This massive 18 foot Tiger Shark photo is creating quite the stir in the Media. This story has not been confirmed, and it is not clear if this is in fact a legitimate photo. There are multiple versions of the actual circumstances surrounding the sharks alleged capture, which are circulating around the inter webs. Allegedly, the shark was caught by a fisherman named ‘Matthew’. He stated he had a Hammerhead Shark on his line, when this 18 foot Tiger shark came and swallowed it. Some stories referenced that the sharks death may have been the result of a kill order, based on recent shark attacks in the 7 mile beach area. Other sources stated the shark could of been caught in nets. There were also reported stories that the shark was handed over to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), which is the Australian governmental agency responsible for scientific research.CSIRO, however, told Business Insider that it didn’t have the shark and doesn’t know where the picture was taken or by whom. The agency did confirm the photo was of a Tiger Shark. The area, a popular tourist destination, has been economically effected by the recent shark attacks, which have deterred would be visitors from the beaches. Some reports have been made that there could be a group of locals who are trying to take matters into their own hands. Again, these are all unfounded allegations at the moment, and the photo, nor the incident have been confirmed as of now. MORE… More:

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Good morning from Curacao… Here’s two beautiful Deep Water French Butterflyfish, Prognathodes guyanensis that we recently discovered at around 450 feet! The top fish is a juvenile and is around the size of a quarter and the bottom photo is an older butterflyfish and measures around four and a half inches in length, not much difference in the two right?? The main differences are the black spot on the juveniles back and it’s first two dorsal fins are black, other than that you would almost think they are the same exact fish. The little juveniles are so fun to watch, they really keep busy and boy are they fast! For a photographer this fish can be a real challenge to shoot as it’s black and light yellow

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 Natalia Molchanova, regarded as the World’s greatest competitive free diver, has been presumed drowned. Molchanova was teaching a private freediving lesson off the coast of Spain with friends, and had gone down for a recreational dive herself, when she didn’t come to the surface. Her friends called the authorities, who searched the surrounding area for two days with helicopters, underwater robots and boats. The authorities have stated that it is believed that Molchanova encountered a strong current while swimming down to 115 feet without fins. Molchanova was known as the ‘queen’ of freediving, and could hold her breath for up to nine minutes. At 53, born in Russia, Molchanova held an impressive 41 World records and 23 World Titles. Freedivers hold their breaths for minutes at a time, while they swim to depths of 200 feet or more on a single breath. Freediving is arguably one of the most challenging extreme sports, and requires extensive training.Strong currents, shallow water black outs and/or the loss of consciousness, as well as the expected extreme pressure on ones lungs, are all very real risks that come with free diving. Free diving is currently governed by two world organizations: The AIDA International (International Association for Development of Apnea)^[13] and CMAS(Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques – World Underwater Federation).  Molchanova was very knowledgeable about the physiology of free diving. She was on the faculty of Moscow’s Russian State University of Physical Education, Sport, Youth and Tourism. She was also the President of the Freediving Federation of Russia. MORE… More:

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It may be a bit surprising that previously undescribed species can still be discovered in an area such as the rocky reefs of the Tamar River Estuary in Tasmania, which is fairly well studied and frequently photographed by recreational divers. Yet, that is exactly what occurred when Megan Dykman, a 22-year-old graduate student with the Institute for Marine Antarctic Studies (IMAS), conducted a study of the area between Beauty Point and Low Head, just beyond 10-15 meters of depth. Originally intending only to survey the known flora and fauna in the estuary, Megan ended up inadvertently finding what may turn out to be at least four new species of soft coral, possibly representing two new genera. Of 46 specimens, as many as six appeared to be unknown. Descriptions of these new species suggest that they are quite beautiful, exhibiting rich pink, orange and yellow coloration. In what could be taken as a bit of an understatement, she explains that “we know precious little about the ecology of soft corals in temperate regions such as Tasmania. Identifying the species is really just the start of understanding their role in these complex ecosystems.” To see her work in the sponge gardens of the Tamar Estuary, see the following video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hU5H1_FkZms.… More:

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Kelly Warm Spring in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, has been an illegal dumping ground for non-native aquarium fish since the 1940’s. The non-native fish have become a threat to native species. Aquarium dumping is a widespread problem throughout all of the Unites States.  You can see goldfish, madtoms, and bullfrog tadpoles, non-native species that were dumped illegally, throughout the springs. The exotic fish are capable of surviving in a variety of temperatures, and breed at a quick pace. The growth of the invasive species over the years has come at a detriment to the natural habitat. Park biologists, working together with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department biologists, have suggested removing the exotic fish by using rotenone,an EPA-approved piscicide. This is the preferred method of removal, since it is more effective than attempted net capture. Biologists believe this can be performed with minimal harm to the native plants and species, and the piscicide would not persist in the environment. The park would be closed to the public during treatment. Grand Teton National Park is currently seeking public review and comments on the proposal. This story brings to light a reminder that aquarium owners need to be responsible when they make the decision to say good-bye to their fish. Releasing non-native species into natural habitats can have devastating effects for the wild. Although releasing an unwanted aquarium fish may seem preferable than the alternative, saving one fish at the risk of harming an entire species or ecosystem is not the answer.MORE… More:

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Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae) perching in coralsNano marine aquarium enthusiasts must be very discerning in their livestock selections to ensure any specimens they choose won’t outgrow their systems. Reaching a maximum size that can best be described as miniscule, the yellow clown goby (Gobiodon okinawae) is a pretty safe bet in this regard. It’s also charming, attractively colored, relatively outgoing and active, and typically very inexpensive to boot. Physical traitsG. okinawae is a uniform canary yellow in coloration. Its general body shape is somewhat similar to that of clownfishes, hence the “clown goby” moniker applied to it and its congeners. Size-wise, this western Pacific species is among the smallest fish available in the hobby, growing no larger than around 1 to 1½ inches.

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In July, a young Great White Shark became stranded on a Cape Cod beach. People on the beach saw the shark in distress, and came to its rescue by throwing water on its gills to help it breath. State Officials were immediately called and were able to drag the shark into deeper waters using a long rope that was attached to a motor boat. The shark was kept close to the boat and water was poured over its gills until it eventually was able to swim away. Researchers were concerned based on the injuries the shark sustained while it was beached, including overheating and oxygen depletion. Inexperienced juvenile sharks are more likely to become beached, as they can get confused when they are not in their deep sea environment, when they encounter sand and rocky shore lines.While the shark was being revived near the boat, experts tagged the shark on it’s dorsal fin. Although scientists warned that the tracking system was not fail proof, as the batteries in the devices don’t always work and the devices are also likely to fall off the shark. Therefore, lack of a signal could not be determined to mean the shark did not survive. However, acoustic receivers located about 3 miles south of where the shark was released, picked up the sharks signal within 2 weeks from when the shark was helped. Gregory Skomal, a fisheries biologist with the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, who helped save the shark, said: “It’s very encouraging that the shark was alive,” he told Live Science. “If I had to guess, if it survived for a couple days, it’s going to survive [in the long term].”… More:

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It’s been a little while since we featured a skimmer review on the site but when we spied details of this new offering from Chinese supplier Fish-Street, advertised on their website for a Summer 2015 release, we were immediately curious to see if such a competitively-priced skimmer could deliver performance to match some of the more expensive options out there. We were also curious to experience the ‘direct sale’ acquisition of a skimmer via the ‘factory to end user’ pathway used by this supplier. Arriving in what seemed like and impossibly short time all the way from China, the unit came to us extremely well-packaged. Assembling the unit was very easy but take note that it’s a good idea to assemble it without the cup in place to stop the lid from falling off. Similarly, be aware that the rubber feet come-off when the 4 screws connecting the base plate to the unit are removed… just something to be wary of… not really a problem. Once the screws are in place, the rubber feet just push onto the protruding ends. The screws themselves require around 20 turns to fasten them tightly and they are quite easy to handle, even without a screwdriver, which should really help when it comes time to dismantle the unit for periodic cleaning

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Reef Savvy’s Dream Tank Giveaway is your opportunity to help the patients of St. Jude.

This week Reef Savvy’s Felix Bordon joins us to talk about the 2015 Dream Tank Giveaway, how the Giveaway got started, and this year’s challenge to the reef-aquarium community. Don’t miss this special episode as we talk about a very special fund-raising program. 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
Rod’s Food website

Win a reef system
Reef Savvy Tank Giveaway

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Exhibit A: The judgmental glareA little-known fact about marine fish kept in aquariums is that they’re passive-aggressive and churlish and enjoy mocking their owners. Okay, I know we’re not supposed to anthropomorphize our livestock, but based on a recent disastrous attempt at an aquarium photo shoot, I’m convinced my fish have it in for me—or at least get a kick out of seeing me lose my cool. Come to think about it, I’ve made a similar observation on every occasion that I’ve tried to photograph fish over the years . . . so it’s like science or something. Anyhow, my friends at Tropical Fish Hobbyist recently requested that I snap a few photos of my tank to accompany an article I’d written for them on transitioning from freshwater to saltwater aquarium keeping. Right away, this filled me with trepidation for a couple reasons. One, the room housing the tank has windows on all four walls, leading to major issues with glare and oddball reflections.

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Good morning friends, I had a request asking about diving at Playa Forti. For those of you not from here, Playa Forti is a beach located near the village of Westpunt on the north-west side of the Island. The quaint little beach has sheer cliffs on one side and a crystal clear ocean on the other and it’s always super calm water. There are steps leading down to the beach which is covered in small pebbles and a snack bar and restaurant at the top.

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In the 1960s controversial scientist John Lily set-up a dolphin research initiative in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was working for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) who believed that soon they would be contacted by intelligent life, from somewhere in the cosmos. They wanted to know how to interact with a vastly different intelligence, so to learn, they hired Lily to break the communication barrier between humans and dolphins. In fact it culminated in what may be the strangest animal-human relationship ever, a sexual relationship between researcher Margret Howe and Peter, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. The final straw for most of the other researchers was when Lily injected several dolphins with LSD, hoping that perhaps it would open a bridge of mass communication. The experiment fell apart, all the researchers left, and it was over. Despite the close “romantic” relationship Margret and Peter had, she would never see the dolphin again.  John Lily’s team learned more about why humans and dolphins couldn’t communicate, than they did about unlocking a universal Earthling language. By 1970 the thought that dolphins were smarter than human beings was dying. If they were so smart, why didn’t they build underwater cities, where did they hide the advanced submarines and planes – why didn’t they attempt to reach outer-space? Dolphins swim around and eat fish, they can’t be smarter than us. Now at the dawn of the 21^st century, scientists are starting once again to question whether or not human beings are the top of the intellect hierarchy on planet Earth. It’s a role we accepted under self-appointed circumstances. We assumed because of our technology, language, arts and medicine we were the smartest, but we all know what assumptions make. Physical evidence (such as comparing a toothed whale’s brain to a human’s) combined with historical evidence (such as the fact that Neanderthal man’s brain was larger than ours) has created a new way of measuring intelligence, taking into account that different evolutionary circumstances create vastly different levels of intelligence. Just because a type of intelligence is different, doesn’t mean it’s any less complex, or lacks self-awareness and emotion. Perhaps dolphins and other toothed whales don’t have any technology because they are perfect specimens of organic technology? Considering toothed whales are much older evolutionarily than humans, perhaps their intelligence developed under a different set of guidelines? Does the fact that human beings are toolmakers automatically make them the smartest creatures on the planet, or does it point to inadequacies in our own physical abilties?… More:

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Male and female bopyrids. Credit: Sars, 1899

 Bopyrid shrimps are a diverse and understudied group which are obligate parasites on the bodies of decapod crustaceans (i.e. crabs,shrimps,lobsters). Most make their living occupying the safe confines of the branchial cavity of their host, piercing the delicate gill tissue found therein and imbibing the delicious crustacean blood which pours forth.
Some 600+ species are recorded, though this is almost certainly a gross underestimate of their true diversity. Taxonomically, they are part of a distinct lineage—the superorder Peracarida—recognizable by modifications of the abdomen which allow females to brood their young in a marsupial-like pouch. Because of this unique reproductive strategy, the group includes nearly all of the common hitchhiking crustaceans capable of reproducing within our aquaria (mysids, amphipods, isopods, tanaids). 

Specimen depicting bopyrid infection of the sinistral branchial cavity. Credit: B-box Aquarium

 The term “shrimp” is a rather vague and nebulous concept, seemingly used to describe any crustacean which isn’t a crab or lobster. The images seen here illustrate an interesting example of this taxonomic ambiguousness, as we have a shrimp parasitizing another shrimp. To put a finer point on it, this is a Pistol Shrimp (Decapoda: Alpheidae) infested with an unidentified bopyrid (Isopoda: Bopyridae). The two are so distantly related as to be classified into separate superorders, which makes these two “shrimp” about as closely related as you are to an elephant or bat. In fact, you are more closely related to a rabbit than these two crustaceans are to each other. But I digress… 

The patient is prepped for surgery. Credit: B-box Aquarium

 Amongst aquarium exports, these parasitic isopods are not an uncommon sight. They can be most reliably found on Cleaner and Peppermint Shrimps (Lysmata sp.), with perhaps 5-10% of specimens showing infection. It’s important to note that specimens don’t show any obvious signs of distress or early mortality. While there is undoubtedly some level of reduced fitness for the host, it’s doesn’t appear that these bopyrid-ridden specimens suffer all that greatly. And for this reason, the best treatment is no treatment at all. Live and let live. The oceans are full of fascinating interactions, and this is but one of them. 

Excision of offending arthropod. Credit: B-box Aquarium

 However, if crustacean aesthetics are of paramount importance to you, there is the potential for surgical removal. The  boypridectomy depicted here was performed on a Bullseye Pistol Shrimp (Alpheus soror).… More:

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With a very warm summer and a mild winter wild fish deaths in Washington State have been higher than normal. The ongoing forest fires in the state maybe magnifying the problem . This time, however, the fish deaths are from a very unlikely cause: cooking oil. Hundreds if not thousands of fish in Lewis Creek, Washington have been found dead. Many of the fish were identified as fingerling salmon and larger salmon. Officials have attributed the fish deaths due to vegetable oil and shortening, from a nearby warehouse, contaminating the waterways through runoff into Olequa Creek. It is estimated that approximately a thousand gallons of oil poured into the creek. The grocery warehouse containing the vegetable oil and shortening caught fire Tuesday morning. The oil was transported to the creek by the gallons of water firefighters used to put out the fire. The oil runoff, according to Ecology spokesman Chase Gallagher, caused ‘100 percent fish kill for 5 miles’. The cause of the warehouse fire is unknown. Firefighters attempted to control the contamination by placing sandbags around the storm drains, but there was still too much oil which got to the waterways. Cowlitz Clean Sweep has been hired by officials to clean up the oil spill. The effect of this oil on waterways is devastating for the fish. The oil makes it difficult for the fish to breathe and leads to reduced oxygen in the waterways. Officials expect the clean up will last for days. MORE… More:

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A pair of reef butterflyfish. Photo by Ashleigh Gardner

It’s late August and, as always, things are heating up in the waters of Long Island. I haven’t had a chance to log many of my excursions for the past month – partly because I’ve been traveling, but mostly because I’ve spent so much time underwater that I haven’t had a lot of time or energy to write.   

Blue Angelfish, Holacanthus bermudensis

 The great thing about collecting tropicals on Long Island at this time of year is that the fish are starting to put on enough size that they are becoming easier to spot in the water and easier to feed once you get them home. Also as Labor Day approaches, we are nearing the point of peak abundance and diversity of tropical fish species here. Since my last entry, the bigeyes have arrived in good numbers, the butterflyfishes have grown considerably, and for the first time in several years, blue angels are making an appearance. For most local collectors, angelfishes of any species represent the holy grail of species to catch here. I’ve seen at least 6 species of Serranids (groupers) so far this year, including one very exciting record for the state of New York and a range extension for the species. You can hear about that at my talk at MACNA on September 6.  I’ll also be discussing where and how to find all of these little gems, as well as some of the ecological implications of their presence here.  … More:

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I can’t seem to keep my hands dry. When I’m not at ReefGen(or playing music), I moonlight at the Suffolk County Community College Marine Lab, run by former MASNA Aquarist of the Year, Professor Todd Gardner. I feel so lucky to be exposed to all manner of interesting and weird things…such as clownfish breeding rituals. I personally find it ridiculous that Ocellaris clownfish are being petitioned for endangered status. They are the marine hobby’s prime example of the success of captive breeding. We now have many strains of domesticated clownfish of various species. In fact,this pair is showing their comfort in captivity by breeding right in front on me, just minutes after after I had cleaned their tank. In this video, we can see the female make several passes at the inside of the PVC, pressing her ovipositor to the inside of the pipe and depositing her eggs. Shortly thereafter, the male takes her place and fertilizes the new eggs. As you can see, it is not a foolproof way to breed, and the male does not always get his sperm on all the eggs, and nothing but the eggs. There have been numerous reports of accidental hybridization in plumbed breeding systems.… More:

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A new species image and profile has been added to the Digital-Reefs galleries! Available in the UK only sporadically, and usually costing up to around £500 for a good specimen, Pelicier’s Perchlet Plectranthias pelicieri could easily be mistaken for a Hawkfish if one judges it solely on its general demeanour. This species is actually an Anthias though, and grows to a maximum size of around 5cm. A deepwater species, it is relatively hardy but can also be quite shy. This species should only be kept in a completely covered tank with other peaceful fishes and take note that it may consume passive ornamental inverts such as small shrimps and molluscs, and even fishes significantly smaller than itself. We were lucky enough to be allowed to image this stunning and rare specimen at Burscough Aquatics.

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The amount of live rock needed in your aquarium is based on several factorsOnce hobby newcomers learn what live rock is and all the benefits it can provide in marine aquariums, the next big question they invariably ask is, “How much of it do I need for my tank?” More experienced fellow hobbyists, eager to be of help, typically respond with a pat answer along the lines of “somewhere between one and one-and-a-half pounds per gallon.” While this type of formula is certainly convenient and eliminates guesswork, it unfortunately fails to address several key factors that must be considered when determining how much rock is actually appropriate for a given system. Here are just a few of them:Differing density Pound for pound, not all live rock stacks up the same. The density of live rock can vary considerably from one type/collection locale to another—and a highly porous rock is going to be significantly lighter than a very dense rock of the same size. (Visualize holding a chunk of lava rock in one hand and an identically sized chunk of granite in the other, and you’ll have the idea.) So, you can expect 100 pounds of highly porous rock to take up a lot more space in your tank than 100 pounds of dense rock will. Livestock objectives How much rock you’ll want to place in your tank will also vary based on your objectives for the system. For example, a full-blown reef tank might require more rock than a fish-only system to ensure there’s an adequate foundation for the various invertebrates you plan to keep.

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Public aquaria have been exhibiting live aquatic animals for quite some time. Amazingly, a number of institutions across the world are around centenarian age. Perhaps even more astounding is how long some of the specimens in their collections have been kept. Many creatures, in fact, that earned the distinction of being the “longest living example in captivity” are kept in public facilities. The longest living captive fish, for example, is an Australian lungfish in the care of the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. A male by the name of Granddad has been housed at the aquarium since 1933 (just in time for the World’s Fair and not very long after the aquarium’s grand opening in May of 1930). He is now regarded as an “ambassador” of the Shedd Aquarium as well as a part of the history of Chicago itself. To be sure, Granddad has had (and in time outlived) numerous caretakers. His status as the oldest living fish in captivity was made more widely known due to the fanfare over his 80th birthday party in 2013; the affair included the presentation of a special “aquatic birthday cake” comprised of Granddad’s most relished delicacies such as krill, clam, lettuce and grapes. Granddad is approximately 25 pounds in weight and about four feet long. Members of his species are known to reach 90 pounds, five feet and 100 years in age. Aquarists are unsure of Granddad’s age at the time of acquisition.… More:

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The summer of 2015 has seen an increasingly high number of shark attacks. Coming at the 40th anniversary of Jaws, the media has caught what seems to be shark fever. For the last couple months, I have been covering the spate of sad stories. But those horrifying attacks were followed by remarkable moments. In the small beach town, strangers rushed to save lives of the victims.    The Fire Chief Chris Anselmo recalls June 14, 2015 vividly. Never in his 16 years in the Brunswick County fire department had he encountered a shark attack. On that fateful day, two children, aged 12 and 16, were attacked by a sharks within 86 minutes of each other in Oak Island, North Carolina. The first victim was 12 year old Kiersten Yow from Archdale, North Carolina. The shark had bitten off her left hand and taken a chunk out of her left leg. The second victim was Hunter Treschl, 16 years old, who had been vacationed with his family on Topsail Beach, North Carolina for as long as he could remember.  The chief watched the helicopter lift off and was confident that Kiersten would be OK. He drove home to reflect on the harrowing events of the day, thinking to himself  about the rarity of a shark attack. Just a few minutes after getting home, his pager went off again, informing him of the second shark attack. He rushed back to the beach where he saw Hunter lying on the sand with his left arm gone. It was a gruesome scene and he could see the child’s bones sticking out where his arm had been chomped off.  The entire town pulled together to help the victims, their families and bystanders traumatized during the tragic day and the weeks that followed.  MORE… More:

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