? Matt Wandell is an Aquatic Biologist at the California Academy of Sciences – Steinhart Aquarium. Matt introduces two species of flashlightfishes that are available to hobbyists and how one can provide the perfect environment to keep these fishes in an aquarium. Drawing on his experience with Steinhart’s 2,000 gallon flashlightfish exhibit, Matt reveals some important tips on fish selection, aquascaping, feeding and lighting. Image by Greg Rothschild.

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What’s love got to do with it? (the truth about seahorse monogamy) Tami Weiss has been raising seahorses for over a decade and is the founder of Fusedjaw.com, an online magazine about seahorses, pipefish, seadragons and their relatives. Tami discusses recent findings that debunk a common myth about seahorse monogamy. Image by author.

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keeping sps corals: an introduction for beginners Matt Fearnehough is a coral farmer located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Matt has 27 years experience in the reef hobby, and has managed two local aquarium stores. In this article, Matt covers some basic tips for any hobbyist ready to make the leap into SPS keeping. Image by author.

32

the predatory brittle stars: ophiarachna Peggy Nelson, owner of All Reef in Minnesota, teaches reefkeeping classes and writes care requirement articles for various coral species. While some brittle stars are reef safe, Peggy spotlights one brittle star species that may turn your prized fish collection into (tasty) midnight snacks. Image by author.

on the cover

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breeding dwarf angelfish pt.1

Selection, Pairing and Conditioning Richard Reynolds is an established marine ornamental breeder who has successfully bred clowns, dottybacks, Mandarin gobies, and pygmy angels, like Centropyge loricula (Flame Angel) and Centropyge bispinosa (Coral Beauty). Richard offers RHM highly coveted knowledge for the successful selection, pairing and conditioning of pygmy angel broodstock in part 1 of this series.

Image by Sabine Penisson.

first QUARTER 2011 | Volume 5 Copyright© 2011 Reef Hobbyist Magazine. All rights reserved.

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RHM Staff

SPECIAL THANKS

President Harry Tung Executive Editor Jim Adelberg Director of Art Tamara Sue Director of Photography Greg Rothschild Graphics David Tran Advertising The A-Team

reeferscafe.com Sabine Penisson (sab-images.fr)

Steinhart Aquarium San Francisco

Tedwin Chang

comments or suggestions? comments@rhmag.com

coral

Attempting Nuclear Fusion Article & Images by Adam Mullins

R

ecently, while giving a presentation to a local reef club, I saw an amazing photograph. It wasn’t from a famous speaker or author, but it caught my attention nonetheless. This picture was shown during a slideshow of a member’s tank at the end of the meeting. It was not the technical quality or vivid colors of the picture that were extraordinary. In fact, it was a typical fish tank image of two different colonies of rather common zoanthids side by side.

What was extraordinary about this picture was that at the boundary between the opposing color morphs was a handful of polyps whose coloration was split, literally half and half. What made it more obvious and interesting is that they were very different and contrasting color schemes. I can’t remember exactly, but it was something like a green watermelon-type morph mixed with an all orange color morph. Later, I remembered seeing similar things on wild zoanthid rocks with various colors, but never with so much contrast, or with the color split directly down the polyp’s middle!

On the wild rocks, I had always assumed they were various color morphs of the same original polyp, which can vary dramatically.

In the case of the zoanthids in the slide show, however, it was clear that the color amalgam must have come from polyps of one colony taking on the pattern and color of their neighbors! Dreams of awesome, color blended polyps filled my mind. Imagine a Darth Maul/Soprano cross! I thought about different possibilities until the next day when I was able to get my hands wet at my store, where most of my farming is done.

This was the point of inspiration. I had read about GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) infections and seen so called “grafted” corals so I had to give it a try. For me, a logical starting point was the bright fluorescent glow that gives the Nuclear Green Palythoa its

6

The purple infusion is clearly evident in this Nuclear Green polyp.

name. I also needed a logical match on the opposite end of the color spectrum, while still being as close to a species level match as possible, as well as being available. I chose the Purple Death Palythoa for my intended background color. I could imagine what I hoped would be a Purple Death/Nuke split, or even a possibly more attractive combo of Nuclear Green stripes on a dark purple base color. Think of the naming frenzy that could result from such combinations - “Nuclear Deaths” sounded pretty awesome to me!

Once I had chosen my experimental subjects, I glued a Nuclear Green frag in the middle of a Purple Death mini-colony and hoped for the best.

Aside from this somewhat passive method, I also wondered if there might be a more direct way to introduce the zooxanthellae or whatever might be the active color agent for this particular polyp, to another polyp. Zoanthids and Palythoa do not “sting” their neighbors like SPS and many other corals, so I did what any budding coral farmer might. I chopped up a Nuke Green polyp and tried feeding it to my Purple Death polyps, with no observable success. Next, I mixed it in with some mysis, but still could not provoke a direct feeding response. I guess these Palythoa frown upon cannibalism…ah well.

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KWreactQtrPage.QXD:PhosBan Qtr Page.QXD

I let my transplanted Nuclear Green polyps stew for a few weeks, with no noticeable changes. Then one day, I came in and did my normal inspection and noticed that my Nuclear Greens had dark patches of what appeared to be purple spreading throughout their bodies. This new color had a noticeable similarity to the shade found in their Purple Death neighbors. Also, these polyps appeared to be ejecting some brown “packets” from their “mouths” which I believed to be zooxanthellae. I immediately grabbed my camera and took some photos of what I hoped were positive, preliminary results. I was fairly proud that my experiment had “worked” up to this point, even though it produced the opposite results of what I expected. But a half Nuclear Green/half Purple Death is the same as a half Purple Death/half Nuclear Green in the end, right?

Corals often expel excess amounts of zooxanthellae (which commonly give corals their brown coloration) when adapting to higher levels of light or periodically to regulate the ratio of different symbiotic zooxanthellae in their tissue. This is also why many corals have a tendency to “brown out” under inadequate lighting or water quality, as the population of zooxanthellae rapidly multiplies. I have observed many different corals eject these little brown packets out of their mouths, especially when adapting to new lighting. That said, I feel I should mention that my experimental frag and colony were growing in a 6 foot frag tank lit by a 250 watt Radium 20,000K on a light mover and this had not changed for some time. Over the next few days, however, the purple colors faded and so did my hopes of creating a mixed color morph Palythoa. The Nuclear Green had once again become solid green. Could the Nuclear Green have ingested the dark purple zooxanthellae of its neighbor? Why did that color spread so rapidly in the polyp, but not stay permanently?

6/3/10

12:20 PM

A Sprung reactor ?

Patent-pending design by Julian Sprung

The KW Reactor™300 from Two Little Fishies automatically makes saturated kalkwasser by mixing freshwater with calcium hydroxide in a reaction chamber.

Use with any 200 gph standard powerhead with 1/2 inch ID hose, and a timer or a level switch to deliver top-off water from a reservoir. Includes check valve and flexible fittings, all for a price that won’t make your head spin.

For optimal results, operate your KW Reactor with Two Little Fishies Kalkwasser mix, the highest purity, highest efficacy calcium hydroxide. Available in 1lb, 4lb, and 25lb sizes.

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I labeled the experiment a fluke. This happened a little less than a year ago, but I still kept the mixed mini-colony to see what else might come about, though the colony had picked up a third Palythoa color morph of golden brown with little speckles around the center.

I ultimately moved the mini-colony into a lagoon-style seagrass tank to give it time to grow under daylight-like 6,500K, 10,000K, and even pink T5 bulbs. This type of lighting is awesome for green plants, but most corals take on a brown tint. I also thought that the shift in lighting spectrum and source might prompt some color shifts. Admittedly, after I moved the mixed colony, I mostly forgot about it because the purples took on a brown hue and the Nuclear Greens became just “Somewhat Greens.”

It wasn’t until I moved the experimental colony into a tank under 14,000K metal halide lighting to reexamine and photograph it for this article, that I noticed some more color shifts, which have changed even more over the few days I was photographing the polyps. I would wager the sudden shift in lighting spectrum and intensity might be stimulating the color change.

The future of mixed color morph polyps is bright.

coral

7

AquaStikQtrPage.QXD:PhosBan Qtr Page.QXD

3/1/10

3:30 PM

Stick with Sprung

Julian Sprung introduced AquaStik™ coralline red epoxy putty to the aquarium hobby more than 15 years ago. Since then aquarists all over the world have bonded with us. Now you can use our stone grey or coralline red epoxies, in 2 or 4 oz sizes.

Create amazing aquascapes with AquaStik and our CorAffix™ viscous cyanoacrylate, or attach frags to plugs with our CorAffix gel.

Two Little Fishies Inc. 1007 Park Centre Blvd.

Miami Gardens, FL 33169 USA www.twolittlefishies.com

While I realize this was not a complete success (I have yet to end up with viable “Nuclear Deaths”), I do believe it to be a noteworthy experience to share with the reefing community as a whole. There may possibly be more suitable “donor” corals that could result in a fixed and blended color. Hopefully after reading this, you too may be inspired to pair up some of your frag collection. And don’t feel limited to zoanthids only - chalices have been known to exhibit a similar behavior on rare occasion and certain SPS have shown this trait as well. Remember, though, that this is coral chemical warfare and there is the possibility for casualties. Keep that in mind before you start rubbing your Flamethrower chalice all over a nice rainbow acan, although that could make an interesting color combo!

In the above sequence of images, we can see the three transitional color phases. Notice the bottom polyps - the small Nuclear Green polyp has “speckles” in it, similar to those found in the third color phase. Also, the larger Nuclear Green polyp appears to have some dark patches appearing, as does the brown polyp next to it. In both polyps, the area of color began very small, like a little dark line from an ink pen. However, in the third image, taken two days later, you can readily see the dark patches that have formed in the Nuclear Green polyp and its neighbor, along with some other color anomalies in the entire colony.

As this hobby advances and the maintenance and reproduction of these animals become easier in captivity, the successes of tomorrow are going to come from pioneering individuals unafraid to try new things, even if it doesn’t always work out the way they planned. A failure is just another stepping stone to a future success.

But please, if you are successful in your ventures, share it with the reefing community, and keep the price reasonable. Oh and save me a frag...

If you have any experience grafting corals or photos on this subject, please share them with me at themysticreef@hotmail.com.

coral

9

Fish

Flashlightfishes: For Experts Only?

Article by Matt Wandell

Image by Greg Rothschild.

T

he flashlightfishes are a unique family (Anomalopidae) of nocturnal fishes that have a mutualistic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria that are housed in a light organ beneath each eye. In exchange for a place to live, free of charge and with a ready supply of food and oxygen, the bacteria continuously produce a bluish green light. This light is widely considered to be the brightest source of bioluminescence in the animal kingdom. Although the light shines continuously, it can be blocked in various ways depending on the species of fish, either by rotating the light organ inside a socket, or obscuring it with a structure similar to an eyelid. The light organ is flashed on and off by the fish to communicate with other members of the shoal, attract prey, and perhaps even to avoid predators. Flashlightfishes make fascinating display animals in a carefully designed aquarium, and can even be incorporated into a live coral reef tank.

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Flashlightfish Identification and Selection There are two species of flashlightfishes regularly collected and sold in the aquarium trade: Anomalops katoptron, the Splitfin Flashlightfish, and Photoblepharon palpebratum, the Pacific Flashlightfish. Both are found throughout the tropical Western Pacific Ocean. There are other flashlightfish species found in the tropical Eastern Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans but these are only very rarely encountered in the aquarium trade. Identification to genus level is important because there are distinct differences in hardiness, cost, and the frequency and type of light that each will display.

Anomalops is called the Splitfin Flashlightfish for good reason; the dorsal fin is separated into two parts, unlike in Photoblepharon where it is one continuous fin. This is one surefire way to distinguish between the two species, although it may be difficult to look at the dorsal fin in detail if the fish are moving around quickly. Anomalops has a much narrower body and is much darker, especially in the center of the body, where it should be nearly black. In Photoblepharon, the head is nearly black but the center of the body should be a light gray color. Photoblepharon are also much deep-

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er bodied. Probably the simplest way to distinguish between the two species is to look at the lateral line, which will be easy to spot and is highlighted with blue or purple spots in Photoblepharon. In Anomalops, the lateral line is tough to spot. Both species are regularly collected as adults and reach a maximum size of about 5” in captivity. There is a deepwater form of Anomalops that can reach up to 12” in length, although I have never heard of this species being collected for display.

The most desirable species for display is generally considered to be Photoblepharon palpebratum because of its flashing characteristics and relative hardiness.

Photoblepharon palpebratum has its lights “on” nearly all the time, while Anomalops katoptron has its This Photoblepharon displays blue lights “on” less often. Data spots on the lateral line and blue concerning rates of mortality margins on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. Image by Jim Adelberg. from shipping and quarantine are hard to come by, but it seems apparent that these fish can be “hit or miss,” with the short term survivability of both species depending greatly on how they have been shipped and handled. Some shipments may be complete losses while others have less than 5% mortality. Of those fishes that do survive the shipping process and the first few days of captivity, individuals of the genus Photoblepharon seem to have greater long term survivability. Curator Jay Hemdal of the Toledo Zoo reports that his longest lived flashlightfish is a single Photoblepharon, which has been at the zoo since 1993. Anorexia in Anomalops is common, even when offered live foods, and a significant percentage may die over the first few weeks or months from lack of suitable nutrition. This condition may be helped by tube feeding, although to my knowledge this has not been tried with this species.

If they are kept in proper conditions, flashlightfishes are very active, swimming rapidly around their aquarium and frequently flashing their light organs at all times. Because of the problems associated with anorexia, I would strongly consider only purchasing Anomalops specimens that are eating well and do not show a pinched stomach. Although Photoblepharon palpebratum is the preferable species for display, they are much less commonly available in the aquarium trade than Anomalops, and much more expensive to purchase when they are. However, if you can find or special order Photoblepharon, they are worth the increased price.

The Flashlightfish Aquarium The most important and unique aspect of flashlightfish husbandry is providing these fishes with complete darkness to make them feel comfortable enough to come out in the open and feed. Even LED moonlighting or room lighting may cause these fish to stay hidden inside a cave or other refuge. Given the choice between a dimly lit

Fish

11

area with hiding spaces and a completely dark area with no hiding spaces, a flashlightfish will choose the latter every time.

One way to provide a completely dark aquarium is with a dedicated species display tank that is carefully shielded from external light sources.

An aquarium like this has the advantage of allowing viewing of the This fish displays the split dorsal fin which flashlightfishes during gives this Anomalops species its common the day or night, and name of Splitfin Flashlightfish. Image by Jim Adelberg. the fish will be active at all times. Tank decorations are unnecessary as long as the tank is completely dark, or has completely dark areas where the flashlightfishes can seek refuge. The Steinhart Aquarium has a dedicated flashlightfish display of this type housing over 100 individuals of both Anomalops and Photoblepharon in approximately 2,000 gallons of water. The tank is completely bare without any decoration at all, which facilitates cleaning and siphoning detritus off of the bottom. This is perhaps the simplest and easiest way to display flashlightfishes, but certainly not the only way.

At the Atlantis Marine World, Joe Yaiullo tends a beautiful 20,000 gallon live coral reef aquarium that houses a shoal of flashlightfishes. Most aquarium visitors do not see these fishes during the day when the aquarium is open, but late night guests are treated to the shoal cruising around in the darkness. Given adequate space and filtration, there is no reason a shoal of flashlightfishes can’t be kept in a home reef tank as well. Although these fishes spend nearly their entire lives in complete darkness, they are found in shallow water around coral reefs and would be right at home in a carefully planned reef aquarium. A reef aquarium designed

to house flashlightfishes should have a large refuge incorporated into the aquascape where the fish can hide in complete darkness throughout the day until the lights go off at night. A simple design could incorporate a four or six inch diameter PVC pipe that is capped on one end and reduced to a small opening on the other end. A box made of PVC or opaque fiberglass sheeting would work as well.

Flashlightfishes are, of course, most active at night and will require ample swimming room to move around. I have kept small groups of flashlightfishes in bare tanks as small as 90 gallons for extended periods, but these were completely devoid of any decoration. In an aquarium with live rock, coral, or other obstructions, this behavior should be taken into account. Filtration should be straightforward and similar to any other reef fish that demands good water quality.

Dissolved oxygen should always be kept high and ammonia and nitrite should be undetectable at all times.

Flashlightfish Husbandry Aside from keeping them in the dark, the biggest challenge in getting flashlightfishes acclimated to captive conditions is weaning them onto frozen foods. Good starter foods for newly imported fish are live enriched brine shrimp, live mysis shrimp, small live feeder fish, and live ghost or grass shrimp. Once feeding reliably, they should be switched over to frozen mysis, krill, chopped prawn, clam, squid, silversides and other meaty sea foods. In time, they should greedily consume almost any food dropped into the tank. Flashlightfishes are eating machines and can consume a huge amount of food at one time. Ideally they should be fed at least twice daily. Their size and eating habits should be carefully considered before placing them in a reef aquarium, as this will have obvious impacts on water quality.

Small shrimp and fish that are kept with flashlightfishes will likely be consumed, although fish may escape predation if they tuck

Can you find the 5 flashlightfishes in this ideal, all dark display? Image by Sabine Penisson.

12

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themselves into crevices or bury in the sand at night. Since their active schedules don’t overlap, the vast majority of reef fish pose no threat to flashlightfishes as long as they are not outright predators like lionfish or moray eels. In groups, both Anomalops and Photoblepharon get along fine with other flashlightfishes of the same or different species. Keeping flashlightfishes in groups is preferable, as individual fish may be more reluctant to feed without the safety of a group.

In Photoblepharon, females are generally larger than males at sexual maturity and have rounder tail fin edges (Meyer-Rochow, 1976). Pairs are generally not territorial in captivity or in the wild. Captive breeding has not been demonstrated for either Care must be taken when medicating species. Based on wild oba flashlightfish so as not to harm the servations, eggs are positively mutualistic bacteria in the light or‑ gan. Image by Jim Adelberg. buoyant for 5-10 hours, then sink and stick to the substrate (Meyer-Rochow, 1976). It is reasonable to believe that spawning occurs regularly in captivity, although I am not aware of any verified spawning reports, which is not surprising considering their nocturnal nature.

In the event that flashlightfishes need to be treated for parasites, special care should be taken to avoid harming the population of bioluminescent bacteria in their light organs. Antibiotics will turn your flashlightfishes into flashlightless fishes in short order, and these bacterial populations do not appear to recover in captivity.

Formalin and praziquantel dips are tolerated for treatment if necessary. Praziquantel dips are preferable to a long term bath because praziquantel can inhibit appetite, which may exacerbate the anorexia problems associated with Anomalops. Observing your flashlightfishes for signs of parasites or anorexia can be difficult because they hide or dart away from light sources. A dim red light will allow for careful observations of the fish without scaring them too much.

I hope this article has offered some inspiration for hobbyists to create carefully planned reef aquariums housing flashlightfishes. I can be reached at mwandell@calacademy.org for any further questions.

I’d like to thank Drew Gervais of the Vancouver Aquarium for supplying data, Jay Hemdal of the Toledo Zoo for his discussions on data, treatment, and husbandry information, and Joe Yaiullo of Atlantis Marine World for showing us all how wicked awesome a reef aquarium can look even after the lights go off!

References Gervais, Drew, pers. comm.

Hemdal, Jay, pers. comm.

Meyer-Rochow, V. B. 1976. Some Observations on Spawning and Fecundity in the Luminescent Fish Photoblepharon palpebratus. Marine Biology 37, 325-328.

Yaiullo, Joe, pers. comm.

fish

13

seahorses

What’s Love Got To Do With It? (The Truth About Seahorse Monogamy) Article and Images by Tami Weiss

I

t’s a theme that’s been repeated over and over again in the media and in popular culture. The idea that seahorses are monogamous and mate for life is one that excites the imagination and has helped them gain recognition and notoriety as the most romantic of fish.

But is it true?

The allure of seahorses is undeniable.

Seahorses are an ever popular symbol of the mystical and unique.

And starting in the late 1990’s, their popularity grew as tales of their dedicated fidelity spread through news agencies like wildfire.

In 1998, The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago opened their Seahorse Symphony exhibit, the most ambitious seahorse display of its kind.

News outlets and laypersons were equally enamored with the fascinating seahorses and news outlets were happily passing on every bit of information about seahorses they could find. Seahorses have a head like a horse, a prehensile tail like a monkey, and they fall in love! What more could the public want?

The seahorse true love meme seems to go back to a study done

by Amanda Vincent and Laila Sadler about pair bonding in the seahorse Hippocampus whitei from November 1991 to April 1992. Their results were published in 1995[1] in the paper “Faithful pair bonds in wild seahorses, Hippocampus whitei.” There, they detailed their findings that the ninety-eight seahorses they studied in the wild were part of monogamous pairs that stayed faithful to one another even if there were opportunities for mate switching.

The only time new mates were found was if one disappeared, which only happened in a very small number of cases.

This was very big news. Monogamy is generally thought of as something that occurs in more advanced animals, not fish.

Although, there are, in fact, several other species of fish that are monogamous. Because of their findings, the author hypothesized that pairing may endure over the winter, as it had been shown in a species of pipefish, a close relative of the seahorse.

Because seahorses are the media darling of the fish world, journalists leapt at the chance to write about the little fish that falls in love. And to many people, monogamy usually means a single

14

Is this female H. reidi pining for a lost mate? Not likely.

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mate for life, so the faithful, pair-bonding seahorse soon became the fish that mates for life and withers and dies if it loses its mate.

The public ate it up. This was great PR for conservation groups, because the perception was that if one seahorse was taken from the ocean, its mate would die of loneliness, thus killing all future generations too. In short, it was an emotional story of tragedy that everyone loved to retell.

There was a problem with this; the study was specific to one species of seahorse only, and covered a limited time frame. The study speculated that pairs may persist outside of the breeding season, but it was not actually observed. And while the study ran through most of the breeding season of H. whitei, it missed the beginning of the season so initial pairing was not observed.

A bonded pair of Hippocampus erectus.

The conclusion that all seahorses only have one mate and would not find another if that one died came about on its own, most likely due to anthropomorphizing the behaviors of this monogamous fish.

But that actually ran contrary to the findings of the study. What the researchers actually showed is that widowed seahorses pair up with the next available mate as soon as they can. However, this one fact continually escaped mention both from conservation groups’ press releases and the media in general.

That wasn’t the only problem with the popular interpretation of the study. Many aquaculturists, aquarium professionals and hobbyists from all over the world who have had firsthand experience with seahorses disputed the notion that seahorses mated for life. At least in captive environments, seahorses were not monogamous – that is, not in the mate-for-life sense. Many aquarists observed that some species, such as Hippocampus abdominalis, don’t form pairs at all, while others formed pairs but switched partners “willynilly.” Some seahorses are clearly more pair oriented while others preferred new partners as often as they could be found.

This male will be courted and then guarded by his mate.

This juvenile H. erectus could have many different partners throughout its life.

Slowly, new studies began to emerge disputing the notion of exclusivity and monogamy in seahorses. In 2000, a study of Hippocampus subelongatus showed that male seahorses had a propensity for mate switching.[2] While many were monogamous, almost half switched partners between broods and less than 10% could be attributed to mate loss from things like predation. In most cases, the seahorses simply found other mates. Another study, published in 2004, opened up additional questions about the case for seahorse monogamy.[3] The study took a look at the social structure of Hippocampus breviceps, a small seahorse native to Australia.

These seahorses were observed living in groups, and mating with any available seahorse, with no exclusivity or pair bonding.

H. abdominalis, another Australian native, was observed in the wild for five years from 2000 to 2005, and observed to be polygamous, with one male being courted by several females. In this species, it appears that there is sex role reversal, with females competing for the affections of the males. These findings were published in a 2007 study that was confusingly named “Genetic monogamy despite

seahorses

15

social promiscuity in the pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis).”[4] The aforementioned name refers specifically to the males only carrying a brood from one female at a time. Males switched partners between broods. A later study also revealed that the males preferred larger females, which may be a motivating factor in switching mates.[5] In that study, it was also shown that the females are the ones who compete for mates, and males play a role in the sexual selection of females. This gender role reversal has been well documented in various species of pipefish so it wasn’t surprising to find it in the closely related seahorses.

There was another study in 2009 that looked at a different species of seahorse, this time from European waters. This study of Hippocampus guttulatus showed that not only did the seahorse pairs fail to bond for life, but that if an established pair existed, and the male was presented with a larger female, he would almost always leave behind his former, smaller mate.[6] In this species, the male was still the suitor, but apparently displayed similarities in mate preference to H. abdominalis.

An adult H. reidi.

There are many species of seahorses, and only a handful have been studied. However, the growing body of evidence shows that seahorses are not nearly as romantically inclined as we’d like to believe. Of the various species whose mating activity has been studied in the wild, only one has shown any lengthy fidelity.

Some species pair bond, and of those species, the bond is likely not permanent. It may last through the breeding season, or it may only last for a couple of matings until a bigger, sexier seahorse comes along.

While it is disappointing to the romantic in us all, it turns out to be great news for conservation efforts. It means if one mate is removed from a pair, it doesn’t necessarily doom the other, or the species as a whole. Seahorses will seek out another mate. That doesn’t mean that the disappearance of a mate is a trivial matter though, as different species will wait varying time spans before seeking out a new partner. And because a seahorse’s range is limited, as is their mobility, finding a suitable partner may be an arduous task. I hope this article has helped to clear up some of the misinformation you may have heard about these amazing fish.

References

A juvenile H. erectus.

[1] Vincent ACJ, Sadler RM (1995) Faithful pair bonds in wild seahorses, Hippocampus whitei. Anim Behav 50:1557–1569.

[2] Kvarnemo C, Moore GI, Jones AG, Nelson WS, Avise JC (2000) Monogamous pair bonds and mate switching in the Western Australian seahorse Hippocampus subelongatus. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 13, 882–888.

[3] Moreau, M.-A. & Vincent, A. C. J. (2004). Social structure and space use in a wild population of the Australian short-headed seahorse, Hippocampus breviceps Peters 1869.

Marine and Freshwater Research.

[4] Wilson A.B & Martin-Smith K.M (2007) Genetic monogamy despite social promiscuity in the pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis). Mol. Ecol. 16, 2345–2352.

[5] Mattle B & Wilson A.B (2009) Body size preferences in the pot-bellied seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis: choosy males and indiscriminate females. Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.

63, 1403-1410.

[6] Naud M.J, Curtis J.M.R, Woodall L.C, & Gaspar M.B (2009) Mate choice, operational sex ratio, and social promiscuity in a wild population of the long-snouted seahorse Hippocampus guttulatus. Behav Ecol 20:160–164.

A female H. erectus from the author’s broodstock.

seahorses

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captive breeding

The Marine Breeding Initiative Passes the One Year Mark!

Article by Tal Sweet

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Hippocampus erectus newborn. Image by Donie Marie.

hen we started the Marine Breeding Initiative in November of 2009, I had no idea how far we would go in just one year. Getting breeders together to share breeding information freely was the main goal. I’m pleased to announce that we are now well on our way to providing an extensive database of captive breeding information.

As of November 2010, the MBI had 286 approved reports for 50 different species from 31 registered breeders from around the country in addition to 13 international breeders. There are 187 journals for 74 different species on the MBI website along with other species journals on 9 portal sites. Currently, the top 5 breeders are Matt Pedersen (60 reports), Donie Marie Posey (26 reports), Tal Sweet (21 reports), Andrew Berry (19 reports) and Chelsey Kennedy (17 reports).

Oxymonacanthus longirostris. Image by Matt Pedersen.

The MBI Council has awarded its prestigious ‘Species First’ award to Matt Pedersen for being the first verified person to successfully spawn and raise Oxymonacanthus longirostris, the Harlequin Filefish, in captivity. Congratulations to Matt on this awesome achievement! We look forward to many more ‘Species First’ awards in the years to come.

In other news, MBI Council member Matthew Wittenrich was presented with the 2010 MASNA Member of the Year award during the MACNA 2010 banquet in Orlando last September. It was a well deserved honor for someone that has given so much to the advancement of captive breeding over the years.

We will soon be announcing details for our second annual Marine Breeder’s Workshop. We had a great turnout for our first event in 2010 and are planning an even bigger event for 2011.

If you haven’t already, come visit us at the MBI website (www.mbisite.org) and see what dozens of hobbyist breeders have already accomplished. Sign up today and start earning points with your first approved reports!

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Amphiprion percula. Image by Donie Marie.

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coral

Keeping SPS Corals: An Introduction For Beginners Article by Matt Fearnehough

S Image by author.

The skills needed to keep this kaleidoscope of Acropora are learned through patient and careful observation. Image by Greg Rothschild.

tony corals represent some of the oldest and most interesting evolutionary success stories.

They have evolved in a complex and dynamic, but stable environment. The ocean’s stable conditions are maintained by dilution factors and also millions of chemical and biological relationships between various parts of the environment. This stability is difficult if not impossible to replicate in our aquariums.

There are some SPS (Small Polyp Stony) corals that are considered difficult to keep, however, there are many varieties that can easily thrive under the fluctuating conditions of a beginner’s reef tank. This article will cover some of the basics of successful selection and maintenance of these SPS corals.

Tank When it comes to the tank and its size, I have found that there is an SPS for almost every aquarium. However, a good guideline is that the larger the tank, the more stable the environment. I find anything under ten gallons to be difficult for beginners since water quality can quickly deteriorate in small systems.

Tightly structured colonies require high levels of flow to thrive and may be difficult for beginners to keep healthy. Image by Greg Rothschild.

Flow I prefer my SPS corals to have laminar flow. This is achieved by using one or two controllable power heads at either end of the tank. To control the power heads, you can use a wave maker (there are several good ones on the market) or controllable power heads attached to simple appliance timers. Either method will suffice in simulating the surging flow found on a wild reef.

Lighting SPS corals don’t always require metal halide lighting, and you don’t necessarily need to have the biggest, brightest or best lighting system on the market for good color and growth. Many species can be kept successfully under lower light conditions. A basic T-5 HO, power compact, or LED light system will work just fine for many SPS.

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Just make sure you do your research on the SPS you are interested in keeping beforehand to ensure you can provide the required lighting conditions.

Protein Skimmer When choosing a protein skimmer, you should purchase the biggest and best that can be accommodated within your system and budget. A large skimmer helps to manage bio load and keeps the nutrient levels down. This is vital for discouraging micro algae growth in a captive reef.

Sump The sump can be as simple as an empty tank with a skimmer and return pump. Many modern systems have a built-in area at the rear of the tank that serves as a sump. Personally, I like to create a low flow area in my sump for the detritus to settle out, allowing me to remove it when I do water changes.

Many species of Montipora can be kept successfully under moderate lighting.

Image by Greg Rothschild.

Water Chemistry There are a number of tests that can be used to check your water chemistry parameters and these should be performed regularly.

To determine salinity, I prefer a refractometer. A good salinity to maintain for your SPS corals is 33 to 35 ppt (or a specific gravity of 1.023 to 1.026).

For the four tests listed below, a good reagent based test kit will suffice. Your local reef shop can suggest which brands will work best. Test regularly and understand the trends of your system. Be proactive and consistent in addressing instabilities. Optimal pH range is 8.1 to 8.3. Optimal alkalinity is 9 dKH. Calcium should be kept around 420 to 440 ppm (parts per million). Optimal magnesium levels are between 1,200 and 1,400 ppm. To keep everything at these levels, you may notice that water changes alone are not enough. To keep correct levels of these important elements, you may need to add a dosing regimen. I use a three-part dosing strategy for alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. I am able to buy all three in bulk at my local reef store.

Judging polyp extension is one of the first skills a new SPS keeper should master.

This is clearly a happy coral. Image by Greg Rothschild.

Heating & Cooling Temperature should be kept between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Feeding In recent years, many excellent coral foods have come on the market. I’ve had great results using some of these products, but I recommend that less is better than more. Be careful not to overfeed your tank as it will allow extra nutrients to build up in your system.

Livestock The journey that a wild coral takes to end up in your reef tank is incredibly stressful. Recovery can take months. Newly imported coral should be given the most stable conditions possible. Don’t patronize vendors with quantities of compromised or unsuitable

Maintaining proper alkalinity can be challenging but is key to keeping delicately colored corals at their best. Image by Greg Rothschild.

coral

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animals. Try to purchase from a local fish store that is knowledgeable about its animals. No matter where you make your purchase, I recommend dipping all new corals with a good quality coral dip before introducing them into an established tank.

My Picks for Beginners Some of the easiest SPS corals I’ve kept belong to the Birdsnest group (Seriatopora etc…). Also very forgiving are many of the Montipora species. M. digitata, M. hirsuta and the various flavors of M. capricornis are all fairly easy and widely available. Many of the Pocillopora species are quite durable and some have even been bred in captivity!

In conclusion, don’t be afraid to try your hand at SPS just because you may not have a million dollar system. Maintain consistently high water quality and you’ll be able to keep many of the popular, colorful SPS corals.

The intriguing structure of this fuzzy green Acropora makes it just as appealing as more highly colored corals. Image by Greg Rothschild.

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captive breeding

Breeding Dwarf Angelfish, part 1: Selection, Pairing and Conditioning Article by Richard Reynolds

Image by Sabine Penisson.

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he frontier of marine ornamental breeding has been gaining momentum for the last twenty years, with new species being reared all the time.

Currently, of all the species that have been attempted and even mastered, only a handful can be profitably bred on a commercial basis. Hobbyist fish breeding has made considerable progress since the early days, and now a persistent hobbyist breeder can easily get a few batches of clownfish to a sellable size. While some of the popular non-clownfish species can be reared with a bit more skill and determination on the hobbyist’s part, success with others is still elusive. The dwarf angelfish (Centropyge sp.) group is no exception. Of the thirty-four described species in this genus, I’m only aware of these eleven that are known to have been successfully bred in captivity: Coral Beauty angelfish, C. bispinosa Cocos-Keeling angelfish, C. colini Blue Mauritius angelfish, C. debelius Eibli angelfish, C. eibli Orange angelfish, C. fisheri Lemonpeel angelfish, C. flavissima Japanese angelfish, C. interruptus Flame angelfish, C. loricula Multicolor angelfish, C. multicolor Barred angelfish, C. multifasciata Resplendent angelfish, C. resplendens

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There are approximately twenty breeders who have gotten dwarf angelfish larvae to metamorphosis. Of them, I only know of eight breeders that have been successful in raising captive bred dwarf angelfish to adulthood. This is no easy task considering that when everything is in good order, Centropyge metamorphosis starts between twenty and sixty days post hatch and may take upwards of sixty days in some species. Keep in mind that proper conditions, which breeders often must figure out for themselves, are very specific to species and can significantly affect the number of days to metamorphosis. To date, only four breeders are known to have brought significant numbers of captive bred dwarf angels to the aquarium trade. As one of those four breeders, I offer my experience to those industrious individuals hoping to take on the challenge of raising dwarf angelfish. I hope this information will allow more hobbyists to successfully rear these charming little fish.

Broodstock Selection The first step, and probably the most important single act in breeding dwarf angelfish, is pair selection. The selection of a good pair will directly impact your eventual success. When possible, purchasing an established pair is the best thing you can do. Sometimes, spawning pairs are offered by stores and individual reef keepers.

Many pairs are ‘rehomed’ due to their vigorous spawning activity which can be very hard on delicate aquascaping, and consumption of coral, which increases in a spawning pair. Additionally, some people end up buying a pair for a tank which is too small to support a pair of full grown adults. Whenever an opportunity arises to obtain a pre-existing pair of fish, take it. As with any fish purchase, potential broodstock should be disease free, robust, bright, and alert. With the exception of a few species, C. aurantia being one of them, dwarf angels are relatively outgoing fish and hiding could be a sign of some sort of underlying illness. Regardless of the source of your angels, always ask to see the fish eat before bringing them home.

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When choosing broodstock, pay attention to overall body shape.

Image by Sabine Penisson.

Though there are a few exceptions, I usually won’t acquire fish that are not eating aggressively and I do not purchase fish that do not at least attempt to eat. You will find that treating a somewhat sick fish that won’t eat is even harder than treating a very sick fish that does eat. When making purchases, keep these tips in mind: •

There is never a real guarantee - some places will guarantee your fish will live for so many days, but no one can guarantee spawning. Take your time when choosing your broodstock.

•

You will find that treating a non-eating fish is harder than treating a sick fish that is eating. See your fish eat before bringing them home.

•

Since the fry will have the genetics of the parents, the broodstock should have excellent conformation and deportment. Pay attention to the jaw lines and overall condition of the fish, taking care to look at their silhouettes for over-bites, under-bites, and any spine deformities.

•

Choose fish that have very bright, bold markings, and are prime examples of their species. Good looking parents usually produce good looking fry.

•

While some dwarf angel species can spawn in pairs or groups, eventually forming multiple-female harems, I keep my broodstock strictly in pairs.

•

When purchasing initial broodstock, it is important to look at the big picture - not only do you want to pay attention to the individual fish when making your selection, but also keep in mind the rules for pairing, discussed below.

Unfortunately, some pygmy angel individuals enjoy eating living coral.

Image by Sabine Penisson.

The Coral Beauty is one of the most popular Centropyge species in the aquarium hobby. Image by Sabine Penisson.

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Pairing Dwarf angelfish are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning they change sex from female to male, and in some cases, it has been documented that males can change back to females. The initial sex change from female to male can occur in as little as seven days, however, if a fish is able to change back to female, it can take significantly longer, sometimes ninety days or more. During pair selection, quarantine, and treatment, this should be taken into consideration. If the fish need to be moved after they have been paired, make sure to move them together, avoiding unnecessary delays and thereby preventing any unwanted sex changes.

Pre-treating and Quarantine Angels usually come in with “something,” and adding that “something” to your broodstock system can result in added costs and down time. It is far better to treat any new angelfish regardless of where it came from rather than risk a persistent problem in the broodstock system. I prefer to do a proper quarantine of no less than four weeks (eight weeks would be preferred) with the start date beginning AFTER all symptoms of illness have passed and any non-prophylactic treatment has ended. I quarantine at a low hyposalinity in the 1.006 to 1.008 specific gravity range and at a target temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. New Centropyge specimens should be treated with either malachite green or methylene blue which will help with gill burns incurred during shipping. I usually follow that with a good dose of PraziPro. Depending on the individual fish, where it came from, and how it’s behaving, I will usually try to get in

a dip of Formalin3 for good measure as I consider the exclusion of pests and parasites from my broodstock systems to be of critical importance. Use caution and watch the fish during the entire dip process and postpone the Formalin3 dip if the fish shows any signs of cyanide poisoning. General diseases for angels include flukes, worms and Cryptocaryon irritans (ich), and wild caught individuals have a high chance of having a bacterial infection of some type.

Use caution as some angels are caught with cyanide or spears.

Care should be taken to make sure new fish have time to recover in a quiet, well maintained quarantine system. And any angelfish that could have been spear caught should be treated as if they have infections.

Housing The construction of proper housing for pygmy angel pairs is nearly as important for successful spawning as the pair itself.

Proper housing consists of an adequately-sized tank, privacy for the pair, and the ability to attach an egg-collector for harvesting after spawning occurs. Although the height required for successful spawning is debatable, I strongly suggest using tanks at least 22” tall to maximize fertilization during spawning rises. Tank size and location are equally important; the tank must be large enough to sustain adult angels (40+ gallons for a pair, significantly more for a harem). In order to minimize disrupting the pair, the tank should be located in a low traffic area, and ideally, made out of an opaque plastic or modified by painting the sides of the tank for increased privacy. As when breeding other species of marine ornamentals,

This fish has been properly quarantined and is ready to head to the broodstock system. Image by author.

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The amount of orange on Coral Beauties can vary tremendously. Here’s an almost fully blue individual. Image by Greg Rothschild.

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Position it at any level in the aquarium and retrieve it without getting your hands wet. What’s more, it floats, so it won’t get lost in the aquarium.

optimal water quality is important, and since broodstock must be heavily fed, a filtration system large enough to accommodate multiple feedings per day is a necessity. A feeding ring will assist in keeping the food out of the egg catcher, and clips for nori will help minimize waste as well. My previous One of the author’s 55 gallon broodstock barrels. angel broodstock Image by author. were housed in simple Rubbermaid “roughneck” storage containers, though 55 gallon barrels are better and are what my current angel broodstock reside in.

Once the pairings are established, quarantine is finished, and all prophylactic treatments completed, the fish are ready to be placed into their broodstock tanks.

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Conditioning Properly conditioning the broodstock is crucial to having large, successful spawns.

captive breeding

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Successful conditioning is based on several factors. Getting pairs used to the tank and lighting, and the utilization of the egg collector before spawning, are very important. Test everything on a non-spawning pair and make as few changes as possible to the environment of a spawning pair.

complications are caused by the wide range of foods most Centropyge eat in the wild and the range of nutrients they’ve evolved to utilize. If your angels are not eating the right kinds of foods frequently and receiving adequate portions, egg quality and spawning frequency will suffer dramatically.

Lighting for breeding systems should include a “day” light and a “moon” light. How long you choose to run your moon lighting is up to you. Originally, I spent a few hours hooking up my moon lighting to the computer that ran the rest of my hatchery. My moon lighting mimicked the moonlight found on Hawaii (adjusted for time zones).

When there was a new moon, my moon lighting was off. When there was a full moon, my moon lighting was fully on. I only had sixteen levels of “moon light” as I used a PWM controlled variable resistor and a small incandescent light with blue nail polish on it. While I know that moon lighting is important, I now consider matching the phases of the moon to be overkill and no more or less beneficial than a dim blue light on a timer to give a period of dusk between full daylight and night. The most important thing is to provide your broodstock with consistency of care and environmental stability as any changes can affect the fish and their reproductive cycles.

Conditioning begins as soon as the pair is in its new home and continues through the reproductive lives of the fish.

Food quality, portion size, and feeding frequency can be arduous to maintain manually so auto-feeders are my choice for simplifying the feeding process. If you’re using small belt feeders, set them to feed small amounts slowly and continuously. If you’re using the more common timer-driven feeders, feed every one to two hours. Choose a food that is high in protein and fat, and low in moisture. I suggest a mixture of dehydrated Cyclopeeze, krill, and several different pellets and flake foods to make up the staple diet. Stay away from foods that advertise increased fish color, and if your fish are interested in them, protein powders make a wonderful addition. Feed high fat, high protein, frozen foods like beef heart and enriched, gel preserved mysis shrimp three or four times a day. Also, including live brine shrimp (algae and selcon enriched) will allow the fish to “gut-load” themselves, similar to being offered a delicious dessert after finishing a large meal. In addition, keeping nori in the tank constantly will provide an additional food source for the angels while allowing them to graze throughout the day as they would in the wild.

I think it’s best to pull any remaining nori sheets out every night. I have noticed that some angels will feed when the main lights are off and the moon lights are on, but it can be difficult to maintain water quality if food is in the system twenty-four hours a day.

Foods and Feeding Providing food correctly in captivity to a fish that is physiologically adapted to small, frequent feedings is challenging. Further

This Coral Beauty specimen appears robust and would be a good candidate for pairing. Image by Greg Rothschild.

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Temperature Conditioning I maintain my quarantine systems at around 72 degrees Fahrenheit to retard the spread of pests and parasites and to keep the fish calm. Once the pairs are out of quarantine, have settled into their permanent housing, and are eating well, the water temperature should be slowly increased at a rate of one to two degrees Fahrenheit daily. The fish should be closely monitored during this temperature increase, and any cooler water angels (C. interrupta, for example) should be given a slower increase and extra monitoring. The cooler water angels’ acceptable temperature will be lower than that of their warm water counterparts. An increase in temperature will increase the metabolic rate of the fish, causing an increase in appetite, food consumption, and spawning activity. When the fish reach the upper threshold of their tolerance level, they start to appear “edgy,” swimming more rapidly, picking at things that are clearly not food, and generally looking stressed. I found this upper threshold to be slightly above 85 degrees Fahrenheit for Flame Angels and Coral Beauties, but the upper limit will vary from one species to another and may even vary between individuals of the same species.

Patience is another key aspect of the conditioning program, as newly-paired fish will not spawn overnight (unless you’re Matt Pedersen). Some pairs will take months before they start spawning, and some may never spawn at all. Stay tuned for part 2 of Breeding Dwarf Angelfish for instructions on what to do when your pairs do start spawning!

A healthy pygmy angel is almost always looking for food.

Image by Greg Rothschild.

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starfish

The Predatory Brittle Star: Ophiarachna (Ophiuroidea)

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Article by Peggy Nelson

ost of the species spotlight articles I write are about fascinating, beautiful, and incredibly desirable corals and fish. In this article, I’ll offer some information that will make you want to NOT have one of these fellows, an Ophiarachnid, as a tank inhabitant! This is an animal that many unsuspecting marine aquarists purchase for use as a scavenger or a member of their clean-up crew for their fish only or reef aquariums. After hearing that these starfish can be a safe addition to any system, the hobbyist learns in short order that this is not the

case. Usually within a few months of their purchase of a small Ophiarachnid, the aquarist mysteriously starts losing piscine pals (fish) one by one, likely having no idea where they’re going. If you’ve not yet had this experience, let this article be your warning to NOT purchase the highly predatory Ophiarachnid brittle stars! (Please note the Ophiarachnids herein referenced should not be confused with Ophiocoma, the black, brown, or red brittle stars with a smaller central disk, which are peaceful detrital feeders that will not harm their tankmates.)

A predatory Ophiarachnid. Image by author.

Not all spiny brittle stars are predatory, and many are quite spectacular!

Image by John Anderson.

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An Ophiarachnid is a starfish that when young and small will serve as a great scavenger. However, with time comes increased size and appetite, and soon this star becomes a skilled predator! It has five long, spiny arms radiating from the central disk. Once an ophiarachnid snags its prey with its long arms, the prey is passed into the opening in the underbelly of the oral disk, which can open quite large, especially once the animal is fully mature. This star can reach well over a foot when full grown, and with that size comes a big appetite! They’re nocturnal by nature and “night-time is the right time” for them to feed and for your fish to disappear. This star will perch on its arms and become perfectly still, which makes for an alluring hiding place for an unsuspecting fish. The fish swims in under the arms thinking it’s in a safe place, and wham! – the Ophiarachnid snatches it up with its arms and transfers it up into its underbelly! Also, reference is made by Anthony Calfo and Bob Fenner in their extraordinary book, “Reef Invertebrates, An Essential Guide to Selection, Care, and Compatibility,” about this animal not only eating fish but also shrimp and bivalves, including Tridacna clams! (Note: Ophiarachna incrassata is a very aggressive feeder and will show itself during the day and aggressively pursue foods introduced into the tank.) For a good photo of this particular predatory brittle, please see page 362 of “Reef Invertebrates, An Essential Guide to Selection, Care, and Compatibility.” Buyer beware! If you are considering this echinoderm as an addition to your tank, think again! This starfish is capable of taking down large fish once it reaches its mature size and many smaller ones on its way to maturity.

We all know the feeling of losing a prized fish or other tank inhabitant we hold dear to our hearts (and wallets). Even more perplexing is the sudden disappearance of healthy, well adjusted livestock.

At my fish store, All Reef, we get calls and visits frequently from hobbyists asking where we think their fish are going because they’re disappearing and leaving no trace. The first question we

ask is what they have in their tank, and inevitably as they list their tank inhabitants, they get to the brittle star. When shown photos or provided with a description of the Ophiarachnid species, they predictably say, “That’s it,” followed by “I wish I knew that ‘X’ fish ago!”

The caveat “buyer beware” applies to any animal you may be considering as an addition to your fish or reef aquarium. Do your homework! Research the species you are interested in BEFORE you make your purchase. If you are uncertain of the accuracy of the knowledge base available where you may make a purchase, research the animal you are interested in adding to your tank before you buy. If you have a local fish store you trust and you can count on for reliable and accurate information, it is a good idea to purchase from that trusted source. This will put you in a position to make an informed decision about your purchase and prevent expensive losses to predators.

In conclusion, the Ophiarachnids are beautiful and fascinating animals, but if you are inclined to keep one or more, we recommend you do so in a separate system. In their own tank, you can actually hand-feed them and admire their beauty and behavior without them presenting a deadly threat to their tankmates!

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With this predatory brittle star lurking in your aquarium, your fish may become the next meal. Image by Peggy Nelson.

starfish

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Masna clubs

Razorback Reef

Marine Aquarium Society A

Club Spotlight

Article & Images by Chris Braithwaite

R

azorback Reef is a club founded on southern comfort as any member can tell you based on the fine spread that we have each month at our hosts’ homes. We are a hard working bunch, currently 125 strong, hosting three one-day mini-conferences a year and monthly meetings year round. What our club lacks in sheer numbers of members, we make up for in geographical coverage, taking our show on the road across the state from border to border. Formed in 2004, our growth has led us to have an active club website and forum, shared aquarium diagnostic equipment and the unprecedented support of local fish stores throughout the state.

Our club focuses heavily on the educational aspect of the hobby.

In the past year, we have taken a big step by bringing in national speakers, most recently Scott Fellman from the west coast, for Reef Splash 2010. Our meetings each month have a workshop component such as DIY fish food, nitrate reactors, moonlights and the occasional lecture. Although late to the party, Arkansas reefers are currently exploring the world of propagating corals with members setting up frag tanks left and right where a year ago none were to be found. I think that our local frag tank craze is the biggest testament to the effect of the club’s educational outreach on the local marine hobbyist.

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Razorback Reef tends to think big with plans this year for our 501c3 application and the purchase of a “reefing” cargo trailer that will allow us to travel anywhere in the state to put on educational workshops. While Arkansas doesn’t tend to be a final destination for most hobbyists, we are an up and coming group and if you are ever this way, please look us up and stop by as there is nothing like reefing in Arkansas!

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