Scientists have discovered what they believe to be a new genus of deep sea octopus which they have nicknamed ‘Casper’ based on its ghost like appearance. Deep sea octopus are organized into two groups: Cirrate, or finned octopus and the incirrate octopus, which lack both fins and cirri. The Octopus was found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands while the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was collecting geological samples for an unrelated mission. This discovery was the first dive of the NOAA’s ship Okeanos Explorer’s for 2016 and the octopus was found by the remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer. NOAA stated that “the appearance of this animal was unlike any published records and was the deepest observation ever for this type of cephalopod”. This particular specimen is especially unusual because it lacks pigment cells, called chromatophores, which are responsible for an octopus’ changing colors based on the environment. The octopus also only had suckers on one arm, as opposed to on two. Scientists also believe this is the deepest an octopus without fins has ever been found. Yet another example of the many unknown’s that await discovery in the depths of the deep sea. MORE… More:

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Do you see what Jeremy sees when you look at this logo?

Things are a little edgy this week as we talk about horrible reporting, all-in-one tanks, and a little-guy victory. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and Christine

Sponsor: Rod’s Food
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Read carefully
National Geographic checks the facts at the door, Jeremy Gosnell, Reefs.com

Beating Monster
These college students took on one of America’s top trademark bullies – and won, Drew Harwell, The Washington Post

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Ok, today LED’s are all the rage so you may be wondering why I am doing a review of a metal halide fixture, especially one that has been around for a number of years. Well, here is the story…..and I am sticking to it. When I pondered what light fixture to use for my new 187 gallon tank I gave LEDs some serious consideration. I had been out of the hobby for a couple of years but I still followed all the latest news and trends, a sign of a true reef-aholic! Nonetheless, on the lighting front it was obvious manufacturers had shifted their efforts away from metal halides towards LEDs. This presented a dilemma since I have always used metal halides on my SPS dominant

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Aquarists have been excited about Fishbit since its first Kickstarter was announced over a year ago. In fact, Fishbit reached its crowdfunding goal in 24 hours, an impressive feat for any tech start-up, but uniquely impressive for an aquatics based one. Fishbit was picked up by Highway 1, a group of investors in San Francisco who provide capital and resources to hardware companies. It’s not only been fun learning more about the device, but it’s also been exciting to watch as it comes full circle. I’ve followed Fishbit closely since I first learned of it, and several months ago Nathan Levine (founder of Fishbit creator Current Labs) sent me a beta version of the device (The one they shipped to the kickstarter participants). I wrote several articles about my experiences with Fishbit from a long-time aquarist’s standpoint, and highlighted some concerns I had with the beta version. Now Fishbit has moved out of beta, and the company has launched a second Kickstarter campaign, this time allowing aquarists a chance to pre-order the finalized version of the device at a reduced cost. After talking with Nathan and receiving an update on Fishbit’s status, it seems like some of my concerns have been taken care of, the largest of which was a software glitch that caused live transmission of aquarium water conditions to freeze up.    Some recent reports about Fishbit have elevated the device outside of what existed in beta form. While it’s great to see Fishbit evolve from the beta version, which was in many ways a disposable controller due to electronics being encased in silicone on the aquarium’s wet-side, along with a non-replaceable probe, it’s important for aquarists to understand that this new version of Fishbit hasn’t been tested by aquarists or hobby media. With Fishbit’s first round of beta testing, a host of issues were uncovered, which the development team has used to refine the device’s production version. In an effort to bring discussion and expectation surrounding Fishbit to ground level, let’s take a closer look at the device, especially in how it relates to other controllers, currently established in the market. The beta version, the new version and ease of use:Both the beta version of Fishbit, and the improved production version, house all the devices’ sensors and probes in a sleek black plastic case. This is done for two reasons: one is entirely cosmetic, as the sleek black case looks better than multiple free standing probes, while the other is to prevent build-up of algae and debris around the probes and sensors.… More:

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Good morning friends, I bet your glad it’s friday!! I told you all yesterday about our wonderful little rain shower that helped all the nature and animals on this island get a much needed bath and drink, it was wonderful! I went riding last night with one of my students and we got stuck in some of the worst mud I have ever been in down around the salt pond, maybe even worse than last years extreme race! It was so bad we had to carry and push our bikes through it and then make a detour to the aquarium to rinse off, it was horrible!! Our mud here consists of 100% salt and bird poop, could be the smelliest stuff I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with

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When aquarists talk about the Neptune Apex, we often focus on the hardware and how it controls our equipment. This is the most prominent feature of the Apex, and Apex Fusion has compiled a slick web interface with Neptune’s signature hardware. Hidden beyond control of aquarium devices, and monitoring of parameters, is perhaps the best aquarium log and data tracking system available to aquarists. When this is combined with advanced products, such as Neptune’s PAR meter or WAV circulation pump, what you have is a way to record outside information, and created detailed reports about aquarium conditions, and their effects on your livestock.  Over the past few years, I’ve turned to several aquarium logging websites and smart phone apps, in order to log and track data surrounding my aquarium’s water quality. From the Reef Log iOS app (which was designed by a guy from my hometown) on up to Aquatic Log’s social aquarium log website. Without a doubt, for Apex users, Fusion’s built in tracking and logging feature works the best, and Neptune’s included some cool, third party information to enhance it. Apex Fusion’s Log:If you’re an Apex user, accessing Fusion’s logging capabilities is easy. The system automatically tracks and graphs data for any probe/sensor attached to it. This includes ph, temperature, conductivity, ORP, PAR and flow rate, if you’re using a WAV. Most Apex users know how to easily access this information in Fusion. What you may not be aware of, is that Apex Fusion also lets you input data from liquid test kits. In the upper right hand corner of Fusion are quick links, for inputting test data. C, for calcium, KH for alkalinity, so on and so forth. Clicking one allows you to select a parameter and test kit brand. Salifert, Nyos and a handful of others are included. The exciting part, is that Apex automatically tallies totals based on drop numbers, reagent used or final test color. For example, I use Nyos’ test kits for almost everything. When I take a nitrate measurement at the computer, I don’t need to have the color chart with me. I can simply compare the test color, to a color chart built-into Apex fusion. Selecting the color automatically assigns the appropriate nitrate value. Fusion does this for every test kit it supports. If you’re using a kit that requires reporting the amount of reagent left, simply type the remaining amount in Apex Fusion and it assigns the appropriate value.… More:

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The pretty little anemonefish shown above might not strike one as particularly noteworthy based on looks alone—the orange fins, the white bar absent from the tail, and the tall body shape allow us to readily identify this as Amphiprion chrysopterus, the Orangefin Anemonefish. Rather, what makes this find so intriguing is where this fish was discovered and what it tells us about how populations of reef fishes stay connected across the vast distances of the Pacific. Our understanding of these basic concepts of biogeography, such as how far a given fish can disperse to interbreed across neighboring coral reefs, remains poorly known. Only recently has the study of population genetics advanced enough for us to begin to answer these intractable questions, but, as of yet, relatively few studies have examined the issue in any real depth. Another approach is to analyze the occasional appearance of a species outside its known range, as is the case with the anemonefish at hand. The map shown above is from my upcoming phylogenetic review of Amphiprion and illustrates the many unrecognized geographic variations presently treated as the single species A. chrysopterus (as well as the related species A. akindynos & A. mccullochi). Careful examination shows that differences in fin coloration, the width of the white bars, and, to some extent, the coloration of the body all correlate to the informal boundaries separating the major ecoregions of the Pacific. For instance, those from Polynesia have thinner bars and lighter bodies, those from parts of Melanesia have black pelvic fins, etc. etc. etc. The single specimen of A. chrysopterus shown here was collected at Pagbilao, situated on the southern shores of Luzon in the Northern Philippines. It’s important to note that, while this species has been recorded from here before (Allen & Erdmann, 2012), there doesn’t appear to be a real breeding population present, merely occasional waifs. The next question to ask is which of the known phenotypic variations does this fish represent. 

Compare the differences in pelvic fin coloration between these two neighboring populations. Note also the white caudal fin in both. Credit: Steve Gillespie & unknown

 We can assume this fish came from a neighboring region, as it isn’t likely to have swam over from Tahiti of Fiji. Fortunately for us, there are only three contiguous populations this could be and each is highly distinct in its coloration.… More:

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Seaweed and Bacon are two of my favorite things. Seaweed snacks are delicious and healthy. Bacon is delicious, but healthy not so much. Combining these two delicious delicacies seems too good to be true. But getting the nutritional value of seaweed and the deliciousness of bacon is a foodie dream. Researchers at Oregon State University have made the wonderful discovery that when cooked, a new strain of seaweed ends up tasting just like bacon and is reportedly twice as healthy as Kale! The team of scientists starting growing the form of red algae  when they were looking for a food for abalone, and discovered its tastiness when cooked.The seaweed normally grows along the Pacific and Atlantic coast. Although this form of red algae had been consumed by northern Europeans for years, currently, the United States does not grow this form of seaweed for consumption. That’s when the researchers realized they were on to something great. “This stuff is pretty amazing,” Oregon State Researcher Chris Langdon told OSU. “When you fry it, which I have done, it tastes like bacon, not seaweed. And it’s a pretty strong bacon flavor.”  The researchers teamed up with the University’s Food Research Center, who have created some different foods with the seaweed as the main ingredient. This sure does seem like it would be very popular in the US market. Langdon is currently growing 20-30 pounds of the seaweed a week and the MBA students are currently trying to market the seaweed. Hopefully this means bacon flavored seaweed will be headed our way soon.  MORE… More:

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Good morning one and all, I have your weekly “how are the corals doing update” and once again the answer will be… NOT GOOD! The top photo shows a healthy area or colony of super delicate, Clubtip Finger Corals right here on the Sea Aquarium house reef and the two bottom photos show what happens to them when an anchor is dropped on them for an extended amount of time! Talk about total destruction!! Most of the time when anchors are dropped by the local fisherman they don’t just land on the reef and stay in one place, they move around and just keep destroying the corals as you see here and will eventually create a monster sized crater pulverizing the corals to dust, it’s so sad.

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The sun corals of the Family Dendrophylliidae are the single most diverse and popular group of non-photosynthetic stony coral available to aquarists, but, unfortunately, they remain some of the most frequently misidentified stony corals in the aquarium industry. I’ve written extensively on the topic before, but, sadly, misinformation continues to be perpetuated, particularly when it comes to a pair of relatively obscure genera: Cladopsammia & Eguchipsammia. So let’s take a moment to ponder these confounding corals and examine some actual photographs of them. 

Eguchipsammia fistula collected at 320 meters in the Red Sea and kept in captivity for over a year. Credit: Roik et al 2015

 Eguchipsammia fistula (often seen as the synonym Dendrophyllia fistula) is a name that has been increasingly misapplied to the “Fathead Dendro”, a coral that grows in small colonies of fairly large polyps and which has become regularly available in recent years. This distinctive aquarium coral, as seen in Arrigoni et al 2014, is actually an undescribed species of Tubastraea, while E. fistula is actually a fairly well-known coral from deepwaters with a very distinctive morphology. Eguchipsammia is a somewhat difficult genus to define morphologically, as some recently included species have expanded its original scope, but, in general, the taxa included here are twig-like and often live buried in mud as small, individual colonies. E. fistula is one of the most commonly encountered species, occurring throughout the Indo-Pacific at depths of 100+ meters. While this species isn’t likely to ever turn up in aquarium exports, it has been successfully kept by researchers from specimens collected at 320 meters, even growing new polyps in captivity. 

A yellow reef-forming Eguchipsammia species from the Azores. Credit: Tempera et al 2014

 Another species from this genus has been observed at a similar depth growing atop a submarine volcano near the Azores Islands of the Eastern Atlantic. Unlike the isolated colonies of E. fistula, this unidentified species is known to form large reef-like structures brightened by the colorful yellow tissue of the living polyps.  

Cladopsammia gracilis from Korea. Credit: Choi & Song 2014

 Cladopsammia gracilis is another name steeped in confusion; in the aquarium industry, it has often been given to a large, weakly branched species with pink-hued tissue. As it turns out, this aquarium coral is an undetermined species of Dendrophyllia (Stephen Cairns, pers. comm.), and it’s quite likely that Cladopsammia has yet to see any significant exportation.… More:

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Hi all, we had a failed blue-light photo night dive due to yours truly forgetting to put the very important “+4 magnifying filter” over the the front of the 28-70 zoom lens, without this little piece of glass the lens can not focus underwater. We were about 10 minutes out last night when I realized something was wrong with the lens, I thought the auto-focus was just broken on the lens and never even realized it was the dumb little filter until this morning, what a drag! That’s kind of the down-side to blue-light photos, there is so much preparation and so much stuff one needs to carry to get good shots and it is for sure a two person job. Now a days when I see something I want to shoot Aimee will help light it up with a hand-held blue-light attached to a VEGA this way I can better see what I am shooting and the camera doesn’t have to work as hard trying to focus. Once we realized the mistake we called it a night and swam right back in, will try again tomorrow evening. I have a super gentle, Spotted Trunkfish for you all today that we found a few years back under the pier at Caracas baai

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The Midwater Signalfish P. longipinnis. Credit: Gerry Allen

 There are a great many fishes found in shallow tropical waters that remain unavailable to aquarists, but few are as beautiful and recommendable as the signalfishes. These small, peaceful bottom-dwellers are ornately patterned, vibrantly colored and exhibit some endearing behavioral quirks, yet, due to their penchant for deep sandy habitats, they have been entirely ignored by aquarium collectors and, even amongst zoologists, the group remains something of a mystery. Much of the obscurity surrounding these fishes has to do with our poor understanding of their place in the grander scheme of fish evolution—just who is it that they are related to? For a while, they were lumped into the heterogenous family, Percophidae, whose members shared general similarities of fin and body shape. Later, it was thought that they possessed certain morphological nuances with the sanddivers (Family Trichonotidae) and were reclassified there, but more recent molecular study has changed things around yet again. 

Molecular data says signalfishes are sister to the sandburrowers, Family Creediidae.

 Signalfishes have now been elevated to their own family (Hemerocoetidae), sister to another obscure group of tropical psammophiles, the sandburrowers, Family Creediidae. And, as it turns out, neither of these are of close relation to the sanddivers, as that family is in fact the sister group to the vast goby lineage. [For good measure, Percophis brasiliensis was found to be sister to certain Antarctic fishes called notothenoids, illustrating just how little we knew about the true evolutionary history of all these diverse fishes.] The take-home message from all this taxonomy is this: these are not gobies, even though they might sort-of, kind-of look like gobies. 

Some oddball hemerocoetids. Credit: B. Hutchins/Western Australian Museum & Port Phillips Marinelife

 Classification within the hemerocoetids remains fraught with challenges, as the group has yet to undergo any meaningful revision. Eight genera comprise the family, though only half of these contain more than a single species or two. These four species-poor taxa (Enigmapercis, Dactylopsaron, Matsubaraea, Squamicreedia) are seldom encountered and have restricted ranges, often in subtropical or deepwater habitats, while the five species in Hemerocoetes are found in deep waters around New Zealand and are recognizable for lacking the spinous dorsal fin. The remaining three groups—Pteropsaron, Osopsaron, Acanthaphritis—tend to be more colorful and are generally found closer to shallow-water reef habitats, though always on sandy substrates.… More:

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In a few years, my reef will turn 50 years old. I believe I’ve avoided old tank syndrome by using the procedures outlined in this article.Old Tank Syndrome, or OTS, is something we have been hearing about since the hobby started, and I am not quite sure exactly what it means. Is it due to parameters, loss of diversity, lack of interest, diseases, metal accumulation, global warming, locusts, or all of the above? I think it is much simpler than “all of the above,” but some of those things are probably on the list of causes—especially locusts. It’s about bacteriaIn my opinion, OTS has to do with bacteria, or lack of it. Bacteria really run our tanks, and we are just there so the bacteria have something to make fun of. Without bacteria, our tanks would crash in less than a day.

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This may well be a breaking headline: goldfish braces?? Who even knew such a thing existed. Well they do now, and thanks to the interweb, we get to know all about it. This little goldfish named ‘Mr. Hot Wing’ has been gaining internet notoriety after his recent surgery. Lehigh Valley Veterinary Dermatology in Pennsylvania posted this picture on their Facebook page, and it has gone viral. Mr. Hot Wing, the lucky little goldfish who came from the carnival, received these special custom orthotics. Mr. Hot Wing was born without a lower jaw bone and could not keep his mouth open, making it very hard to breathe or eat.  Veterinary dermatologist Brian Palmeiro, known as the ‘fish doctor’, created these braces out of a credit card for $150.00. They were made using a small slice of a credit card and administered through surgery. Although many people believe goldfish don’t have teeth, they do, but the purpose of these braces was not a perfect smile. Rather, the braces act as a weight to keep Mr. Hot Wings mouth open. Not only is this probably the coolest looking goldfish around, these braces effectively saved Mr. Hot Wing’s life, allowing nourishment and life for this little goldfish. MORE… More:

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Aqua Illumination has developed a flexible aquarium tank mount arm which is beginning to ship to dealers and distributors. The new AI Prime gooseneck arm is a sturdy and attractive solution for mounting your AI Prime LED fixture over your aquarium.  The Flex Arm can be securely attached to the top edge of a rimmed or rimless aquarium. Each gooseneck arm includes power cord management clips for a sleek and trim look. The high quality powder coated Flex Arm has an outer silicon coating to further protect it from the elements.  The flex arms are available in 12 inch and 18 inch lengths selling for $24.99 and $29.99 respectively. They are presently being offered in black only.  For those who prefer the look of silver with their Prime

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Hi all, off to a late start. I’m getting the underwater camera ready once again for another attempt at a blue-light dive and this time I do have the +4 filter screwed onto the front of the lens. I have a little four inch Bandtail Puffer for your viewing pleasure today that I found buried in the sand on one of our many night dives. So many people ask me “what happens to the reef fish at night”? Well, from my observations each species does it’s own thing but for the most part they all find a safe place to hide.

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Arothron multilineatus from Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Credit: Matsuura 2016/Kimiaki Ito

 It’s not every day that a new species of large pufferfish is described from Indo-Pacific coral reefs, but such is the case with the recent description of Arothron multilineatus, a girthy fish documented from Japan and the Red Sea. Reported to reach a length of nearly 18 inches and adorned in an attractive pattern of wavy lines, this is one of the more surprising discoveries in recent memory, but one not without some controversy. 

Arothron multilineatus from Kagoshima, Japan. Credit: Matsuura 2016/KAUM

 There are some important concerns which must be raised about the legitimacy of this newly recognized species, as the paper describing it relied exclusively on differences in its color pattern to diagnose it from others in the genus. This is particularly questionable given the limited number of specimens studied (4 from Japan and 2 photographs from the Red Sea) and the considerable differences in patterning seen across these specimens. Genetic data would have gone a long way towards supporting the author’s claims, but, unfortunately, none was included. 

A. multilineatus from Miyazaki, Japan. Credit: Matsuura 2016/Masaaki Wada

 The obvious question to ask here is how this sizable pufferfish has been able to elude the attention of divers, aquarists and zoologists up until now, especially considering it occurs in shallow reef habitats in some of the most well-dived locations on the planet. I’ve examined this genus in considerable detail for an upcoming article, using the extensive diver photography which exists in online image repositories, and I’ve found that specimens conforming to the description of A. multilineatus are tremendously rare. Out of hundreds of pufferfishes observed in the Indo-west Pacific, only a handful of examples can be confirmed. This is an entirely implausible population level to support a reproductively viable species, but it does support an entirely different hypothesis for what this phenotype represents. Click to view slideshow. Rare phenotypes are often a strong indication for a hybrid origin, and, for A. multilineatus, the presence of specimens in the Red Sea severely limits the possible parent species. Ruling out the entirely different-looking A. dimidiatus, we are left with two species native to these waters: the Starry Pufferfish A. stellatus and the regional variation of the White-spotted Pufferfish A. hispidus.  

The Red Sea variation of A. hispidus is distinct in its patterning.

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For 28 years, RVS Fishworld has been training and supplying fisherman in the Philippines with the knowledge and equipment needed for sustainable net collectionThe ocean is full of the unknown, allowing people’s imaginations to run wild. Combine that with film producers, writers, or groups with a divisive agenda, and you get mockumentaries entertaining the idea of a monster shark as big as a submarine, the internet claiming cephalopods are from another planet, and articles with an extremely misguided view of the marine aquarium fish trade. Over the past several months, I have taken a stand against pure failures of journalism, vigorously commenting with factual evidence that the journalist disregarded (intentionally or unintentionally). From “Mercury Gate” to the most recent completely unsubstantiated claim that 90% of all marine fish collected today for aquarium purposes are collected with the use of sodium cyanide, these failures cannot go unchecked.After 15 years in the hobby and 10 years within the industry, I knew that figure was fabricated before the coffee spitting out of my mouth hit the table in front of me. But let’s break this down. Why the sensational headline is false In a study done in 2004 and 2005, 11 million marine fish, comprised of 1,802 species, were imported into the United States. Our marine fish come from several areas (this can vary slightly today as some collectors are restricted by governments and changes in law), including Australia, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Cambodia, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, French Polynesia, Great Britain, Haiti, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, Nicaragua, Palau, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tonga, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, aaaaaand Yemen. Let me catch my breath here

The post Mermaids, Megalodon, and Cyanide: A Real Look at the Aquarium Trade appeared first on Reefs.com.

Visit the Coral Fever website at coralfever.com

Seth Drago of Coral Fever, along with his friend Bobby Miller, returns, this time to talk about how he handles fish and coral shipments and what he uses for a quarantine procedure. Much to learn about cleaning fish in this podcast. Download the podcast here, or subscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Gary and Christine

Sponsor: Rod’s Food
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Aerosol dispersal of pathogens
Aerosol dispersal of the fish pathogen, Amyloodinium ocellatum

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Good morning from Curacao. I get a lot of mails asking for more seahorse photos so like a good little diver, here you go! This little pink beauty was found at a dive spot called “Small Wall” and to this day is still one of my favorite spots to explore. This is normally a boat dive but for those of you willing to throw a little caution to the wind it can be done from shore, here’s how you do it. Drive to Directors Bay, set up your tanks and walk down to the beach and remember not to leave anything of value in your car as it most likely won’t be there when you return. From the beach head south-east (on your backs at the surface) following the curvature of the reef wall from Directors bay.

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