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Reef Builders | The Reef and Marine Aquarium Blog

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  Watch Luiz Rocha’s presentation on the Diversity and Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes

  Posted: January 30th, 2012, 4:38am CST by Jake Adams

  

  If you weren’t able to make it to last week’s Diversity and Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes, fret not because this informative talk is already up and live on the interwebz. Dr. Luiz Rocha, the ichthyologist who has described for us great new reef fish species including Sparisoma choati, Chaetodontoplus poliourus and Halichoeres sazimai delivers an excellent presentation on many facets of reef fish ecology. Whether you are interested in the hybridization of angelfish and butterflyfish or why  some surgeonfish mimic Centropyge pygmy angelfish, Dr. Rocha’s talk is full of very interesting and uncommon knowledge. FORA.tv
  Readers also viewed:

  • California Academy of Sciences NightLife highlights sustainable seafood
  • Daylight soft coral spawn caught on film in the Phillipines
  • Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Metasepia pfefferi, mating on Video
  • First documented spawning of Ribbon Eels at the Steinhart Aquarium
  • Reef Aquarium Rock Wall Aquascapes can be interesting
  • Steinhart Aquarium the first to successfully breed dwarf cuttlefish
  • Rising Tide – Ternate Damselfish lastest addition to “been there, done that” breeding list!
  • “Diversity and Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes” lecture tomorrow at California Academy of Sciences

  
  

  
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  Beautiful unidentified Plectranthias acquired by Blue Harbor

  Posted: January 30th, 2012, 11:12pm CST by Jake Adams

  

  We absolutely love cute little nano reef fish and few more so than the Plectranthias. Although the hobby only sees Plectranthias inermis imported with any kind of regularity, there dozens of beautiful species of Plectranthias in the sea that would make fantastic aquarium fish. A large number of Plectranthias are found in the northwest Pacific Ocean around the seas of Taiwan and Japan including Plectranthias pelicieri, P. sagamiensis, P. xanthomaculatus and this little gem which has not yet been identified to an exact species of Plectranthias.

  Blue Harbor acquired this unknown deepwater Plectranthias from a deep water collection in Okinawa which means that it probably prefers cooler waters like other deep reef fish. This fresh-collected unknown Plectranthias may be a little bit muted in coloration but we have no doubt that it will eventually blossom into an amazing hawkfish-anthias with color and pattern to match its closely related species.

  Click here to view the embedded video.

  
  Readers also viewed:

  • Blue Harbor’s close up video of Lipogramma robinsi shows this fascinating basslet in great detail
  • BlueHarbor showcases super rare juvenile Bodianus masudai hogfish
  • From Japan with love: Japanese angelfish, Randall’s assessor and crescent-tail fairy wrasse
  • Full Spectrum KR93SP was released in Japan
  • Stunning juvenile Centropyge interrupta showcased by BlueHabor
  • An adult Golden Basslet, Liopropoma aberrans, featured on video in an aquarium for the first time
  • Reef Culture Technologies already beginning to ship a few ‘Hawaiian Cherub’ angelfish
  • Deepwater red Callionymus dragonet fished up from the deep by Blue Harbor

  
  

  
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  Scientist to freeze, cryogenically preserve Great Barrier Reef corals

  Posted: January 30th, 2012, 9:35pm CST by Brian Blank

  Click here to view the embedded video.

  Cryogenics and coral banks are nothing new but as one of the largest and most famous reefs in the world, Australian scientists are exploring using cryogenics to preserve corals from the Great Barrier Reef. We’ve previously seen the University of Hawaii and the Zoological Society of London start similar coral banks and we are hoping to see the Australian coral bank find success before it would need to be used.  By taking and freezing eggs and sperm from the coral, the research teams can then fertilize and regrow the coral in the lab. As some scientists predict the GBR not surviving past 2050 with the drastic effects global warming and human interference are causing on the reefs. The research teams are hoping to not only have species preserved in case of an emergency, but to create stronger, more resilient coral as well.
  Readers also viewed:

  • Video of Ribbon Reefs shows part of the scale of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
  • Hawaii creates cryogenic coral bank
  • The Rowley Shoals is home to pristine coral reefs as well as some very unique fish
  • Coral Sea Commonwealth Marine Reserve set to be the world’s largest marine park
  • Branching Favites complanata from Darwin Australia is more colorful than Australogyra
  • Chaetodon assarius, a rare butterflyfish from down-under
  • AIMS to take a closer, scientific look at damage to GBR from Chinese Tanker
  • Chinese Tanker runs aground near Great Barrier Reef

  
  

  
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  Kent Marine ProScraper II offers up an extendable reach

  Posted: January 30th, 2012, 6:42pm CST by Jake Adams

  Click here to view the embedded video.

  The ProScraper II is the first follow up to the sturdy and practical Kent Marine ProScraper that we’ve come to know and love over more than a decade. Although we already have a small arsenal of ProScrapers in our aquarium scrubbing toolkit, the ProScraper II’s adjustable length handle could take the place of most of them. The Kent Marine ProScraper II is available in five sizes from 5 to 36 inches long and in addition to the new form factor we’ve also noticed the addition of a pad-covered blade to compliment the replaceable steel and plastic blades.
  Readers also viewed:

  • New Kent Marine Reef Salt Mix coming in early 2011
  • Kent Marine products to be rebranded as Aqueon

  
  

  
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  B-Box Aquarium shows off latest video featuring a Gramma dejongi hybrid

  Posted: January 30th, 2012, 6:07pm CST by Tea Yi Kai

  Click here to view the embedded video.

  

  Other specimens such as this one have been brought in before. Picture by Dejong Marine

  B-Box Aquarium treated us with a sensational close up video of Gramma dejongi the last time, and then teased us again with what appeared to be a photo of a G. dejongi x G. loreto hybrid. They topped themselves this time by releasing a short video of the hybrid Gramma. Gramma dejongi hybrids are rare and few, and almost all specimens caught get whisked away to Japan almost inadvertently.

  As with any other hybrid or aberrations, the variability of these fishes are high and the amount of yellow or purple that each specimen possess is different. One thing’s for sure, they cost only but a fraction of the price of a pristine pedigree G. dejongi.
  Readers also viewed:

  • B-Box Aquarium video is a close up highlight of the coveted Gramma dejongi
  • New videos of Gramma dejongi to tantalize your reef buds
  • Powder blue tang hybrid with Acanthurus bariene is a unique one-of-a kind surgeonfish
  • Hybrid triggerfish still alive and well in a marine fish aquarium
  • Gramma dejongi Hybrid is spotted at B-Box Aquarium in Japan
  • Hybrid multicolor angelfish from Cebu may not be a coincidence after all
  • Rare Hybrid of Pyramid Butterflyfish is caught from Indonesian water
  • The “pygmy kingi” Eibli x Halfblack angelfish gets an update