Scientists have discovered the first biofluorescent sea turtle in the Solomon Islands. The scientists were filming small sharks and coral reefs in the South Pacific, when they had were lucky enough to encounter this amazing Hawkbill Sea Turtle that appeared to be glowing with red and green light. The footage was captured in late July by David Gruber of the City University of New York and his team. Gruber is an explorer for National Geographic who described the encounter with the turtle: It was absolutely gorgeous,” Gruber said in an interview with CNN. The turtle swam into the team’s lights while they were filming coral underwater. The turtle’s appearance was unexpected and took everyone by surprise, he said. “It’s a bit like a mystery novel,” Gruber said. “It started with jellyfish and coral, and the fluorescent molecules jellyfish and coral create has lead to monumental breakthroughs in biomedical science.” Biofluorescence is not to be confused with bioluminescence. Bioluminescence is a chemical reaction that doesn’t produce a lot of heat so it is sometimes called “cold light”. Biofluorescence is not a chemical reaction, rather it is a process where an organism absorbs blue light and emits it as a different color, usually red, orange or green. Until very recently it was believed that only certain marine animals, like corals and jellyfish, had the capability for biofluorescence. However, scientists and the amazing ocean keep showing us how very little we know. MORE… More:

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Efficiency in the marine aquarium isn’t a new idea, but one that evolving in line with the times. It’s always been part of what we do as aquarists, but it’s becoming more important now than ever. We know that it’s possible to have a successful captive coral reef. We also know that it takes a lot of equipment to do so, and all that equipment consumes electrical power. According to my own home energy report from Potomac Edison, my home uses 110% more power than comparable homes in my area. They suggest turning down the temperature of my water heater, unplugging power strips, along with a host of energy savings tips, most things I’ve already done. I know none of those things are the culprit, as that excess power consumption is coming from my downstairs fish room.  As I mentioned in my post entitled “Our coral powered reefs” if grid power is supplying electricity to your reef aquarium, your reef is coal powered (at the very least fossil fuel powered.) This means that it’s not only eating through your pocketbook, it’s also eating through coal, which in turn releases carbon into the atmosphere. An eye toward efficiency:Having an efficient marine aquarium is two-fold: one it saves money and two it eases the burden on natural resources, along with their effects on the planet. It’s ironic that saving money and natural resources walk hand in hand, but in this case they do. The first step is making smart choices, and using products that efficiently use electricity to produce things like light, water circulation, water pressure, heat, etc. For example many of us have upgraded to LED lighting, which creates photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for our coral animals to use. But what if one fixture creates just as much PAR as another, yet uses a smaller percentage of power. Say it’s creating the same 364 PAR amount as fixture B, but it’s using 120 watts rather than 150. One could say this fixture is more efficient (both cost and resource wise) than the other. In order to make smart decisions about our tanks, we need accurate information about the power consumption of every product we install. To put it simply, we need to know if one product is going to be more expensive in the long run than another, but produce the same results. It’s no different from choosing a more fuel efficient car, which has the same horsepower and capability of another that isn’t fuel efficient.… More:

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“Sarcophyton” ehrenbergi, the False Toadstool Coral. Credit: Dr. Yehuda Benayahu

 Zoological taxonomy is not for the feint of heart. Take, for instance, the humble Toadstool Coral— a stalwart soft coral recommended to every rookie reef aquarist. Despite the ubiquity and importance of these corals in reef ecosystems, our understanding of their evolutionary relationships is in a nascent stage. There are no field guides enabling easy identification, and, in all likelihood, there never will be. Recent molecular study has shown that our current system for classifying the Toadstool Corals and their allies is inherently wrong in many different and important ways. If you’ve ever purchased one of these at an aquarium store, you’ve likely noticed that there is usually no attempt at a species-level identification, nor do we see the kind of fanciful common names so abundant elsewhere in this hobby. No Strawberry Shortcake Toadstool. No Superman Toadstool. No Green Death Toadstool. The Fiji Yellow Toadstool is the only exception. This is in spite of the fact that many distinctive phenotypes regularly show up. If Eskimos have fifty words for snow, why is there but one word for this diverse group of corals? Alas, our naming troubles are to be found amongst the scientific community as well. There are perhaps a handful of people on the planet right now with any real expertise in these corals (note: I am not one of these people), and the general consensus is that we don’t really understand the boundaries between species. One recent molecular study found that what had previously been considered a single variable taxon was in fact comprised of no less than six distinct and distantly related lineages. Ex uno, plures.The situation is equally unclear when considering the genus-level classification. As any coral nerd worth their salt can tell you, Toadstool Corals are in Sarcophyton, the similar Devil’s Hand Corals are in Lobophytum, and never the twain shall meet. But it turns out, the twain do meet. Instead of two discrete morphologies, there is really more of a continuum of shapes blending these two extremes. Sarcophyton, in its purest form, does indeed look much like a toadstool and can be recognized in possessing a stalk upon which sits a smooth cap (=polypary or capitulum). Lobophytum, on the other hand (pun), have a heterogenous look which is perhaps best described as untoadstool-like, with some species being tall and fingerlike and others being flat and ridged.… More:

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Activated carbon and carbon dosing – similar sounding, but different techniques for improving water qualityAs if our hobby weren’t perplexing enough to the average beginner given all the oddball jargon we toss around, things can get doubly befuddling for novices when they come across two or more similar-sounding terms that actually apply to very different concepts. Such confusion could easily arise, for example, when newcomers are first confronted with the concepts of carbon use for chemical filtration and carbon dosing for nitrate/phosphate reduction. So, to help clarify these sound-alike terms, let’s define what they are and how each is used to maximize water quality in a marine aquarium:Chemical filtration with activated carbon Likely, activated carbon is what comes to mind for many new hobbyists when they first hear or read about carbon use in marine aquaria, especially if they have a background in freshwater fishkeeping where activated carbon use is a long-established practice. Activated carbon (aka activated charcoal) is a highly porous medium, typically sold in granular or pelletized form, that is used to remove dissolved organic compounds (DOCs) from aquarium water. It’s considered a chemical filtration medium because the DOC molecules it removes actually form a bond with the surface of the carbon—a process known as adsorption. DOCs are what cause the yellowing of aquarium water, so their removal with activated carbon helps keep the water crystal clear. Activated carbon can also be used to eliminate various toxins and contaminants from the water, for example the noxious chemicals many corals and other sessile organisms release to prevent neighbors from encroaching on their real estate, medications used to treat fish, residual ozone exiting an ozone reactor, etc. There are various ways to place the carbon granules or pellets in a system.

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Sometimes you have a fish in your aquarium you never see eating, but it that a problem? It depends.I’ve had this fish in my aquarium for months now and it’s as fat and happy as can be, yet I’ve never actually seen it consume any of the food’s I’ve offered. How on earth is it getting enough to eat?”Caribbean Chris and I often field queries like this here at Saltwater Smarts, and they pop up with some regularity on internet forums as well. So what’s the answer? How can a fish survive for a long period in a closed aquarium if it never accepts any of the foods it’s offered? Well, there are a few potential explanations as well as a worrisome possibility to consider. It’s feasting on resident microfauna and/or flora The fish could, for example, be feasting on amphipods, copepods, worms, and other tiny invertebrate “bugs” that inhabit live rock and live sand. Your system could be crawling with these critters without you even being aware of it unless you check out your system with a flashlight after dark

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Orbicella faveolata. NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary/Hickerson

 An article recently published (and abridged here) in the Marine Ecology Progress Series by Aaron C. Hartmann et al., titled Crude Oil Contamination Interrupts Settlement of Coral Larvae After Direct Exposure Ends, has some disturbing news: Oil spills cause damage to marine wildlife that lasts well past their immediate aftermath. Marine offspring that must settle and metamorphose to reach adulthood may be particularly prone to harm if the legacy of oil exposure interrupts later transitions across life stages. Following an oil spill on Curaçao, we found that oil-contaminated seawater reduced settlement of 2 coral species by 85% and 40% after exposure had ended. The effect of contamination on settlement was more severe than any direct or latent effects on survival. Latent, sublethal, and behavioral effects on marine organisms—as shown in this study—are not commonly considered during oil-spill impact assessments, increasing the likelihood that harm to marine species goes underestimated or unmeasured. On August 16, 2012, crude oil was spilled into surface ocean waters near a land-based oil transshipment facility on the southern coast of the Caribbean island of Curaçao. In total, 2.5 km of coastline were directly affected by oiling. The spill occurred during a period of larval production for many shallow-water brooding coral species, such as Agaricia humilis, and 3 wk prior to the mass spawning of a number of broadcasting coral species including Orbicella faveolata, a species recently listed as ‘threatened’ under the US Endangered Species Act. 

The extent of coastline and inland bay at Jan Kok, Curaçao, that was oiled in August 2012 (dark gray area), the source of crude oil (C), the 6 sites (red: oiled; blue: nonoiled) at which seawater was collected for larval exposure experiments

 In the wake of the Curaçao oil spill and 2 days after the spawning of O. faveolata, we conducted 2 experiments to determine whether oil-contaminated surface waters affected survival or settlement of O. faveolata and A. humilis larvae in a direct (during exposure), carry-over (during and after exposure), or latent (only after exposure) manner. During exposure to seawater from 3 sites within the oil-contaminated region, larvae of the broadcast-spawning Caribbean coral Orbicella faveolata suffered a 10% reduction in survival compared to nonoiled sites. Meanwhile, this species showed no survivorship response across 6 concentrations of laboratory-generated, oil-contaminated seawater during the exposure period. After these experiments, larvae from all treatments were transferred to non-contaminated seawater to mimic movement away from oil-contaminated seawater.… More:

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When I saw the price tag on the new Kessil AP700 ($ 895.00 per fixture) my first thought was, “What’s Kessil thinking.” The Kessil A360 and A360W lights have grown popular among reef keepers, and the dense matrix LED technology has been praised, as it offers shadow and ripple effects on par with metal halide lighting. Although control has been an issue for Kessil. When the A360 debuted, the best option for control was to purchase an accessory module for a Neptune System’s Apex (another expense for reef keepers who could get similar functionality for cheaper from other brands). Later Kessil released it’s own driver (which of course cost money), which paled in comparison to those seen on other lighting systems. When I first saw the AP700’s price tag, I assumed that Kessil must have released some stunning new technology, something that outpaces everything else in reef aquarium lighting. Naturally if that was the case, I needed to get my hands on these lights. After some research, including a call into a reef tank tech guru, I am disappointed to say that isn’t the case. Comparison to other lights: Just so we can get our heads around the AP700’s cost, I want to compare it to several other light fixtures, along with the number of pucks each fixture has. 

• Eco Tech Radion XR30w (two lighting pucks): $ 649.00
• AI Hydra 52 (four lighting pucks): $ 449.00
• Kessil A360W (one lighting puck, single fixture): $ 399.00

This is a good breakdown of several leading LED fixtures. It’s long been noted that the Eco Tech Radion has led the pack pricewise, but the fixture has also been praised for highly reliable software with lots of unique functions. While the number of lighting pucks a fixture has certainly isn’t the bottom line definition of what is a better light, it’s a good place to start for comparison purposes. The fact that the Kessil AP700 is selling for well beyond the price of Ecotech’s Radion XR30w Pro ($ 749) is enough to raise an eyebrow. Is this light so advanced that it’s worth over $ 100 more than what is considered the “gold-standard” in high-tech aquarium lighting. The AP700:So what is the AP700, what high tech system is packed into that sleek little package that warrants a price far higher than well-respected competitors? Not much. In conversation with a reef tank tech guru, I learned that the AP700 is essentially two Kessil A360W lights packed into one fixture.… More:

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There has been a lot of controversy over Sea World in recent years, especially since the debut of the 2013 film ‘BlackFish’. The California Coastal Commission has unanimously approved Sea World’s $100 million project to double the size of the killer whale exhibit, but the commission also ruled that Sea World is banned from breeding any of the 11 whales in captivity in California. This vote came after 650 protesters and animal-rights activists appeared to protest the conditions at Sea World. Sea World was, not surprisingly, disappointed by the decision and issued a statement soon after the vote.  “Breeding is a natural, fundamental and important part of an animal’s life,” the statement from Sea World said, “and depriving a social animal of the right to reproduce is inhumane.” Activist groups like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) were happy with the decision.”SeaWorld has admitted that it intended to breed even more orcas to fill the new tanks, but the commission’s action today ensures that no more orcas will be condemned to a nonlife of loneliness, deprivation and misery,” PETA spokesman Ben Williamson said in a statement. “SeaWorld is a sea circus, and the orcas are its abused elephants. PETA wants SeaWorld to stop building tanks and start emptying the ones they’ve got by sending the orcas to coastal sanctuaries, where they’d finally have some semblance of a natural life.” MORE… More:

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Harlequin Bass (Serranus tigrinus)Prized for its striking patterning, modest adult size, exceptional hardiness, and overall adaptability, the harlequin bass (Serranus tigrinus), denizen of the tropical western Atlantic and Caribbean, makes an excellent choice for the novice marine aquarist and experienced hobbyist alike. (In fact, just try to stop Caribbean Chris from keeping one!) Physical traitsThis fascinating dwarf seabass is white to gray overall with meandering black bands forming tiger stripes on its flanks and smaller black spots speckling the rest of its body, dorsal fin, and caudal fin. A yellowish tinge may also be evident on the ventral half of the body. The eyes are positioned high on the head, and the snout is long and tapers to form a point. Maximum size for this species is around 4 inches. Feeding A carnivore that, in nature, feeds primarily on small crustaceans, S. tigrinus will accept a wide range of small, meaty foods in captivity, such as frozen mysids and plankton, finely chopped crustacean or mollusk meat, various frozen commercial formulations for small predators (e.g., Fish Frenzy®), and so forth. Most specimens take to feeding in captivity with little difficulty, and once- or twice-daily feedings are recommended

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 The International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest (IAPLC) 2015 brought in over 2,545 entries from 69 counties around the world. This is one epic aquascaping competition! Aquascaping is an art form that takes talent, patience and creativity. In this year’s competition, Japan was number one, and China took second, third, and fifth place! Brazil came in fourth. And you can see the rest of the rankings on IAPLC’s website. Takayuki Fukada from Japan took first place with his aquarium titled ‘Longing’.These beautiful tanks were judged based on the following six criteria: the recreation of natural habitat for fish; the creator’s technical skills; the long-term maintenance of the habitat; the originality and impression of the layout; presentation of natural layout; and the overall composition and planting ‘balance’. Aquascaping has certainly come a very long way. Even just ten years ago, it did have anywhere near the following and recognition in the industry as it currently does. While these tanks are beyond breathtaking, anyone can get started in aquascaping. You could really think of it as underwater gardening; all you need to get started is a fish tank. Like any other art form, it takes passion, patience and dedication, but we all need to start somewhere. However, that is not to over-simplify this art form, as aquarists can tell you that there is a lot to keep in mind; having a good grasp of underwater plants, ecology, and aquarium maintenance are essential to make your aquascaping successful. MORE… More:

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It’s time for another podcast. This week we are excited to have Alex Rose join us, after a long absence, to talk about the Elysium Artists for the Arctic expedition. Don’t miss this one. It’s a tremendous story about the expedition itself but, more important, what global warming is doing to an extremely important ecosystem. 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

Below are several photos Alex made during the expedition.

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This is a story that you just don’t hear every day. And while really it has nothing to do with shark attacks, its a pleasant twist on an otherwise unlucky brush with fate. Eugene Finney, from Fitchburg, Massachusetts,  was visiting his parents in Huntington Beach California this past July. He took the family for a day at the beach, and while swimming in the water, Finney was hit very hard on his back. “I was hit in the back hard. Really hard. I’ve never been hit that hard in my life,” Finney said. Luckily, he was able to swim to the shore, and obtain getting out of the water, was asked by his daughter why his back was bleeding. He emerged with nearly a foot long cut down his back. It is not clear what caused the injury. It could have been a shark, another surf board, or debris in the ocean. Some days after the incident, Finney sought out medical treatment. While the doctors observed his injuries from the beach, they also discovered a small tumor on his right kidney. The tumor was later removed, along with some of Finney’s kidney, and it was determined that the tumor was cancerous. “If he didn’t have the encounter with the shark, and given the fact that he’s a healthy 39-year-old man, the tumor probably would have grown over the next five, six years. The surgery could have been significantly less successful had the tumor not been located early,” Finney’s physician, Dr.Tuerk said. MORE… More:

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Green brittle star (Ophiarachna incrassata)“Voracious predator” is not a term one commonly associates with brittle stars—that is, of course, unless the brittle star in question happens to be Ophiarachna incrassata, or the green brittle star (aka “the green death”). This bold species has a well-earned reputation for not merely scavenging deceased small fish and motile invertebrates, as one might assume, but also for actively hunting and capturing these animals while they’re still alive and kicking. Physical appearanceO. incrassata, as its common name implies, is muted green overall with lighter colored dots forming a radial pattern on the central disc. Whitish to yellowish spines line either side of each arm. Specimens can reach a rather prodigious size of around 20 inches in diameter (arm tip to arm tip, that is). Feeding This brittle star is not a finicky eater. It will accept pretty much any foods offered to fish as well as consume detritus

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These may be some of the dumbest criminals ever. These twenty-somethings in Britain were caught on camera trying to steal an aquarium in Britain from Contact Pets aquarium store in Wales. The three bandits are decked out in hoodies, and can be seen smashing into the store and attempting to leave with an aquarium. After giving up on trying to figure out how to get the aquarium out of the store once the handle broke, the three quickly gave up on that prospect and instead went for the register, where they made out with $150.00 pounds and a broken laptop computer. Luckily, it doesn’t appear any fish or wildlife was harmed by the break in and the robbers did not get off with much. “The only product they tried to take was an aquarium but the handle on the box broke so they just left it behind,” said Dave Clark, who runs the store with partner Sarah.“They didn’t touch anything else.” The owners have another store, a fishing store, which was targeted by thieves earlier this year, and in that incident, the thieves made out with $23,000.00 pounds of fishing equipment. It has not been established whether the robberies are linked in anyway. MORE… More:

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Years ago when I worked for the Beautiful Oceans Academy, I was introduced to a lot of high profile conservationists. Captain Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd, Phillipe Cousteau of Earth Eco, Stan Waterman (famous in certain diving circles and star of Blue Water, White Death) and many others. Most of them were not fans of the marine aquarium hobby/industry, and were highly skeptical of parks that kept marine mammals. Beautiful Oceans worked alongside various diving industry conservation groups to help generate content for its courses, which inspired divers to take part in oceanic conservation. We took that material to resorts all over the Caribbean and combined marine science with recreational diving, with the supreme goal of helping foster conservation. In everything I do in marine aquaria, I try to factor conservation into the equation. Whether it be ensuring animals survive and thrive in my systems, on down to managing my aquarium so it leaves as light a footprint as possible on the environment.  Like many in the conservation circles I watched the hit documentary film Blackfish. It was eye opening, but didn’t expose anything I didn’t already know. Killer whales are intelligent, social and complex animals, and when placed in a captive setting they are often unable to adjust, lashing out and sometimes people get caught in the middle. This is the same for aquarium fish, watch an Achilles tang struggling to adjust to captive life, in a tank far too small to support it. The fish will pace back and forth, up and down, refuse to eat and often eventually perish. The only major difference is if an Achilles tang tail swipes an aquarist, it doesn’t crush their body and kill them. Captivity creates a lot of ethical conservation concerns and when keeping animals in captivity turns into a highly profitable industry, as is the case with marine aquariums and attractions such as Sea World, those concerns are compounded. Captivity also brings with it a great capacity for humans to learn about different species. It’s hard to deny that Sea World’s work with killer whales has greatly progressed our understanding of them. Now that California has banned Sea World from breeding killer whales in captivity, could the conservation based law backfire? Sea World’s Research: 

SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund Logo (PRNewsFoto/SeaWorld & Busch Gardens)

 While Blackfish highlighted many questionable programs hosted by Sea World (such as separating killer whale calves from their mothers) it failed to shine any light on research initiatives carried out by the marine animal park.… More:

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Good morning friends, I’m at work alone today, our crew, the sub and ship all left for another 2 day trip to Klein Curacao to further explore the unknown depths of that little island. I had to stay behind because Aimee left today for the States to a attend a dog training conference in Texas and we had no one to watch our two little fur babies.  Two weeks ago we did a four day trip with the Chapman research vessel and our little submersible to the west end of the island and dropped anchor at a beautiful place called Playa Forti. This was a trip sponsored and paid for by the Smithsonian institution at a cost of about… (are you sitting down?) $17,000 a day!! Yep you read that right, renting a ship, crew and a submarine is not cheap but is %100 necessary for those that are in search of new and unusual creatures and fish never seen by any human before

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Undulate triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) are well-known for their belligerent natureLFS staffer to customer eyeing sohal tang as potential purchase: “Hmm, I don’t think that fish would be a good choice for your tank. It can get very aggressive, and most of the fish you have in there now are pretty shy and passive. Customer to staffer: “Yeah, I know sohals have a reputation for aggressiveness, but it’ll be the last fish introduced to the tank. Besides, you have to remember that individuals of a species are going to vary to some degree in their behavior. I’m willing to take my chances.”This is one of those circumstances (albeit a totally fabricated one) in which a hobbyist willingly ignores good advice and overrides common sense because, come hell or high water, he or she just really wants a particular specimen. And, in this context, referencing the variable behavior among individuals within a species is merely another manifestation of self-delusion. Don’t get me wrong, there most definitely can be considerable behavioral variation within a species. For example, I’ve kept several yellow tangs over the years, and these individuals have ranged in their level of assertiveness toward perceived competitors anywhere from pushover to outright bully

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Discordipinna griessingeri (Flaming Prawn Goby) acclimating at a retailer. Credit: Austin Lefevre

 It’s a fish eat fish world out there. Wild fishes face daunting lives in nature; everything in the ocean either wants to eat you or outcompete you for territory or mates. Collection for the aquarium is only the beginning of a hectic and stressful time in their lives. Once collected they’re held in a facility and purged (allowed time to expel waste) for a period of time prior to shipping. Then they’re bagged, boxed and shipped off to wholesaler’s around the world. Ripped from boxes and exposed to bright light after hours of travel in complete darkness, they’re acclimated to holding tanks at wholesalers. Fishes are then offered various foods and sold to retailers around the wholesalers’ country. Most wholesaler’s have to move these fishes out within a week to remain profitable. Once purchased by a retailer fishes are once again bagged, boxed, and shipped to their new temporary home. Boxes are opened, bright lights are glaring, and a fish must start to think, ‘what in the hell is going on here!’. As with wholesalers, most retailers have to move a fish within a week in order to stay profitable. Remember that fish food, saltwater, and employees all cost money that adds to the final price. If a retailer’s main concern is to offer the most affordable prices in the area, a week is even a long time to hold onto a fish. Unfortunately for the average hobbyist, this leaves them with huge risk factors to deal with: Is this fish eating well? Does it have parasites, bacterial or fungal infections? 

Conditioned Holacanthus clarionensis in retail display at MACNA 2014 in Denver. Credit: Austin Lefevre

 One statistic that’s always stuck with me is “Internal worm infections are found in approximately 70 to 85% of tropical marine fish imported from the Philippines, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Hawaii, the Caribbean, Australia, and the Red Sea.” (Bassleer, Gerald. Diseases in Marine Aquarium Fishes, page 74. 2004). Now how many average hobbyists are ready to treat for such things? Even know what to look for? An internal parasite takes a trained eye to spot symptoms, or you end up with a story that reads something like, “My fish was eating great but not gaining weight, then just up and died for no reason. I’m never buying a fish from XYZ again!… More:

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By October, spotfin butterflyfish are putting on some serious size.

 As the water temperature continues to drop in the waters of New York, north winds and fall nor’easters do their part to diminish water clarity by stirring up sediment and breaking up our meager seasonal thermocline. Many of the tropical fishes that haven’t found their way out of here are starting to exhibit signs of stress. The fins of the butterflyfishes are speckled with Cryptocarion sp. and other assorted parasites. Metabolisms are slowing down and although some tropical species are nearing adult size, they are increasingly easy to catch as they begin to lose speed and coordination.  This is fortunate because my coordination also falters on these last few dives of the season. It’s not as easy as you might think to catch fish with hand nets while shivering uncontrollably inside a 7mm wetsuit. But for those of us who are sufficiently obsessed with this phenomenon to endure the cold and poor visibility, there are, occasionally, payoffs that make it all worthwhile. This week while on my annual October solo night dive in Shinnecock Inlet, I was rewarded with a species I haven’t seen in several years. 

Twospot cardinalfish, Apogon pseudomaculatus

 The twospot cardinalfish, Apogon pseudomaculatus, is not uncommon in New York and ranges as far north as Canada (and south to Brazil), however its cryptic and nocturnal behaviors make it easy to overlook. Locally, juveniles can be found deep in the recesses of rock jetties and rotting wood pilings. As adults, twospot cardinalfish are found on hard bottoms of the continental shelf, at depths from 1 to 100m. I observed at least four cardinals on this dive, but unfortunately, I only managed to bag one. Perhaps, knowing there are at least three more out there, I will muster the enthusiasm for one last dive. I will be speaking about collecting tropical fishes in the Northeastern US this weekend at the CTARS Marine Aquarium Conference. If you are anywhere near Connecticut on Saturday, you may want to check it out. I will be joined by fellow lecturers Christine Williams and Erik Stenn.… More:

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Good morning friends, I have a wild looking gorgonian for you all today that reminded me immediately of Medusa and her wild hair made of snakes! I have never seen a gorgonian that had arms like this, maybe it was because the water was so calm and it felt it could let it’s hair down so to speak. These beautiful flowing underwater soft corals are really incredible and are home to so many different fish and creatures, you could honestly spend a whole dive just searching for all the little animals that are there but are super hidden. I forgot to tell you all yesterday that JOY the black dog we have been fostering (for the second time) finally got a new home.

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