Reef Hobbyist Magazine Q3 2011

third QUARTER 2011 | Volume 5

The Lawnmower Blennies Genus: Salarias

Establishing Copepods in Your Aquarium Modeling Coral Growth

RHM is the proud sponsor of MACNA 2011, September 9-11 (macna2011.com) and Reef-A-Palooza, October 22-23 (reefapalooza.com) www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com

features

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Do You Practice Safe Reefkeeping? Marc Levenson has been in the hobby for 13 years and provides reef information fixes at Reefaddicts. com. There is always a risk of pest infestation when introducing new corals to your tank and it is never too late to adopt safer protocols. In this article, Marc shares his safety regimen for new coral quarantine that will help you protect your investment and sanity.

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The Gorgeous Purple Sebae Anemone: H. crispa Peggy Nelson teaches reefkeeping classes and is the owner of All Reef in Minnesota. Some anemones are more suitable for certain tanks than others. In this article, Peggy discusses her experience with H. crispa and gives vital insight to those interested in keeping this beautiful anemone.

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Establishing Copepods in your Aquarium Vince Rado has worked in the marine aquarium industry for over 35 years and is currently working with AlgaGen to develop and promote copepod cultures for the aquarium market. Copepods are a critical food in the life cycles of many wild reef animals. In this article, Vince discusses how hobbyists can establish copepod cultures in their own reefs and reviews some of the different types of pods available today.

20 on the cover

The Lawnmower Blennies: Genus Salarias Henry Schultz has been a marine aquarist for over 30 years and co-founded ReefCentral.com and Central Illinois Marine Aquarists. In this comprehensive article, Henry discusses three of the most commonly available Salarias species and how to keep them safe and healthy in your reef tank.

Cover image by Greg Rothschild.

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Bringing it Home: Flying with Fish Tal Sweet is a council member of the MBI and the VP of the Marine Aquarium Society of Michigan. Have you ever wondered what it takes to fly with fish on a commercial airplane? Don’t leave anything to chance! Tal tells you how to do it safely and legally.

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Modeling COral growth Tim Wijgerde is a Ph.D. candidate at Wageningen University, The Netherlands and is involved with the establishment of sustainable coral nurseries. Have you ever looked at various corals and wondered why they grow in such different shapes? Tim explores the scientific modeling of a theory that reveals how complex that question really is!

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masc science fair A masna club spotlight Juan Muro is the President of the Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado and sits on its board of directors which is credited with introducing innovative, educational ideas to keep its members at the forefront of the hobby. Recently, MASC held a science fair for its members and the winning project is showcased in this spotlight.

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

announcements Correction for Q2 2011: Picasso Clownfish with extreme white should NOT be referred to as Snowcassos. Snowcasso is a registered trademark owned by Doni’s Reef, Inc. The usage of this word is restricted and ONLY applies to clownfish bred and sold by Doni’s Reef.

RHM Sponsored events (latest issues available at these events) • Southeastern Reef Conference: July 9, Orlando, FL southeasternreefconference.com • Marine Breeder’s Workshop: July 23, Bloomfield Hills, MI – mbisite.org • MACNA 2011: September 9-11, Des Moines, IA – macna2011.com • Reef-A-Palooza: October 22-23, Costa Mesa, CA – reefapalooza.com

retail store support Knowing what your customers will want is the biggest factor in successful ordering and sales. Join our retail Store Support Program to find out in advance what new products will be advertised in Reef Hobbiyst Magazine so you will be stocked ahead of time. We can also connect you directly to the manufacturers to answer any questions you have regarding ordering, sales and product support. Email retailer@rhmag.com to join today!

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Plus, we never publish online retailer ads! Contact one of our distributors below or email us at retailer@rhmag.com to get stocked. It’s free!

• A&M Aquatics – www.amaquatics.com • All Seas Marine – www.allseaslax.com • Exotic Reef Imports – www.exoticreefimports.com • Pacific Aqua Farms – www.pacificaquafarms.com • Quality Marine – www.qualitymarine.com • Reef Nutrition – www.reefnutrition.com • Segrest Farms – www.segrestfarms.com If you’re interested in becoming a regional or national distributor, contact us at distribution@rhmag.com.

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5

tank tips & tricks

Do You Practice Safe Reefkeeping?

Article & Images by Marc Levenson Sponsored by

N

o matter where you go, no matter how much money is in your bank account, when you see that new coral you just have to have, there’s no chance you’ll let it elude your collection. This time of year, many clubs hold Frag Swaps where coral fragments are sold or traded with other hobbyists.

What concerns me is what happens next. In my club, I see pictures posted – within mere hours of the swap event - of the new acquisitions in their display tanks. Dipping new corals in iodine for 10 minutes, then placing them in a tank is not what I consider smart, nor safe. And forget about trusting the vendor or friendly hobbyists; this isn’t about trust. This is about protecting your investment and keeping your sanity. Some sellers are completely unaware of any possible pests, and others knowingly sell the livestock stating that the buyer should know what to do. Do you know what to look for? Do you simply acclimate for temperature and drop it in?

Pests are often found hiding under coral - be vigilant!

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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

Practicing safe reefkeeping requires that we continually quarantine all new arrivals to avoid adding pests to our tanks. It’s a necessary step to keeping unwanted critters out of our reefs, because once they are in, it’s a real battle if we hope to eliminate their presence and protect our livestock. In school we learned about safe sex and how to avoid STDs; every person in this hobby needs to do the same to reduce the risks and stem the tide of spreading parasites to other healthy systems. Red Bugs, Acropora-eating Flat Worms (AEFW), Red Planaria, predatory Whelks, Blue Asterinas, voracious Amphipods, and Montipora-eating nudibranchs are some of the well-known vile critters we want to avoid, and we have a variety of products at our disposal. Most of these are available at your local fish store, and one will require a vet’s prescription. If you’ve never quarantined before and your tank appears healthy, consider yourself lucky. It’s only a matter of time before you add that ticking time bomb to your tank that causes serious regret on your part and forces you to make some major changes or watch those losses pile up. Instead, starting today, will you commit to becoming proactive instead of reactive? If your tank has some pests already, that’s something you’ll need to address yourself, but at least you can guarantee that you won’t add any new ones from this point forward. That’s what I told myself many years ago, and it has worked out very well.

All you need is a small aquarium, some saltwater from your tank, a heater, a powerhead, a thermometer, and a little patience. Ideally, it’s best to keep the quarantine tank (QT) running at all times, at the correct salinity and temperature, so any new purchase can easily be placed in for observation and treatment. If you can’t keep a QT running all the time, can you set it up for 12 hours? Drain out enough water from your display tank for the quarantine system, and replenish that water with new saltwater. Not only are you helping prevent a possible infestation, you’ve just performed a small water change. Congratulations!

Interceptor™ is the treatment of choice for Red Bugs.

Crush up a single tablet of Interceptor and keep it ready in a sealed vial or similar container. This product will kill Red Bugs, tiny fleas that chew on Acropora sp tissue. Using a tiny scoop from a Salifert test kit, add one scoop per 12 gallons of water to your QT and mix

Just a few of the many products available to safeguard your corals.

tank tips & tricks

7

New frags ready to enter quarantine.

Dipping new corals is great but only proper quarantine keeps pests out of your tank.

Accurate timing is essential for any dipping protocol.

it in for the new coral(s) to bathe in for 12 hours. Red Bugs can come in on virtually any coral, so every last one of them should go through this routine. A single tablet treats 400 gallons of water, and with the small scoop you will be able to treat five sessions’ worth.

I’ve never lost any SPS to this dosage, even though my QT only holds 12 gallons. During a recent trip to Florida, I came home with about 15 frags that went straight into a QT that night, along with Interceptor, and while I slept the medication worked its magic.

People contact me regularly asking how to acquire Interceptor. My vet recommends this: plan to pay for an office visit, and bring a picture of your aquarium for the vet to staple to the patient chart.

Purchase a box of tablets, which will treat your entire system and allow you to have plenty on hand for every quarantine session for the next couple of years. Don’t try to get the vet to sell you a single pill, and don’t try to obtain it illegally from someone else. This is another example of why this hobby is expensive, but definitely not out of our reach.

The next day, take the coral and place it in a smaller container and add a product like Coral Rx™ or ReVive™ for 10 minutes (please use a timer for accuracy). During that dip, circulate the water with a turkey baster at least two times, blowing water off the coral from every angle to make sure any hitchhikers have been blown off. I place a few corals in the dip at a time; that way I don’t have

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Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, CA on October 22-23. (reefapalooza.com)

Quarantine tanks don’t need to be complicated or expensive.

to deal with too many at once. When the timer chimes, remove all the corals and rinse them off in saltwater from the QT. The one thing you don’t want to do is remove the corals and place them in your tank immediately one by one, leaving the last coral in that dip solution for 20 – 30 minutes instead of only 10 minutes because you had so many to work with. Working with small batches is best, placing corals in the display while the next group is soaking.

Before placing these newly dipped corals in your tank, inspect them closely under a magnifying glass. Don’t worry, they won’t be hurt by being out of the water for a few minutes. Do you see any tiny egg clusters? Is anything crawling around the base? Are there any signs of movement of worms or nudibranchs, or any other pests you didn’t intentionally want to add to your tank? While the SPS coral is out of water and beginning to dry off a little, do you see shiny patches? Those might be AEFW. I’ve been a reef keeper for more than a decade, and the reason I quarantine every new arrival is because I want to enjoy my livestock rather than worry about their distress. If I lose a frag in a QT, so be it. My reef continues to flourish.

The cost of setting up a QT is minimal, and most of us already have some gear on hand that could be used. If you don’t, spend $50 to $100 for a quarantine tank. That investment will pay for itself a hundred times over. Remember, be proactive!

tank tips & tricks

9

anemones

The Gorgeous Purple Sebae Anemone: Heteractis crispa, Family Stichodactylidae Article by Peggy Nelson

This Purple Sebae has been in captivity for more than 8 years. Image by author.

Diligent care is required to succeed with Sebae anemones. Image by Michael Hamilton.

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This Purple Sebae exhibits hints of green coloration. Image by Marc Atkins.

Enter the RHM photo contest to win cool prizes at www.reefhobbyistmagazine.com!

I

f you’ve ever been inclined to purchase an anemone, the Purple Sebae is likely one you placed at the top of your list. This gorgeous anemone is Heteractis crispa (formerly Radianthus keukenthali), Family Stichodactylidae. It is commonly known as the Sebae or Leather Anemone. The Purple Sebae is a mass of tapering purple tentacles with brightly colored pink or purple tips and is somewhat similar to and often confused with Heteractis magnifica, which has more blunt tentacle tips and a large and brightly-colored column. In the wild, H. crispa is a solitary anemone that is widely distributed and is often found with its “foot” (pedal disc) buried in a crevice or in coral rubble or sand. There are approximately 13 known species of Amphiprion Clowns that will host with H. crispa, particularly A. chrysopterus. H. crispa is not known to clone (asexual reproduction) on a regular basis such as Entacmaea quadricolor (Bubble Tip Anemone) but in the wild is known to occasionally divide. Color morphs vary from tan to brown to purple to an occasional green.

We have a Purple Sebae (H. crispa) in our reef shop that’s been with us for over eight years now. See the photo included with this article. He’s approximately a foot in diameter, a beautiful rich purple in color, and has amazing striations in his tentacles and stunning tips of bright purple. He has a sole tentacle that is a beautiful green; all others are the purple color morph! He has housed many a clownfish in his tenure at our store, including Platinum Percs and juvenile, captive-bred Picasso Clowns. He has also hosted many juvenile, captive-bred Amphiprion ocellaris (bred by a great Minnesota breeder by the name of Kate Blanchard). I could’ve sold this amazing anemone numerous times for a most generous price, but he remains here to protect his longevity, which leads me to the focus of this article.

The survival rate of most anemones in captivity is dismal, with the exception of Entacmaea quadricolor, commonly known as the BTA or Bubble Tip Anemone, and Macrodactyla doreensis, commonly known as the LTA or Long-Tentacled Anemone, which are both much more forgiving than H. crispa and all other anemones in the captive environment. Entacmaea quadricolor will regularly reproduce asexually (divide) in captivity if excellent water parameters and other necessary care requirements are present. Macrodactyla doreensis is extremely hardy and long-lived in captivity where proper conditions are provided, but it is not likely to reproduce in captivity. Comparatively speaking, the survival rate of a Sebae in captivity to that of the above-referenced anemones is grim.

anemones

11

The aquarist is not always to blame for the loss of these anemones.

Often times collection practices, holding conditions, and shipping methods are far from stellar, and these anemones are light, food starved, and in poor health when they arrive at the local reef shop.

That said, hobbyists and store owners alike must take it upon themselves to introduce these incredible animals into appropriate, well-established systems with appropriate lighting, water quality and movement, and a diet to ensure success. In the wild, anemones can live indefinitely, and I would suggest that all anemones be avoided by beginner aquarists who lack the experience and knowledge necessary to keep them in good health. It’s imperative as a consumer to have the ability to recognize healthy specimens and also to seek out proper care requirements before making a purchase. This lack of knowledge and experience often leads to introduction of these anemones into under-established tanks where they and almost all anemones are doomed. Please also make your purchases from sources you know to be experienced, knowledgeable, and who make the best interests of the animals their priority.

down on your favorite piece of coral! If you know anything about who the likely victor will be in this encounter, you know you’ll be out that beautiful piece of coral! Save yourself the disappointment and heartbreak and centralize (plumb together) a smaller aquarium with your display to house your anemone and its host Clowns. It’s easy to do and centralization allows for only one water change for both tanks and also allows additional stability with the additional water volume for both tanks. Please also keep in mind that Clownfish can live quite nicely in your reef without an anemone!

The object of this article is not gloom and doom. It is an attempt to encourage consumers to only buy animals that have a track record for being hardy in captivity. It is further intended to encourage consumers to seek out and support only knowledgeable, reliable, and honest sources for their reef purchases after having obtained enough experience and knowledge to provide a captive environment that ensures success.

In conclusion, if you’re bound and determined to have a beautiful anemone, please consider Entacmaea quadricolor (Bubble Tip Anemone) and Macrodactyla doreensis (Long-Tentacled Anemone) before H. crispa or any other species. The BTA and LTA both have great track records in captivity and with proper care will bring you years of enjoyment!

Let me also make one other generalized point so it isn’t forgotten.

If you decide to keep an anemone of any kind, I highly recommend keeping it and its symbiont Clownfish in a tank of their own and not housed in your reef display. The anemone will inevitably, not perhaps KWreactQtrPage.QXD:PhosBan Qtr Page.QXD 6/3/10 12:20 PM mind you, but will inevitably at some point travel and land tentacles

Page 1

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The fascinating display of a clownfish and its host anemone.

Image by Michael Hamilton.

Image by author.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, CA on October 22-23. (reefapalooza.com)

foodS

Establishing Copepods in Your Aquarium Article by Vince Rado Images Courtesy of AlgaGen, LLC

W

hat are Copepods?

Copepods are small, aquatic crustaceans that live in fresh or salt water environments. They can be free swimming in the water column or live on bottom surfaces. Most copepods have a relatively short life span but can reproduce quickly and exist in huge populations. They are one of the most common and numerous forms of life on the planet, and it is estimated that there are nearly 75,000 species worldwide living in every conceivable aquatic habitat.

Copepods are a major component of marine zooplankton and play a significant role in the oceanic food chain. These small, shrimp-like animals consume vast quantities of phytoplankton and in turn are eaten by a variety of fish, corals, and invertebrates, including larval stages. Many marine species are dependent on copepods as food at one point or another in their life cycle. This means that these nearly unseen and innumerable creatures are vitally important to the overall health of almost all marine ecosystems.

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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

The life history of copepods consists of an egg, up to six naupliar (larval) stages, up to five copepodid (juvenile) stages, and a sexually reproducing adult stage. Nauplii are morphologically distinguishable from copepodid and adult stages, as they are ovoid in shape with short appendages and small antennae which are indiscernible from their swimming appendages without a compound microscope. Copepodid and adult stages are barrel shaped and have long, elegant antennae that are used for detection of food, predators, and mates.

There are seven Orders or major taxonomic groups of copepods recognized, but only two of these play a significant role in marine aquariums. They are the Calanoid (Open Ocean or Pelagic) and Harpacticoid (Bottom-dwelling or Benthic) Copepods.

Copepods in Aquariums

The Calanoid copepod Pseudodiaptomus pelagicus.

Modern marine aquariums are dependent on imitating the marine coral reef ecosystem in its physical and biological characteristics for success.

The biodiversity of the coral reef is an important element to replicate in an aquarium setting. While fish, coral, and invertebrates are obvious inhabitants of the reef, the less visible marine zooplankton are an essential part of reef biodiversity. Copepods (“Pods� in aquarium terms) are a major component of zooplankton. Some aquariums will have a population of pods acquired by accident, and some aquarists are not aware of their existence or importance. Aquarists who have established copepod populations know that most coral, many filter feeding invertebrates, and small bottom feeding fish such as Mandarins greatly benefit from copepod predation.

Aquarists that master the physical requirements of water chemistry, lighting, and water flow in a reef tank still find many species difficult to feed. Adequate nutrition can become the limiting factor in maintaining many filter feeders and picky fish species. Of all the environmental conditions that nature established for healthy reefs, a diverse live plankton community is the one component that marine aquariums have difficulty replicating.

Tropical corals and clams that derive much of their nutrition from symbiotic algae do capture zooplankton as part of their diet.

Many desirable aquarium invertebrates are entirely dependent on filtering various types of plankton as their diet. The addition and establishment of copepod cultures in reef tanks is one of the best ways to achieve a continuous, self-generating food supply. An active culture will provide many adult and larval pods that are fed upon by a host of reef species. Up until now it was usually hit or miss to establish an aquarium pod population. They often would be accidentally introduced via live rock and then, if lucky, find the right conditions to establish a colony. Some tanks would get outbreaks of these little white bugs on the glass, and the fish would feed on them. But there were few options available to control and maintain copepods. Very often the effort was to get rid of them because they were thought of as parasites or pests.

foods

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The Calanoid copepod Parvocalanus crassirostris.

Moina salina is a larger copepod with adult sizes up to 3mm.

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The Calanoid copepod Acartia tonsa.

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Now that more species of live copepods are available commercially, reef hobbyists will have the ability to inoculate their systems with different copepod species at will. They can experiment with different types and combinations of pods for different types of feeders. Mandarins, seahorses, anthias, gobies, NPS corals, gorgonians, Acropora, crinoids and more, the list of copepod diners could go on and on.

Copepod cultures can be introduced and maintained in aquariums in several ways. Harpacticoids can be added to a sump or refugium preferably with a suitable substrate such as rock, sand, or algae. It is suggested that the protein skimmer be turned off when adding the culture. Calanoids can be added to the main tank, most effectively at night when they won’t be quickly predated by fish. Populations can be periodically enhanced by adding more culture as needed, typically about once a month.

Copepods can also be grown outside of the aquarium system in a culture vessel and then harvested to feed the aquarium.

Pod culture can be tricky; some are easier than others, but with some simple equipment and a little dedication pod cultures are achievable.

Copepods are an important energy source for reefs. Aquarists try to supply that energy using frozen or preserved diets. Dead

plankton is not as nutritious as live plankton and food particles that are not eaten foul water quality and add to nutrient levels.

Non-living food items do not swim about naturally and may not trigger feeding responses.

Copepods in Aquaculture Nauplii of Calanoid copepods are essential food during the culture of the larvae of some economically valuable marine ornamental and food fish species which cannot be cultured with the traditional live foods – rotifers and Artemia. The copepodids of Calanoids and Harpacticoids are considered superior foods for fish larvae that will normally feed on large rotifers and Artemia. The importance of copepods in ornamental aquaculture is that they represent the next step in rearing species that have so far proven impossible to breed.

Recently Mandarin Gobies have been successfully bred due to the use of copepods to feed larval stages. The next generation of marine breeders will no doubt find copepods an essential tool for culturing many families of fish.

The implications for the use of live copepods in aquariums and aquaculture are enormous. Now that they will be easily available to the aquarist and aquaculturist, what will we see in the years ahead? Many species of newly aquacultured fish and successful feeding of invertebrates dependent on zooplankton is the most likely result. Long live the pods!

foods

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Reef Nutrition

Submit original photographs of your Tubastrea, Dendrophyllia, Balanophyllia, and other NPS corals for a chance to win these prizes!

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19

fish

The Lawnmower Blennies: Genus Salarias Article by Henry Schultz Images by Greg Rothschild except as noted

I

have been tasked to write a column on blennies for this issue of Reef Hobbyist Magazine, and it only seems fitting to choose Salarias. In my neck of the woods spring has arrived; it is raining virtually every day (near Illinois record of 13 straight days if you care) and the grass is growing fast, thick, and green. Earlier today I mowed my lawn for the first time in 2011.

Midway through it clicked: a column on the Lawnmower Blennies is fitting for the season. OK, perhaps a bit silly, but the end result still stands, and I think a few ideologies might get changed by the end of this column. Everyone knows blennies are good additions to tanks overgrown with hair algae, right? ‌Right??

Meet the Family

Blennies have been divided into four families: Blenniidae, Chaenopsidae, Clinidae, and Labrisomidae. The Salarias species, more commonly called the Lawnmower Blennies in the aquarium trade, are from the family Blenniidae, which is the largest of the four families and is rather diverse, consisting of six tribes, 53 genera and roughly 350 species. The vast majority of these blennies lack

20

a swim bladder as adults (Aspidontus, Meiacanthus, Petroscirtes, and Plagiotremus all have a small swim bladder) which results in the fish laying or resting on coral, rock, substrate, and even the sides of the aquarium. Some members of this family are considered mimics of poisonous fish, while other members are poisonous themselves.

Most of these blennies feed on alga and detritus, but a select few are planktivores, and even fewer target fish scales or skin. Finally, all family members lack scales.

Over 200 Salarias species have been named over the past two centuries, but given present-day research a mere 14 species fit the criteria to be classified as Salarias. Given yet further research this may change because Salarias is predominantly separated from the genus Alticus on the basis of canine teeth (McCulloch & McNeill, 1918). That is, Salarias does not have canine teeth whereas Alticus does. However, Alticus has been noted to have intermediate species that can be lacking canine teeth. Furthermore, Salarias fasciatus has been described as lacking canines, but that is not exactly true.

A closer look upon either side of the mandible reveals a single small canine. Clearly, more work needs to be done between these two genera. Nevertheless, the iconic S. fasciatus was the first formerly described member of the genus in 1786 and remains the most recognizable member of the genus to date. Salarias reticulatus is the last species formerly added to the genus, occurring in 2005 (Madhusoodana, et al, 2005). For a full list please see figure 1.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, CA on October 22-23. (reefapalooza.com)

In the Wild

As one might assume, Salarias fasciatus represents the species with the largest geographical distribution amongst the genus. Marine biologists have marked their range using the Ryukyu Islands as the northern border and extending south clear to southern Australia and New Caledonia. The eastern shore of Africa acts as the eastern border, while Samoa is the furthest west they extend. Even the Red Sea has Salarias fasciatus. Most of the remaining species of the genus also have a vast geographical range. Most species can be located in the Philippines and throughout the Western Pacific. Two species, however, have been located in only a localized area. Salarias nigrocinctus has only been spotted off the island of Tonga, while S. reticulatus has thus far only been found around India. Not surprisingly, these two species are also the last additions of the genus, in 1996 and 2005, respectively.

All Lawnmower Blennies prefer depths not more than 45 feet, but most are more commonly found above 30 feet. Additionally, rubble zones are often the preferred structure, although coral reefs are also utilized.

The main key in either case is alga growth. The shallow depth allows for the rock to be bathed in sun, and wherever the sun has produced alga growth Salarias species can be located.

Given the above information, combined with their label as Lawnmower Blennies, one can make the obvious assumption these fish feast upon algae, correct? Well‌ not exactly. It is actually widely reported and repeated that Salarias species are indeed herbivorous. Given this wording, this would be an incorrect statement. Lawnmower Blennies are not herbivores. They are in fact omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. One could actually make the argument they are actually detrivores, however. The largest part of their diet is actually neither plant nor animal, but rather detritus, or simply put non-living particulate organic matter. This can include everything from dead plankton to pieces of decaying fish or even the waste by-products of vertebrates. You see, we have often considered these fish as being herbivores because we watch them constantly working a patch of algae. However, Choat (1991) showed that coral reef fishes that feed upon epilithic algae, or algae which grows upon rocks, do so because they also ingest detritus and other micro-organisms. In fact, so many other sources of food and nutrients can be found in the epilithic algae, namely filamentous algae, detrital aggregates, invertebrates, diatoms and bacteria, scientists now refer to this as the epilithic algal matrix, or EAM (Wilson & Bellwood, 1997). Furthermore, filamentous algae species may have the ability to produce secondary metabolites that inhibit grazing or digestion if consumed (Hay, 1991). The Salarias species are estimated to account for 20-50% of the total animals feeding upon EAM (Townsend & Tibbetts, 2000). When we break down their gut analysis we show EAM accounting for 50% of the stomach contents. Inorganic sediment represent another 2430%, and perhaps a bit surprising for a fish once considered to be herbivorous, filamentous algal accounted for a mere 10-16%.

It is estimated that less than 1% of Salarias species live to an age of one year, while a maximum age of roughly six years could be expected (Wilson, 2004). The short lifespan is indicative of the blennies playing an important role of energy transfer of the reef.

Whereas they consume detritus and benefit from the dietary lipids therein, they are then consumed by larger predators, thereby transferring energy up the food chain.

With such a short expected lifespan, Salarias species reach sexual maturity quickly. Males and females pair off, lay demersal eggs which stick to the rock or rubble, and the adults protect the nest until the eggs hatch.

fish

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The Starry Blenny is an attractive alternative to Salarias fasciatus.

They are more difficult to find, but for some hobbyists it is well worth the wait.

Salarias species will regularly rest on large Tridacnid clams, as seen here.

In the Home Aquarium

When considering a Lawnmower Blenny, or any fish for that matter, a number of different aspects need to be considered. First and foremost, can this fish be given a proper enclosure to provide longterm health? Blennies of the genus Salarias do meet this criterion with a resounding “yes.” They are not active swimmers. As noted above, they lack a swim bladder. These fish will rarely hover in mid water column. The rare, few instances they do hover, they will need to be swimming, albeit in near slow motion. But if they ever stop swimming entirely they will sink or be blown with the current. They will do this on occasion, but it is not common.

Thus these fish do not require large aquariums and can do well in aquariums of 60-75 gallons or larger for the adult specimens.

Smaller aquariums can be used for smaller individuals, but one needs to consider the available natural food.

Can the food requirements of the Lawnmower Blenny be met?

Detritus naturally builds up in our reef aquariums. However, in smaller aquariums with minimal bio-load or in old-school fishonly type systems, efforts are often made to remove a build-up of detritus and algae, thereby making these aquariums unsuitable and counterproductive to successful husbandry of Lawnmower Blennies. Thus, Lawnmower Blennies should only be kept in reeftype aquariums which contain liverock and sufficient lighting.

So what kind of foods can we feed Lawnmower Blennies to promote health? In general, it is best to start with the consideration that these blennies may not feed on prepared foods in the beginning – if ever. These fish should be added into an established aquarium only. They will feed upon all types of hair algae, but as I have noted above this is not generally a large portion of their diet in the wild.

When consuming the algae they are ultimately ingesting it expecting it fits typical EAM criteria. Not so in a new or sterile aquarium. When the alga does not contain a sufficient supply of EAM, the end result is the blenny clearing out all the hair algae in search of enough EAM and eventually starving to death, which is not an uncommon fate, unfortunately.

add a Lawnmower Blenny. By this time you should have several peaceful fish established and various invertebrates such as shrimp and snails, all adding to the detritus of your aquarium. However, if your aquarium is sterile with little algae growth, it may be prudent to wait a bit longer. If your aquarium is covered with hair algae, while a Lawnmower Blenny might survive and help the situation to some degree, you should likely look to possible water quality problems which are outside the scope of this article. Finally, it should be noted that filamentous algae is not required to be present for Salarias species, merely filamentous algae must have grown prior to the addition of Salarias species. As is the case in well-established reef aquariums, detritus can be produced at a sufficient rate by the inhabitants to feed a Lawnmower Blenny, but the aquarium may show no signs of algae growth.

As far as prepared aquarium foods, Salarias species can be a finicky bunch. Truth be told you really can’t confidently say what they will eat. Some may never eat prepared foods. Others may feast upon everything from dried marine algae intended for Surgeonfish, to various flake or pellet foods, and even mysis. If the aquarium is peaceful with many healthy, yet non-aggressive feeding fish, the likelihood that Salarias species adapt to aquarium foods is increased.

In time they will often learn from other fish when feeding time is, and if your aquarium fish are mixed in harmony the Lawnmower will feed amongst the school of feeding fish. These fish do like to feed constantly however, so an established aquarium only enhances your ability for quality husbandry. In the wild a Lawnmower Blenny will make, on average, over 3,400 bites per afternoon (Townsend & Tibbets, 2004). If you allow the aquarium glass to coat over with algae you will no doubt see firsthand at least 2,000 of those bites by the tell-tale kiss mark left behind. Consider an established aquarium mandatory, and consumption of prepared foods a bonus.

So how would I define an established aquarium? If we follow the break-in time period as detailed by Nilsen & Fossa (1996), we know that hair algae blooms in our aquarium around the first month and slowly tapers off as we past month three. By month six you still may have small patches of hair algae around or it could have all vanished; in either case it could be considered safe, if not advantageous, to

22

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

You have a decent sized aquarium; you have an established aquarium to facilitate a healthy environment; next you need to consider the other inhabitants of the aquarium, both vertebrate and invertebrate. In regards to other fish, it really is pretty simple; Salarias species rarely bother other aquarium inhabitants. In fact on a patch of reef the resident Angelfish will chase away up to 80% of all other non-Blenniidae herbivorous fish (Townsend & Tibbets, 2004). The blenny doesn’t expend much energy defending its territory, letting the Angelfish do the brunt of the work. The notable exception to this rule is other Blenniidae. Salarias species will chase away up to 90% of all Blenniidae family members, compared to just 20% of damselfish (Townsend & Tibbets, 2004). Male/female pairs of Salarias species are the exception, but this is probably best avoided by all but the advanced home aquarist. Smaller blennies of other genera, such as Ecsenius, are susceptible to constant harassment. To avoid this, add the smaller Ecsenius species first and allow them to settle in for several months. Only then you can safely add the Salarias species, as the Ecsenius should be eating already and have several capable hideouts already staked out for safe retreat. The larger the aquarium, the higher the success rate for mixing blennies. I have successfully kept Salarias fasciatus with both Ecsenius lividanalis and Ecsenius stigmatura in my 320 gallon aquarium with little friction between species. The key here is finding a smaller blenny which prefers to live in crevices, which is common amongst many Ecsenius species. The protection of the den is what makes it all possible. The two blenny genera fight amongst each other because they compete for the same food source, which coincidently brings up another topic. Whereas Lawnmower

24

Blennies will generally ignore other fish, they can become a target of aggravation themselves from other fish which consume algae, such as Surgeonfish or large Angelfish. They can likely find seclusion from this harassment in most aquariums, but it should be noted they are only capable of withstanding this harassment if they are wellestablished first. Adding a new Lawnmower Blenny to immediate harassment is likely to end up in the demise of the new arrival. Finally, being somewhat on the smaller side and in conjunction fairly passive, it needs to be noted to not add these fish into aquariums containing predatory fish capable of consuming Lawnmower Blennies. Notable examples would include Lionfish, Groupers, and Frogfish.

Fish which can cohabitate an aquarium peacefully with a Lawnmower Blenny are many. Grammas, Anthias, Dottybacks, the list is seemingly endless. If the prospective fish does not eat algae or detritus, nor is capable of swallowing a fish the size of the Lawnmower, there is a good likelihood the two can cohabitate. For a full list see figure 2.

Salarias species have a tendency to ignore invertebrates in our aquariums. Their diet of EAM translates into a lack of interest in most all invertebrates, motile and non-motile alike, unless they are dead and decaying. Lawnmower Blennies can irritate corals by constantly sitting on them. As noted above, they lack an air bladder, and thus spend a lot of their time sitting on rock or coral or hopping across the rockwork. Sitting in the branches of Acropora, resting on the shelves of Montipora, or swimming through various soft corals should be expected. Sitting on the mantles of larger

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, CA on October 22-23. (reefapalooza.com)

clams is commonplace. Some clams will completely ignore this, while other clams may become highly irritated to the extent you will need to take corrective measures. It has been noted some Salarias species may nip at clam mantles. It is likely they are feeding on the slime present on the mantle – likely nutrious EAM. No harm is meant, but again some clams may become highly irritated to the extent you will need to take corrective measures.

Resting in a field of Xenia or Clavularia will cause the corals to temporarily close, but they should be no worse for the wear. The potential exists for sea anemones such as Stichodactyla haddoni to consume Lawnmower Blennies, while the anemone Entacmaea quadricolor would be a solid choice. Thus caution should be used and research done prior to mixing blennies and anemones – or any invertebrate for that matter.

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Salarias fasciatus is the one blenny most hobbyists immediately recognize as the “true” Lawnmower Blenny.

As for the motile invertebrates, the same mantra applies. Salarias species generally will show no attention towards cucumbers, starfish, urchins, etc. They will often allow cleaner shrimp of the genus Lysmata to clean them. However, caution must again be taken to consider the blenny not as a threat, but instead as potential prey.

Many crabs, lobsters, and starfish are opportunistic feeders. If these motile invertebrates are considered “reef-safe” it is a good bet they will co-exist with Lawnmower Blennies. If they are not “reef-safe,” do not mix them with Salarias species. For a full list see figure 3.

Are snails the enemy of Salarias species? Hardly. Like all the living animals in your aquarium, your snails produce waste – detritus.

Essentially, the snails save a digestive step for the blennies by

Salarias ramosus, otherwise known as the Starry Blenny in the aquarium trade.

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A particularly colorful Salarias segmentatus from the author’s home aquarium. Image by author.

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

consuming and breaking down the various algae, many of which the blenny either doesn’t eat or benefit from nutritionally, into the food they do consume.

Meet the Species

Only three species of Salarias show up with any regularity for sale within the aquarium trade. Salarias fasciatus is the one blenny most hobbyists immediately recognize as the “true” Lawnmower Blenny.

It is readily available and can be found for a fair price virtually worldwide. Attaining a maximum length of roughly five inches it is one of the largest Salarias species.

Somewhat more difficult to find for purchase than the iconic Lawnmower is Salarias ramosus, otherwise known as the Starry Blenny in the aquarium trade. This common name is no doubt in reference to its dark undertone and white spots, speckles, and splotches which yield the appearance of a galaxy. This is another large Salarias, attaining a maximum size of five inches.

The most colorful of the trio is also the smallest of the three. Salarias segmentatus, or the Segmented Blenny, is often acquired at just an inch or two in size. They can attain four inches, but isn’t common, and will lack the girth that is common on Salarias fasciatus. The shorter length and thinner body makes this the ideal Salarias species for the smaller home aquariums.

Conclusion

The Lawnmower Blenny is a fish which can be added to most home reef aquariums. Their propensity to leave other aquarium mates, both vertebrate and invertebrate, at peace does not place a limiter on the aquarist. They are a workhorse of a detrivore, consuming EAM and in turn a valuable addition to aquariums which provide enough of their natural food source. Finally, they add personality to any aquarium. From the “face only a mother could love,” to the kiss marks left on glass panes, Salarias species may never be the most colorful fish in your aquarium, but for many aquarists it quickly becomes a tank favorite.

References Choat, J. H. 1991. The biology of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs. In The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs (Sale, P. F., ed.), pp. 120–155. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

Hay, M.E. 1991. Fish– seaweed interactions on coral reefs: effects of herbivorous fishes on their prey. In: Sale, P.F. (Ed.), The Ecology of Fishes on Coral Reefs. Academic Press, San Diego, pp. 96–119.

Lieske, E. and R. Myers, 1994. Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.

Madhusoodana Kurup, B., T.G. Manojkumar and K.V. Radhakrishnan. 2005. Salarias reticulatus (Pisces: Blennidae), a new freshwater blenny from Chalakudy river, Kerala (South India). Journal of the

Bombay Natural History Society, 102 (2).

McCulloch, A. R., and F. A. McNeill. 1918. Some Australian blennioid fishes. Austra!’ Mus. Rec. 12(2): 1-25, 4 pIs., 1 fig.

Nilsen, A., S. Fossa. 1996. The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, Volume 1. Birgit Schmettkamp Verlag. 367 pp.

Robinson, E. 1994. Dietary its and adaptations for herbivory as illustrated by six species of blenniid fish from southeastern Queensland (Blennioidei; Percomorphi). PostgraduateDiploma Thesis, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.

Townsend K.,A, Tibbetts I.R. 2000. Biomass and distribution of herbivorous blennies in the southern Great Barrier Reef. J Fish Biol 56:774–791.

Townsend, K. A. and Tibbetts, I. R. 2004. The ecological significance of the combtoothed blenny in a coral reef ecosystem. Journal of Fish Biology, 65: 77–90.

Wilson S.K., Bellwood D.R. 1997. Cryptic dietary components of territorial damselfishes (Pomacentridae, Labroidei). Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 153:299-310.

Wilson, S. K. 2000. Trophic status and feeding selectivity of blennies (Blenniidae: Salariini). Marine Biology 136, 431–437.

Wilson S.K., Burns K., Codi S. 2001. Sources of dietary lipids in the coral reef blenny Salarias patzneri.

Marine Ecology Progress Series 222: 291-296.

Wilson S.K. 2002. Nutritional value of detritus and algae in blenny territories on the Great Barrier Reef.

Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 271: 155-169.

Wilson S.K. 2004. Growth, mortality and turnover rates of a detritivorous blenny. Marine Ecology Progress Series 284:253-259.

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travel

Bringing it Home:

Flying with Fish Article & Images by Tal Sweet

Image by Max888.

H

ave you ever been on vacation and seen a fish that you just had to have but couldn’t figure out how to get it home on the plane in the post-911 era?

I had this problem in 2008 while attending the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) in Atlanta when I won two fish in the raffle. I made arrangements with a fellow Michigander to drive my fish home with him since I had flown. As often happens, when the time came to take the fish to the person, they were nowhere to be found. Panic quickly set in. The shipping center that was set up for the conference was already closed. I didn’t have a cooler or any way to pack the fish to survive the trip home as checked luggage. “What now?” I wondered.

Back in the 1980’s I collected a fish on the last day of my first trip to Hawaii. I simply took the fish to a local fish store (LFS), had it packed with oxygen and I was good to go. Anyone who has been to Hawaii knows about the State’s agricultural screening process.

I didn’t think twice about putting my little cooler through the X-ray machine. The agents must not have noticed anything, as they said nothing about it. It’s possible that the X-ray technology may not have been as advanced as it is today, and they may not have noticed the skeleton of the fish. It wasn’t until I got onto the plane and a flight attendant asked me what I had in the cooler that I realized I had done something questionable. The flight attendants thought it was cool and they all wanted to see my fish, which happened to be a lunar wrasse (Thalassoma lunare). Each flight attendant brought me a cocktail when they wanted to see the fish… it was a long flight with a large crew so needless to say I got quite a few free drinks. The fish lived several years in my care.

Keep in mind this was the 1980’s!

Needless to say I didn’t think I would be able to do this after MACNA 2008 due to restrictions on liquids in the post-911 era. I couldn’t find anyone else who was driving back to Michigan, and the few friends of mine that were still in Atlanta were flying out early in the morning, so they couldn’t get the fish to UPS before their flights. With time to get to the airport running short I had to make a tough decision.

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Did I give these fish, captive bred Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) that I really wanted to breed myself, to a stranger or take my chances with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)? I chose the latter.

During the train ride to the airport, several other hobbyists inquired as to what I had in my bag. When I told them that I had a pair of Banggai cardinalfish, and that I was going to take them on the plane with me, they wasted no time telling me what a horrible person I was, as the TSA agents would confiscate and kill the fish. I replied that I would do whatever it took to get the fish home safely, even if I had to cry.

When I arrived at the airport, I was pretty nervous but I was determined to get my fish home with me. I decided the best thing to do was to be upfront about what I was carrying, so I asked the first TSA agent who I encountered what I had to do to get the bag onboard. He asked what was in the bag. “Live fish, but the bag has more than three ounces of water in it,” I replied. He looked at me strangely and then called over another agent. At this point I figured I was out of luck.

The second agent asked to look in my bag, and I explained I had just come from MACNA and proceeded to tell him my story. The two agents laughed to each other, and then one said, “Send him to Joe’s line,” as if it was an inside joke. He pointed me toward a particular line, and while waiting in that line, another agent loudly asked, “Who has the fish?”

“That would be me,” I said as I gave the agent my bag of fish. Then I went about the business of removing my shoes, belt, etc. not knowing what to expect. When I got through the metal detector, my fish were handed back to me, and away I went.

Whew! I didn’t see what they actually did with the bag, but I had my fish so I was a happy guy! My next concern was keeping the fish warm on the trip home. That was easily solved by asking for a blanket once I got on the plane. I just wrapped the bag with the

Don’t miss RHM sponsored Reef-A-Palooza in Costa Mesa, CA on October 22-23. (reefapalooza.com)

blanket, and that took care of my worries. I’m happy to say that the pair have been in my care ever since and have produced quite a few offspring.

Now that I was successful I wanted to know why. Did I just luck out because it was a Sunday afternoon and the TSA agents were in a good mood? Maybe it was because I wasn’t the first person who had come through that day carrying fish from MACNA? My next trip was to Hawaii in 2009. I didn’t collect any fish on that trip but I did ask the TSA agents about transporting live fish if I had, and they said they could hand inspect them. At that point I wished I had collected some fish!

This year I went to Florida and had the opportunity to do a little collecting. I tried the same procedure and had no hassles at all. I brought back a few dwarf pipefish (Sygnathus scovelli) and one juvenile filefish (Monocanthus ciliates). The TSA agent that returned the bag to me was rather interested in the pipefish, so I explained that they were

The author’s Banggai cardinals, won at MACNA 2008.

Swaddled in a towel and ready to fly!

similar to seahorses. When I tossed out a few Latin names, however, his interest quickly dwindled.

Before writing this article I contacted the TSA to make sure I had all of the facts.

There is no mention of transporting fish as carry-on luggage on the TSA website.

Pet information is based around dogs, cats and other animals that don’t require liquid. It seemed like common sense that

Newly collected Gulf pipefish (Sygnathus scovelli).

travel

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These clowns are ready for transport as carry-on luggage.

Finally home and ready for quarantine.

Live fish must be visibly alive and swimming for TSA clearance.

from the wild please make sure that you have obtained proper collection permits if necessary.

Fish and coral collection is regulated in many areas so be sure to check for local and state regulations before doing any collecting on your own in order to avoid breaking any rules or regulations.

The person that I spoke with at the TSA said that bags containing fish could be carried in a cooler as long as it complies with carry-on size requirements and can be opened for inspection. In other words, don’t tape it shut before you go through the check point. A cooler also counts towards one of your carry-on items so keep that in mind when packing.

Here are a few common sense tips:

if there is a fish swimming around in the bag of water, the water couldn’t possibly be of toxic origin, but I wanted to be sure.

I ended up calling the TSA and speaking with an actual human to get the information I needed. It seems that “live” fish in volumes of water over 3.4 ounces are exempt and can be transported as carry-on luggage as long as you follow a few guidelines.

• •

•

•

The fish must be visibly alive and swimming The fish must be in clear plastic bags or a glass container (I suggest regular fish shipping bags, doubled) You must tell the TSA agent you have the fish so they can hand inspect them The fish should NOT be put through the X-ray machine

These guidelines pertain to fish and motile inverts. I’m not sure if the TSA agents would be able to determine whether a coral is actually alive. If you are considering bringing home a coral I would suggest calling the TSA director at the airport out of which you are flying first. There is a way to get in touch with the person in charge of a particular airport by calling 1-866-289-9673 and following the prompts. This should be done several days in advance in case you don’t get in touch with the person right away.

If you are bringing home a fish you purchased at a store you may want to keep your receipt with you. If you are collecting fish

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•

• • •

•

•

Have your fish packed with oxygen at a local store, if possible, close to your departure time Double bag your fish to be safe Keep your fish warm on the plane with a blanket or t-shirt Don’t try to bring large fish or fish with spines that may puncture the bag; it’s not worth the hassle Be up front and polite with the TSA agents; don’t try to sneak fish through If you’re traveling with fish that are in your checked luggage, be sure to add heat packs, as the cargo hold is not heated

Collecting your own fish or finding a rare specimen in a store while out of town can be exciting. By transporting the fish yourself, you have complete control over the handling of your new pet. Follow the rules and be polite and you will be rewarded with a fish that comes with its own little story. I would like to make it clear that I am not advocating the collection of large amounts of fish while on vacation or collecting species that are threatened. I’m simply suggesting that if you come across a specimen that can be collected responsibly and sustainably, or you see something at an LFS that you can’t get at home, there is a way to transport it home to your tank. One final note: be sure to quarantine every new fish, especially one that comes directly from the wild as it may be carrying any number of diseases or parasites. Have fun!

More information about the TSA can be found here: www.tsa.gov

Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

coral

Modeling Coral Growth

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oral reefs today continue to mystify us. The wondrous, colorful masses of branches, inhabited by fish, crustaceans and other marine life truly are the Edens of the sea. We usually take the peculiar beauty of coral reefs for granted, but sometimes we realize that everything in nature must have had some purpose. An interesting example is the branched morphology of coral species. Recently theoretical biologists from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) found out why many species grow in this specific way. It seems that many corals branch during growth because it enables individual polyps to remove more nutrients from the water.

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Corals are colonial animals, composed of thousands of polyps connected together by common tissue called coenenchyme. Coral polyps are clones of one another, which means that individuals in one particular colony have to collaborate as they all share the same genes - a common principle in evolution.

These boulder-like corals exhibit “massive� growth forms.

However, all polyps from a single colony also compete with each other for nutrients. Although many corals receive carbohydrates and glycerol from their symbiotic zooxanthellae, they also remove plankton from the water, which they ingest. This is where the competition starts, as each polyp has tentacles trying to remove a nice meal from the water column.

Modeling Coral Growth Scientists from the UvA realized the importance of this inherent competitive behavior and constructed a mathematical model called PORAG (Polyp Oriented Radiate Accretive Growth) which considers each polyp as an individual, fending for itself. This is not entirely true, as it is known that many coral species have polyps which are connected by a gastrovascular cavity (which runs through the coenosarc), allowing them to transfer nutrients between each other. The point is that direct food capture may still be beneficial, and therefore there still is some competition going on.

Image by author.

The model considered all polyps as individuals, which took up nutrients, deposited skeleton, were budding off new polyps and of course died occasionally. In their polyp-oriented model, spontaneous branching of colonies occurred without pre-programming. This told them that their model was getting close to the truth, as any good model shows what is really happening in nature.

Now why do corals often grow into branched colonies, exactly? This may have to do with capturing as many nutrients as possible. To understand this, we first need to have a look at the different shapes of biological structures.

Image by Michael Hamilton.

Concave and Convex With regard to animal structures or tissue surfaces, different shapes exist. For example, we distinguish between convex and concave surfaces. Convex simply means that surfaces are round or dome-shaped. White blood cells (leukocytes) can be convex. Concave means that surfaces are curved, or hollow. A nice example is a red blood cell which is biconcave, having two hollow surfaces.

Coral species such as Acropora, Stylophora and Seriatopora spp. have branches with rounded, convex ends. Massive corals, such as Favia, Siderastrea and Montastrea spp. grow as spheres, and are also convex. Other corals, such as Echinopora and Turbinaria spp. build hollow or concave plate structures which resemble cups.

Having a concave surface doesn’t seem to be beneficial, as polyps will be residing more closely together. This makes the polyps highly competitive, as their tentacles will intermingle, which makes it more difficult to capture food. When coral polyps are

coral

33

placed on a convex surface, however, they radiate out into the water column. This provides plenty of room to capture plankton, without too much competition. The scientists found that this mechanism may drive many corals to grow into their common, branching shapes (or massive sphere shapes). They called their discovery the polyp fanningeffect, which causes polyps to grow into directions where most food is available. In this case, it means growing outward is the best thing to do.

Polyp Spacing: Creating Bulky Corals The theoretical biologists also determined the effect of polyp spacing - the amount of space which exists between individual polyps.

In their mathematical model, the size of inter-polyp space drastically altered a coral colony’s shape. The larger the inter-polyp distance, Superman Montipora is an encrusting coral. Image by Timothy Wong.

The canopy of a living reef resembles the canopy of a forest and many of the same com‑ petitive pressures drive both. Image by author.

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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)

the thicker and more compact the colony’s branches became.

They also experimented with diffusion of nutrients between polyps, which is known to occur in many species such as Stylophora pistillata. The higher the diffusion in the model, the more branching occurred as well. They found that this part of the model nicely described what biologists had seen at Caribbean reefs. Colonies of Montastrea annularis can be found there in three different shapes: bumpy, massive and columnar. Their calices, the depressions that house the coral polyps, are often more widely spaced in bumpy, round shapes which grow according to the PORAG model.

Nature and Nurture Coral growth is a complex matter, and it is now clear that this is controlled by both genes (also called ‘nature’) and the environment A classic, branching growth form is displayed by the Genus Seriatopora. Image by Sabine Penisson.

Many acropora grow in a tree-like or arborescent form.

Image by Michael Hamilton.

Image by Author.

coral

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(also called ‘nurture’). Genes seem to program how different coral species grow (branching, plate-like, massive, encrusting), and the environment apparently fine-tunes this process. For example, abiotic factors such as water flow and light availability will alter a coral’s shape. More flow seems to stimulate thicker branches, as seen with Stylophora pistillata (personal observations by many), and more light seems to stimulate vertical instead of horizontal growth (low light may cause plate corals such as Montipora spp. to create a larger surface area by growing horizontally).

The PORAG model has helped scientists understand why factors such as polyp competition may have caused many species to be programmed to grow into branching colonies. This strategy may enable the individual polyps to take up more nutrients. It does seem puzzling that many concave, cup-shaped coral species exist, such as Echinopora and Turbinaria spp. Maybe future models will reveal this mystery...

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Scrolling growth forms are also called foliose. Image by Sabine Penisson.

Another fine example of scrolling growth is provided by this Turbinaria.

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This coral is both plating and nodulating. Image by Timothy Wong.

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This chalice grows in a laminar or plate-like form. Image by Sabine Penisson.

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masna clubs Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado’s Science Fair A

Club Spotlight

Article & Images by Juan Muro

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he Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado (MASC) is a non-profit reef club founded in 2007. We are dedicated to the endorsement, education, and fellowship of marine aquarium hobbyists with a focus on developing an awareness of marine ecosystems and their preservation through captive propagation.

Through our monthly meetings, swaps, and educational events we ensure that the reef aquarium hobby sheds light on the important issues that affect our oceans and aquariums.

In October 2010, one of our board members had an idea to give further exposure to some of these issues by organizing the first annual MASC Science Fair. It would also give our members the opportunity to have fun and interact more with not just our own club members, but also club members and experts abroad. The entrants had seven months to come up with an idea and transform it into a science fair project. The two finalists displayed their projects at our first dual club meeting, the Rocky Mountain Marine Conference & Swap. All event visitors were encouraged to vote on which project they thought was the best, and the winner took home an RO/DI unit. The special “twist” on this whole contest was our two “celebrity” judges, Matt Pedersen and Bob Fenner. Our two judges carefully reviewed the projects and after some discussion, decided who would ultimately win our grand prize: a free, round trip flight and hotel accommodations for MACNA 2011 and free entrance to the three day event. Highlights of the two finalists are below.

Finalist #1: Coral Carbon Crisis

By Mike Mckibben

moved from Arizona to Colorado. From there I got more and more interested in aquariums and the ocean. I would like to get a doctorates degree in marine biology, and some of my other interests include baking, cooking, photography, paint ball, scuba diving, and sketching in pencil.

Why did you decide to enter into the first annual MASC Science Fair?: I love entering a project into my school’s science fair, and I do it every year. The reason I chose this specific project is because I’ve always fought for the world’s oceans. By doing this project I thought I could bring attention to what I thought to be a lesser known problem: ocean acidification.

Describe your project: My project is the observation of the effects of carbonic acid on the corals. It entails adding CO2 to the water in order to simulate ocean acidification. This gave me qualitative and quantitative data that I then compared to pH predictions made by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Short description of who you are and what got you into the hobby: I’m 15 years old and currently attending Peak To Peak Charter School as a freshman. While I’ve always been interested in animals, I first became interested in the ocean and salt water aquariums at the age of eight. I got my first saltwater aquarium, which was a 12 gallon nano cube filled with softies, when we

What did you find out from your project?: I was able to find out that SPS corals tend to begin to bleach at a pH of 7.6, if the pH has been dropped by carbonic acid. This would mean that if corals in the ocean react in the same way as these corals in my aquarium, they will begin to die in the year 2100, due to ocean acidification.

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What would it mean for you to win and go to MACNA 2011?: I think it would help me to have a larger voice in the aquarium community. In doing so, I could bring light as to why we should conserve reefs and practice environmentally friendly activities. It

would also give me an opportunity to learn more about the hobby as well. An honor like this would also be a good thing to add to my college transcript, which would help me get into the college of my choice to study marine biology.

Finalist #2: What Gets Rid of Algae the Best

By Aaron Moss

Why did you decide to enter into the first annual MASC Science Fair?: I decided to do this project because of a never ending battle that I was having with algae in my tank. I had no idea how to get rid of it, except to cut down on the nutrients that enter the tank.

Describe your project: My project is about whether Algaefix Marine™ or simple water changes will have the best effect on getting rid of algae in my tank. I decided to give 2 weeks for algae growth, and 2.5 weeks for testing the dosing and water changes.

What did you find out from your project?: For the duration of the project, the Algaefix Marine™ did the best at removing the algae from its tank.

Short description of who you are and what got you into the hobby: I am 11 years old and am currently in 5th grade. I got into this hobby when I was 7...After about 2 years of having a freshwater aquarium, I decided to jump into saltwater.

What would it mean for you to win and go to MACNA 2011?: It would be awesome to win the prize and go on the trip to MACNA. Ever since I started in this hobby I have wanted to go to MACNA. I would love to learn so much more about this hobby from the speakers and fellow reefers that will be in attendance.

Before revealing the results for the first time, exclusively here in Reef Hobbyist Magazine, (the club doesn’t even know the results yet) the Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado would like to thank a few people. Thank you to our two finalists. It is because of hobbyists like yourselves that we continue to further our knowledge about these captive environments we keep, and through your continued experimentation we have learned so much. We would like to thank Jonathan Garnett, owner of Fathom Aquatics, for providing the hotel stay for the winner and Thomas Plocher and the crew at Aqua Medic of North America for providing the flight for our winner. We’d like to thank Craig Johnston for allowing our winner entrance into MACNA 2011 and Bob Fenner and Matt Pedersen for being nice enough to judge these projects in their ever busy schedules. Lastly, we’d like to thank Reef Hobbyist Magazine for their continued support of the Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado and for continually publishing articles and magazines that keep the hobbyist informed about upcoming technology, cool fish/ corals, and for ensuring that the hobbyist knows about the different clubs and ideas that you can find throughout the country!! If not for all of these people and the great members of our club, and clubs in general, the aquarium industry would be stagnant. Without further adieu the winner of the first annual MASC Science Fair, in a close matchup, is…Finalist #1, Coral Carbon Crisis by Mike Mckibben! Congratulations to Mike and have fun at MACNA 2011!

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Don’t miss RHM sponsored MACNA 2011 in Des Moines, IA on September 9-11. (macna2011.com)