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News Stories from May 2009
Blue Whales Returning to Alaska -- Blue whales are returning to Alaska in search of food and could be re-establishing an old migration route several decades after they were nearly wiped out by commercial whalers, scientists say. Most Extensive Genetic Resource For Reef-building Coral Created -- A nearly complete collection of genes for a species of reef-building coral has been assembled by a team led by biologists from The University of Texas at Austin. World’s largest Marine Protected Area one step closer -- What may become the world's largest marine protected area came a step closer following the announcement by Australia’s environment minister Peter Garrett that the Coral Sea would become a Conservation Zone. Bass inherit vulnerability to anglers -- One can now include vulnerability to being caught by anglers among all the heritable traits in fish. David Philipp and coauthors demonstrated this in a study published in a recent issue of the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society. The study began in 1977 on largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) in Ridge Lake, an experimental study lake in Illinois. Three new Melanochromis described -- Three new species of mbuna in the genus Melanochromis have been described by Gertrud Konings-Dudin, Adrianus Konings and Jay Staufferin in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. They name the three new species from the eastern shore of Lake Malawi Melanochromis kaskazini, Melanochromis wochepa and Melanochromis mossambiquensis. New Jupiaba tetra described -- Ichthyologists José Birindelli and coauthors from Brazil have described a new species of tetra from the Xingu River drainage, naming it Jupiaba kurua. New anostomid named Leporinus guttatus -- Brazilian ichthyologists José Birindelli and Heraldo Britski have described a new species of tetra from the Xingu River drainage, naming it Leporinus guttatus. New Gymnogeophagus cichlid described -- Uruguayan ichthyologists Iván González-Bergonzoni, Marcelo Loureiro and Sebastián Oviedo have described a new cichlid species from the Uruguay River drainage, naming the new species Gymnogeophagus tiraparae. News Stories from April 2009
World's rarest shark cooked and eaten -- A shark so rare that humans have encountered it only forty-one times in the preceding three decades has met a degrading end simmering in coconut milk. Fishermen based in the city of Donsol in the Philippines caught the four-metre long megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) while trawling for mackerel. The shark, estimated at 500 kg, died soon after being captured at a depth of 200 metres off the eastern coast of Burias Isle and was landed at Barangay Dancalan in Donsol. Two new Leporinus described -- Brazilian ichthyologists Julio Garavello and Geraldo Santos have described two new species of Leporinus from the Araguaia-Tocantins River system. The authors name the two new species Leporinus unitaeniatus and Leporinus geminis in the most recent issue of the Brazilian Journal of Biology. Synodontis evolved from single ancestor -- The Synodontis species catfishes of Lake Tanganyika evolved from a single common ancestor, according to a study on the molecular phylogeny of the group published in a recent issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Biology. Larval dispersal critical to marine reserves -- Understanding how the dispersal of larval marine fish works is critical in managing a network of marine protected areas, and a study published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has provided the first empirical evidence of how this dispersal works. All Octopuses Are Venomous, Study Says -- Australia's tiny blue-ringed octopus has long had a venomous reputation - one bite can kill an adult human in minutes. But now it seems the rest of the eight-legged species' relatives are not as harmless as once thought. According to a new study, all octopuses, cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous. Vast Black Coral Forest Found -- The narrow stretch of water known as the Strait of Messina, where the mythical sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis swallowed sailors and ships, hides the world's largest forest of black coral, according to a new survey of the Mediterranean sea bed. Using an underwater robot, marine biologists at Italy's Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) found almost 30,000 colonies of Antipathella subpinnata coral at a depth of between 55 and 100 meters (180 and 328 feet). The coral was found near the town of Scilla, off the coast Calabria in southern Italy. Deep-sea coral may be oldest living marine organisms -- Deep-sea coral off the coast of Hawaii may be the oldest living marine organisms, according to a study published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Brendan Roark and coauthors applied radiocarbon dating on two groups of deep-water proteinaceous corals (Gerardia sp. and Leiopathes sp.) and found individual colonies to be as old as thousands of years. New population of endangered White clouds discovered -- Chinese scientists have discovered another wild population of the White Cloud Mountain minnow, Tanichthys albonubes, in the southern Chinese island of Hainan. Robofish to monitor pollution -- A shoal of robotic fish is to be released into the waters of Northern Spain to monitor pollution. Five carp-shaped robots will be released into the port of Gijon in the Bay of Biscay in 2010 as part of a three year research project funded by the European Commission. Human-generated sound harms fish -- A study published in the most recent issue of the journal Integrative Zoology reports that human-generated sound has detrimental effects on fish. The review by Arthur Popper and Mardi Hastings reports that fish suffer from effects ranging from loss of hearing, increased stress levels and even death due to anthropogenic noises. The sources of man-made sounds are varied, and include boats and ships, seismic exploration devices, construction activities, and active sonars. News Stories from March 2009
New Nannocharax discovered -- German ichthyologists Andreas Dunz and Ulrich Schliewen have described two new species of the African characiform genus Nannocharax from the Cross River drainage in Cameroon. The descriptions of the two new species, named Nannocharax zebra and N. usongo, are published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Caribbean reef fish in decline -- Scientists have found that the numbers of reef fish are declining in the Caribbean. By examining data from over 300 different coral reefs they have discovered that densities which have been stable since 1955 have been declining since 1995 at a rate of 2.7%-6% loss each year. Shape-shifting corals mislead taxonomists -- Scientists in Hawaii have confirmed using molecular techniques that classifying corals based on morphology alone is a bad idea. Seven new bamboo corals discovered -- Scientists have discovered seven new species of bamboo coral in the deep waters off Hawaii. The new species were discovered on an expedition funded by NOAA, the US Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to Papah Naumoku Kea Marine National Monument - one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. Six of the seven species may belong to an as yet undescribed genus. New tetra described from Congo River -- A new Alestes tetra has been described from the Congo River drainage by ichthyologists from the USA and the Republic of Congo. Melanie Stiassny, Robert Schelly and Victor Mamonekene named the new tetra Alestes inferus. New ghost knifefish described from Amazon -- Ichthyologists James Albert and William Crampton have described a new species of apteronotid knifefish from the western Amazon of Peru and Brazil. The authors name the new species Samuel's ghost knifefish (Compsaraia samueli) after Samuel Albert, who presented them with the type specimens. New blenny described from Brazil -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of blenny named Scartella itajobi from the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago off northeastern Brazil. Masquerader hairy blenny gets name -- Brazilian ichthyologists have described a new species of scaly blenny named Labrisomus conditus from the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago off northeastern Brazil. Ammonia oxidising archaea important in nitrogen removal -- Scientists from the United States have provided new evidence to suggest that microorganisms called archaea are important in the oxidation of ammonia. Previous research has suggested that ammonia oxidation, in which ammonia is broken down into nitrite, was undertaken by chemolithotrophic ammonia-oxidising bacteria. Discus study shows unique chromosomes -- Scientists examining the chromosomes of three Discus species have found that two of them have features that were previously unseen in vertebrates. The study, which is due to be published in the journal Heredity, provides evidence to suggest that Symphysodon aequifasciatus and S. haraldi have an intriguing meiotic chromosomal chain, which is the first ever seen in a fish or other vertebrate. New tetra described from Tocantins -- A new tetra species named Steindachnerina notograptos from the Tocantins River drainage has been described by Brazilian ichthyologist Paulo Lucinda and American Ichthyologist Richard Vari. News Stories from February 2009
L239 named Baryancistrus beggini -- Another L-number plec has been formally described in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. Nathan Lujan, Mariangeles Arce and Jonathan Armbruster name Baryancistrus beggini from the upper Orinoco River drainage after Chris Beggin, the owner of an aquarium fish store in Nashville who funded the research. New fish genus named after Heiko Bleher -- A new genus of freshwater silverside from the South Pacific has been named after Heiko Bleher. Aarn and Walter Ivantsoff describe Bleheratherina pierucciae as a new genus and species of silverside from the Tontouta and Pirogues rivers in New Caledonia. New plec is a rock-climber -- The description of a new species of rock-climbing catfish has led ichthyologists to believe that the common ancestor of the Loricariidae (plecs) and Astroblepidae was probably able to climb over rocks by grasping them with its mouth and pelvic fins. The new species is named Lithogenes wahari by ichthyologists Scott Schaefer and Francisco Provenzano. Scientists make fish food from beer -- Scientists have described how they have produced a new form of fish food additive from wastes left over from the production of beer. The additive could potentially help reduce pressures on fish stocks, which are often targeted to produce fish meal used to make foods to feed farmed and aquarium fish. New disease discovered in seadragons -- Veterinary pathologists have described a new fish disease found on the weedy and leafy seadragons. The disease, a form of melanised fungus, was discovered in Leafy seadragons (Phycodurus eques) and Weedy seadragons (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) kept in aquariums and caused extensive lesions and necrosis of the gills, kidneys and other areas. New pike cichlid described from Rio Iguazu basin -- Argentinian ichthyologists have described a new species of pike cichlid from the Paraná River drainage. Jorge Casciotta and Adriana Almirón name the new pike cichlid Crenicichla tesay in a recent issue of the journal Revue Suisse de Zoologie. Puntius denisonii breeding programme announced -- Fisheries scientists from India have announced a programme to breed the threatened barb Puntius denisonii. The Indian government's Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) told Practical Fishkeeping that it had been working on developing techniques to breed denisonii for several years. It had now achieved success using two different techniques: one in which aquarists recreated the natural breeding conditions of the species, and another in which hormones were used to artificially trigger spawnings. New pike cichlid named Crenicichla mandelburgeri -- Swedish ichthyologist Sven Kullander has described a new species of pike cichlid from the Paraná River drainage in Paraguay. Deep-sea reef discovered off Tasmania -- A collaborative expedition by Australian and US scientists has discovered a new deep-sea reef in the ocean southwest of Tasmania. Although much bizarre marine life was uncovered, the findings were tempered by evidence that much of the coral reef is dying, possibly as a result of human influences. News Stories from January 2009
Threatened corals show natural disease resistance -- Staghorn corals threatened by an emerging disease have been found to have some natural resistance, explaining why not all individuals die when the disease strikes. Six percent of Acropora cervicornis staghorn coral genotypes show natural resistance to White Band Disease (WBD), with three out of 49 specimens being able to fend off the infection. Three new gobies described -- Australian ichthyologists have described two new species of Glossogobius gobies from southern New Guinea and a third related species from northeastern Australia in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Douglas Hoese and Gerald Allen name the new species Glossogobius bellendenensis (from northeastern Queensland) G. muscorum and G. robertsi (both from the Fly River drainage in New Guinea). Discus gather in fallen trees, says study -- British ichthyologist William Crampton has provided the first detailed study of Discus ecology, publishing his results in a recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyologist. Crampton studied the feeding, reproduction and micro-habitat preferences of the Blue and Brown Discus in the vicinity of Tefé, Brazil. The author found that the Discus feeds predominantly on algal periphyton, fine organic detritus, plant matter, and small aquatic invertebrates, with invertebrates making up a greater proportion of their diet during low water. Hillstream loach migrates by leaving the water -- Taiwanese scientists have described how a species of threatened hillstream loach (Sinogastromyzon puliensis) migrates upstream by travelling out of the water over wet rocks. Scientists discover marine hybrid hotspot -- Scientists from Australia have discovered a hotspot in the eastern Indian Ocean where unusually high numbers of natural hybrid fishes occur. Bristol Zoo breeds Asian arowana -- Bristol Zoo Gardens has spawned its Asian arowanas making it the first successful breeding for this species reported in Europe. One pair owned by the zoo recently gave birth to 15 offspring. The Bristol Zoo Gardens owns four Asian arowanas, Scleropages formosus, which were re-homed at the zoo after customs officials confiscated them in 1995. Bush announces marine conservation area -- With just two weeks left in office, President George Bush last week announced that nearly 200,000 square miles of the Pacific would be become conservation areas. New Akysis catfish described from Sumatra -- A new species of catfish named Akysis fontaneus has been described from the Batang Hari drainage in central Sumatra in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Massive decline in Great Barrier Reef corals -- Australian scientists have found that coral growth in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) has severely and suddenly declined to its lowest levels in four centuries. Glenn De'ath, Janice Lough and Katharina Fabricius have published the results of their findings in a recent issue of the journal Science. Two deepwater L-number plecs described -- Two new species of deepwater plecs have been described by ichthyologists Nathan Lujan and Carine Chamon. The two new species have been caught from the deep main channels of rivers and are named Hemiancistrus pankimpuju and Panaque bathyphilus in a recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Aquarists report Zebra shark spawnings -- Aquarists from the Shedd Aquarium have described a series of successful captive spawnings by its pair of Zebra sharks, Stegostoma fasciatum, in which the female laid over 300 eggs during a four-year period. Tsunami reefs recovering quicker than expected -- Indonesian coral reefs damaged by the tsunami that struck on Boxing Day 2004 are recovering at a faster rate than expected. A study undertaken by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), which took place along 500 miles of the Indonesian coastline, has found rapid colonization of young corals in areas that had been wiped out when the disaster struck four years ago. It is believed this recovery is not only due to the natural resilience of the tough corals, but also the adoption of more sustainable fishing practices by the local communities. New Puntius described from Sri Lanka -- Sri Lankan scientists have described a new species of barb named Puntius kelumi from southwestern Sri Lanka in a recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New Mystus described from Sri Lanka -- A new species of bagrid catfish named Mystus ankutta has been described from Sri Lanka in a recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New genus of tetras described from Amazon -- Ichthyologists from Brazil and the USA have described a new genus and species of cheirodontine tetra named Amazonspinther dalmata from the Amazon River drainage. Three new pygmy seahorses described from Indonesia -- Scientists from Canada and Australia have described three new species of pygmy seahorses from Indonesia. Publishing their results in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, Sara Lourie and Rudie Kuiter name Hippocampus pontohi and H. severnsi from Bunaken Island, off Sulawesi, and H. satomiae from Derawan Island, off Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo). New leaf fish described from Sumatra -- A new species of leaf fish named Nandus mercatus has been described from the Musi River drainage in southern Sumatra in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. News Stories from December 2008
Shark dies on water slide -- A shark on display at a public aquarium has met a sticky end after jumping down a water slide into a pool of chlorinated water. According to TMZ, the 12-year-old shark was a resident at the Mayan Temple aquarium at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. The fish stunned onlookers by jumping over a barrier surrounding its aquarium, and then landing on a water slide known as the Leap of Faith, and briefly swimming around the hotel's swimming pool. But the pool's chlorinated freshwater was placing the shark under significant stress, and despite the aquarium staff removing the fish as quickly as they could, the fish did not survive the ordeal. Dubai Aquarium has world's largest viewing panel -- The Dubai Aquarium and Discovery Centre in The Dubai Mall has laid claim as the world's largest acrylic viewing panel for an aquarium, with this record expected to be featured in the 2010 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. Wild arowana harvest study reveals gloomy picture -- The first comprehensive study of the wild-caught trade in the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) in Cambodia has revealed a gloomy picture. The study, conducted by Jodi Rowley, David Emmett and Seila Voen and published in a recent issue of the journal Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems based its results on interviews with 62 local villagers at four sites in Koh Kong province, south-west Cambodia. Blue tetra is not Boehlkea fredcochui, says scientist -- The Blue tetra (Boehlkea fredcochui) has been misidentified and the fish that has been appearing under this name for 40 years in the ornamental fish trade is actually an undescribed species, according to a study published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology by German ichthyologist Axel Zarske. The author described this misidentified species as Knodus borki (after the German aquarist Dieter Bork). New cleaner goby loves lice -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of cleaner goby named Elacatinus phthirophagous from the Fernando de Noronha Archipelago off northeastern Brazil. Three catfish described from Amazon basin -- Three new species of whiptail catfishes in the genus Loricaria have been described from large white and black water river channels of the Amazon basin of Brazil, the upper Rio Negro drainage of southern Venezuela, and clear waters of the lower Tocantins River. Loricaria lundbergi, L. pumila and L. spinulifera were named in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology by Matthew Thomas and Lucia Py-Daniel. New fish found in Colombian cave -- A new species of cave trichomycterid catfish named Trichomycterus uisae has been described from Colombia. Scientists develop technique to sex Arapaima -- A major step has been taken in the domestication of the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) with the development of a technique to accurately sex the fishes non-invasively. Electric fish use species specific zaps for mate recognition -- Elephant nosed fishes prefer electric organ discharges (EODs) of their own species in choosing their mates, according to research to be published in the journal Biology Letters. Philine Feulner and coauthors studied three species of the African electric fish genus Campylomormyrus (C. compressirostris, C. rhynchophorus and C. tamandua), testing the hypothesis that the fishes use EODs for mate recognition. Endangered lungfish threatened by dam project -- One of the two remaining natural populations of the Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri) is under threat from a proposed dam, according to a paper to be published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes by Angela Arthington. New Pseudancistrus catfish named -- A new plec species in the genus Pseudancistrus has been described from the Corantijn River in Suriname. Sophie de Chambrier and Juan Montoya-Burgos name the new species Pseudancistrus corantijniensis after its distribution in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New damsel named Chromis athena -- Ichthyologists Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann have described a new species of damselfish from the waters off Raja Ampat Island, western New Guinea (Papua Barat Province, Indonesia). Two new Melanotaenia rainbow fish named -- Two new species of rainbowfishes have been named from New Guinea in the latest issue of Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology. Named Melanotaenia ammeri and M. kokasensis by Gerald Allen, Peter Unmack and Renny Hadiaty, the two species are known from the southwestern Birds Head region of western New Guinea (Papua Barat Province, Indonesia). New livebearer described from Costa Rica -- Costa Rican ichthyologist William Bussing has described a new species of livebearer named Poeciliopsis santaelena from northwestern Costa Rica. Scientists to 're-plant' Japan's largest reef -- Scientists in Japan are undertaking a project to restore the country’s biggest coral reef. Thousands of juvenile corals are to be planted in the Sekisei Lagoon, Okinawa, which has suffered major bleaching due to rising sea temperatures. Study shows origins of fancy goldfish -- Scientists from Japan have undertaken a study to examine how varieties of fancy goldfish were produced thousands of years ago. Apistogramma sp. "Mamore" named Apistogramma erythrura -- German cichlid experts Wolfgang Staeck and Ingo Schindler have described a new species of dwarf cichlid from Bolivia. New species described in ricefish revision -- A study of the phylogenetic relationships and a taxonomic revision of the ricefish family Adrianichthyidae has revealed the family to consist of two genera and 28 species, with one being described as new (Oryzias bonneorum). Three species described in Tatia revision. -- The driftwood catfish genus Tatia has been revised by Brazilian ichthyologists Luisa Sarmento-Soares and Ronaldo Martins-Pinheiro, who recognize twelve species and describe three of these as new. The three new species described are T. caxiuanensis, T. meesi and T. nigra. New bumblebee catfish described -- Brazilian scientists have named a new species of bumblebee catfish from Paraguay after ichthyologist Carla Pavanelli. Héctor Alcaraz, Weferson da Graça and Oscar Shibatta published the description of Microglanis carlae in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Two new whiptail cats described from southern Brazil -- Two more species of whiptail catfishes have been described from southern Brazil by Leonardo Ingenito and coauthors. Publishing the descriptions of Rineloricaria langei and R. maacki in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology, the authors name the two new species after scientists Rudolf Lange and Reinhard Maack. New whiptail catfish described from Rio Negro drainage -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of whiptail catfish named Rineloricaria daraha from the cataracts of the Rio Daráa in the Rio Negro drainage, naming it after its type locality. New Gladioglanis catfish described from Amazon -- A new catfish named Gladioglanis anacanthus has been described from the Aripuanã River in central Brazil. New spiny dwarf catfish described -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of spiny dwarf catfish from the Madeira River drainage in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. The new species was named Scoloplax baskini after American ichthyologist Jonathan Baskin. Nine Australoheros cichlids described in revision -- Scientists from Brazil have described nine new species of Australoheros cichlids from southern Brazil. The Australoheros descriptions by Felipe Ottoni and Wilson Costa are published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. News Stories from November 2008
Oceans ten times more acidic than thought -- Increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere may make Earth's oceans more acidic faster than previously thought - unbalancing ecosystems in the process, a new study says. Canadian researcher helps save endangered coral -- Jason Acker, a specialist in medical cryopreservation at the University of Alberta, is part of an international effort to safeguard elkhorn coral, one of the bedrocks of living reefs that support a huge proportion of the world's sea-going species. Thousands join bluefin tuna boycott -- Close to 16,000 citizens from 149 countries have signed up to join numerous restaurants, retailers and chefs in boycotting Mediterranean bluefin tuna until stocks have recovered and the fishery is properly controlled and managed. Puntius denisonii threatened by aquarium trade -- Scientists have highlighted the threatened conservation status of the Red lined torpedo barb, Puntius denisonii, a popular aquarium fish. Census of Marine Life released -- The fourth update of the Census of Marine Life has been released to coincide with the World Conference on Marine Biodiversity in Valencia, Spain and reveals an astonishing array of sea life. Among the finds revealed in this census were a city of brittle stars, a shark café, an expressway for octopuses and a carpet of crustaceans. Pairs of Cleaner wrasse provide better service -- Scientists from Switzerland, Australia and Sweden have found that cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) provide better service to client fish when working in pairs. Herbivorous fish help reefs recover -- Having a diverse community of herbivorous fishes is crucial to the recovery of degraded coral reefs, according to research published in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. New miniature plec placed in new genus -- Brazilian scientists have described a new genus and species of miniature plec, named Gymnotocinclus anosteos, that is highly unusual in having extremely reduced dermal plates. Rare corals are hybridizing, says study -- Rare coral species are saving themselves from extinction by hybridising with other coral species, according to research published by Australian scientists in a recent issue of the journal PLoS ONE. Banjo catfishes placed in new genus -- A new genus and species of banjo catfish, named Pseudobunocephalus lundbergi, has been described from the Orinoco River drainage in Colombia and Venezuela. New Leptodoras found in Tapajos and Xingu basins -- A new species of thorny catfish in the genus Leptodoras has been described from the Tapajós and Xingu river drainages. The new species is named Leptodoras oyakawai, after Brazilian ichthyologist Osvaldo Oyakawa by José Birindelli, Leandro Sousa and Mark Sabaj Peréz in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Icththyology. New Lithoxus plec described from Guayana highlands -- Loricariid expert Nathan Lujan has described a new species of plec in the genus Lithoxus from southern Venezuela in a recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Lithoxus jantjae is known from the headwaters of the Ventuari River. New thorny catfish described from Brazil -- A new species of thorny catfish in the genus Platydoras has been described from northeastern Brazil. The new species is named Platydoras brachylecis. New whiptail catfish described from Uruguay basin -- Scientists from Brazil and Argentina have described a new species of whiptail catfish, named Rineloricaria isaaci, in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology. New Hemiancistrus plec described from Brazil -- A new plec species in the genus Hemiancistrus has been described from the Tocantins River drainage in central Brazil. Lesley de Souza, Marcelo Melo, Carine Chamon and Jonathan Armbruster name the new species Hemiancistrus cerrado after the Brazilian Cerrado (a tropical savanna in central Brazil in which this species is found) in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Two Astyanax tetras described from Bahia -- Brazilian scientists have described two new species of tetra of the genus Astyanax from northeastern Brazil. The two species are named Astyanax epiagos and Astyanax jacobinae by Angela Zanata and Priscila Camelier in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Sand is bad news for corals -- Sand is bad news for corals, according to research by two Australian scientists published in the latest issue of the journal Limnology and Oceanography. The study by David Bellwood and Chris Fulton used remote underwater video cameras to quantify rates of herbivory by coral reef fishes on algal turfs with natural and experimentally reduced sediment loads. New Deep-sea Observatory Goes Live Off California Coast -- Off the coast of Central California, in the inky darkness of the deep sea, a bright orange metal pyramid about the size of two compact cars sits quietly on the seafloor. Nestled within the metal pyramid is the heart of the Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) - the first deep-sea ocean observatory offshore of the continental United States. Coral reefs and mangroves worth $395-559 M per year in Belize -- Services provided by coral reefs and mangroves in Belize are worth US$395 million to US$559 million per year, or 30 to 45 percent of the Central American country's GDP - according to a new report released by the World Resources Institute and the World Wildlife Fund. New parodontid tetra discovered in Guyana -- A new species of parodontid tetra has been described from Guyana in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. The new species, named Apareiodon agmatos by Donald Taphorn, Hernán López-Fernández and Calvin Bernard, is known from the upper Mazaruni River drainage in western Guyana. New catfish subfamily created -- A new subfamily of miniature loricariid catfishes have been named in a study of the molecular phylogeny of the Hypoptopomatinae and Neoplecostominae published in the most recent issue of the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Crown-of-thorns starfish actually four species -- A study published in the latest issue of the journal Biology Letters has identified the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), a species thought to be widely distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific, to consist of a species complex with as many as four species. Smell of leaves brings reef fishes back to islands -- Coral reef fish rely on the smell of leaves to find their way home, according to research published in the most recent issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. Man replants coral reef wrecked by tsunami -- A man from Sumatra has successfully replanted a coral reef devastated by the 2004 tsunami. According to a report from The Telegraph, Pak Dodent, a resident of the island of Pulau Wey off the north coast of Sumatra, replanted over 200 square metres of reef with local corals from 26 different species. Aquarium octopus causes havoc -- An octopus in an aquarium in Germany has been creating havoc by short-circuiting its aquarium lights, juggling its fellow inhabitants and throwing rocks at the glass. Otto the octopus, who lives in the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany recently baffled the staff when the electricity in the aquarium kept short-circuiting. New coral reef discovered in Seychelles -- Scientists from the University of Essex have discovered a new, previously undiscovered coral reef in the Seychelles. News Stories from October 2008
New catfish named Synodontis ngouniensis -- Belgian and French scientists have described a new mochokid catfish from west central Africa. New Distichodus described from Congo basin -- Scientists from Belgium and the Republic of Congo have described a new species of African tetra from the middle Congo River drainage in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. The new species is named Distichodus teugelsi after the late Belgian ichthyologist Guy Teugels by Victor Mamonekene and Emmanuel Vreven. Plugin adds reef view to Google Earth -- A new online tool aimed at raising awareness of endangered ocean habitats was unveiled at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) world congress in Barcelona. Brooding Convicts benefit from Nicaragua cichlids -- Research to be published in the journal Biology Letters has found that Convict cichlid nests do better when situated nearer those of the Nicaragua or macaw cichlid. Shark blood could help fight malaria and arthritis -- Scientists in Australia have found a way in which shark antibodies can be used to treat a wide range of diseases from malaria through to arthritis and even cancer. Concern over aquarium's captive Whale shark -- Concerned environmentalists are campaigning for the release of a Whale shark from an aquarium in Dubai. The female shark was caught and placed in the aquarium for medical care and observation last month after it was found disorientated in shallow waters. Simpsonichthys longignatus described from northeastern Brazil -- A new Simpsonichthys killifish has been described from northeastern Brazil in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. The new species, named Simpsonichthys longignatus by Wilson Costa, is similar to members of the Simpsonichthys flammeus group. Rivulus jurubatibensis described from southern Brazil -- Brazilian killifish expert Wilson Costa has described a new species of Rivulus killifish from southern Brazil in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. The new species, Rivulus jurubatibensis, is a member of the Rivulus santensis group. New killifish named Rivulus amanan -- A new species of Rivulus killifish has been described from the Amazon River drainage in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters by Brazilian scientists Wilson Costa and Henrique Lazzarotto. The new species, named Rivulus amanan, belongs to the subgenus Anablepsoides. Hundreds of new species discovered on Australian reefs -- Scientists have found hundreds of undescribed species in waters off Lizard and Heron Islands in the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef off northwestern Australia. The results come after four years of effort to record the diversity of life in and around Australia’s renowned reefs. These expeditions are affiliated with the global Census of Marine Life and help mark the International Year of the Reef. New Synodontis described from west central Africa -- A new species of mochokid catfish has been described from Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Scineces of Philadelphia. John Friel and John Sullivan have named the new species Synodontis woleuensis. Three new Doras catfish described -- Three new species of the South American thorny catfish genus Doras are described in a taxonomic revision of the genus (that recognizes five living and one fossil species as valid). Publishing their research in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Mark Sabaj Pérez and José Birindelli name D. phlyzakion, D. higuchii and D. zuanoni from the middle Amazon and tributaries, lower Amazon tributaries and Araguaia River (Tocantins drainage), respectively. Texas bans fish pedicures -- The US state of Texas has banned the use of fish in providing pedicures over health and safety concerns. According to a report in the Dallas News, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation has announced that fish pedicures - where customers pay to have the dead skin nibbled off their feet by small tropical fish are no longer allowed in the state. Odessa barb is formally named Puntius padamya -- The Odessa barb has been formally named Puntius padamya by Sven Kullander and Ralf Britz after the first wild-caught specimens were obtained from Myanmar. Tanganyikan cichlids diversified six times slower -- A study has found that the cichlid fish radiation of Lake Tanganyika has been diversifying at a rate six times slower than those in the species flocks of Lakes Victoria and Malawi. News Stories from September 2008
Two Madagascan cichlids described -- Malagasy cichlid expert John Sparks has described two new species of Paretroplus. The two new species are named Paretroplus gymnopreopercularis and P. lamenabe, with 10 other species recognized as valid in the genus. New genus of headstanding tetras described -- American scientists have named a new genus of headstanding tetras (Anostomidae) in a recent study of its phylogenetic relationships. Mbuna capable of sex reversal, says study -- Sex reversal in the shell-dwelling Lake Malawi cichlid Maylandia cf. livingstonii has been documented for the first time in a paper published in the most recent issue of the journal Copeia. New tetra discovered in Rio Tapajos drainage -- Scientists in Brazil have described a new species of tetra from the upper Tapajós River drainage in Brazil. The new species is named Hemigrammus silimoni by Heraldo Britski and Flávio Lima after its collector, Keve de Silimon, in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. New Hisonotus plec described -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of miniature loricariid catfish in the genus Hisonotus from southern Brazil. The new species is named Hisonotus armatus by Tiago Carvalho, Pablo Lehmann, Edson Pereira, and Roberto Reis in the most recent issue of the journal Copeia. New miniature plec described from Tocantins basin -- A new species of miniature loricariid in the genus Corumbataia has been described from central Brazil. The description of Corumbataia veadeiros by Tiago Carvalho is published in the most recent issue of the journal Copeia. Two in five North American fish in danger of extinction -- Almost two in five of North American freshwater fish species are in danger of extinction, according to a recent evaluation of the conservation status of the freshwater fishes of North America. The study is the most detailed of its kind to be conducted in 20 years and is published in a recent issue of the journal Fisheries. Cleaner wrasse calm predators by caressing -- Cleaner wrasse are capable of calming large predators by caressing them, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Behavioral Ecology. New catfish described from aquarium trade -- A new species of silurid catfish has been described from southern Borneo from specimens obtained in the aquarium trade. Publishing the description of Ompok supernus in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, author Heok Hee Ng identifies the species as a member of the Ompok leiacanthus species group. New giant clam discovered in Red Sea -- Scientists have described a new species of giant clam from the Red Sea. The new species, which has been named Tridacna costata by a team of scientists from Germany's Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and Marine Research, is the first new member of the genus to be discovered in over 20 years. Molecular study shows three Discus groups -- Scientists have undertaken a new molecular study on the members of the Discus genus Symphysodon and found three well-defined groups. Hrbek and Farias of the Universidade Federal do Amazonas sampled 334 individuals from the Symphysodon genus, which were collected from 24 localities spanning the geographic range of the genus. Robert De Niro criticized for selling rare fish -- The actor Robert De Niro has come under fire from environmental activists after being found to be serving up endangered fish at Nobu - his chain of Michelin starred restaurants in London. Scientists discover that reef fish glow red -- Many tropical marine reef fishes fluoresce red and are capable of seeing other fish that fluoresce the same colours. According to a study published in the journal BMC Ecology, a number of tropical marine reef fishes are able to fluoresce a red colour, challenging the long held view that red light is of little importance to marine fish. Captive-bred sharks set free -- Seven captive-bred sharks have been released into the wild in Sydney in what experts are claiming is a first for Australia. The two-year old Wobbegong sharks, which are members of the genus Orectolobus, were released into the wild at Manly's Shelly beach. The fish, which are around 80cm long, were first fitted with internal and external tagging devices allowing scientists to monitor their behaviour and movements after release. New cyprinid named Microrasbora micropthalma -- A new species of Microrasbora has been described from the Chinese Province of Yunnan. The new species, named Microrasbora micropthalma by Chinese Scientists from the Kunming Institute of Zoology. Two L-number Peckoltia get named -- Loricariid expert Jonathan Armbruster has described two new species of Peckoltia in a study of the genus recently published in the journal Zootaxa. The two new species are named Peckoltia caenosa and Peckoltia lineola. Sea urchins threatened by ocean acidification -- Ocean acidification will reduce sea urchin populations, according to a study published in a recent issue of the journal Current Biology. New hillstream catfish described from Cambodia -- A new species of hillstream catfish has been described from southwestern Cambodia in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Heok Hee Ng and Walter Rainboth name the new catfish Glyptothorax coracinus. UK arowana dealer gets hefty fine -- A fishkeeper from Essex has pleaded guilty to selling arowana illegally. Heng Low, 54, of Ilford, pleaded guilty to two charges of selling the protected species, and has been fined £2000 and ordered to pay £800 costs. News Stories from August 2008
Seven barbs placed in Clypeobarbus genus -- Scientists working on African cyprinid fishes have raised the subgenus Clypeobarbus to generic rank and recognize seven species. Dive tourism threatens Red Sea reefs -- Reefs on the northern part of the Red Sea are being threatened by intensive recreational SCUBA diving from the dive tourism trade. According to the results of a study by Hasler and Ott, which is due to be published shortly in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, sites with high levels of recreational diving had significantly lower levels of coral cover than un-dived areas. Study shows Mexican cichlid distributions -- Scientists have undertaken a study investigating the spatial distribution of cichlids in Mexico's Usumacinta River basin. They found 14 different species of cichlid, nine were native to the area and five were endemic - being found nowhere else other than this specific river basin. Georgia Aquarium introduces Manta ray -- The Georgia Aquarium has become the first US public aquarium to introduce a Manta ray, and has become one of only four aquariums in the world that house the species. The female Manta ray, named Nandi, was found trapped in shark nets off the Durban coast, South Africa and spent some time rehabilitating at the uShaka Marine World. New fish named after AIDS activist -- Sri Lankan scientists have described a new barb from southwestern Sri Lanka. Publishing the description in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, Anjana Silva, Kalana Maduwage and Rohan Pethiyagoda name the new barb Puntius kamalika. The species is named after pediatrician and prominent AIDS activist Kamalika Abeyaratne. New Characidium darter tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of darter tetra from the upper Paraná River drainage in Brazil. The new species is named Characidium xanthopterum. Not all coral dinoflagellates are symbiotic -- A recent study suggests that the coral-dinoflagellate relationship may be more one-sided than previously believed. The current school of thought dictates a symbiotic relationship between reef-building corals and the dinoflagellate algae they harbour - the dinoflagellates exchange inorganic waste metabolites from the coral for organic nutrients it fixes via photosynthesis. New sexually dimorphic knifefish described -- Scientists from Brazil and the USA have described a new species of sexually dimorphic electric knifefish from central, southern and coastal regions of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, and Uruguay. The new species is named Brachyhypopomus draco. Clownfish decline due to aquarium collecting -- A recent study has shown that collection for the aquarium trade has negatively impacted wild clownfish populations. The study by Alison Jones and coauthors involved visual surveys for clownfishes on two areas of the Great Barrier Reef with contrasting histories of disturbance. Whale sharks are getting smaller -- The world's largest fish is shrinking in both size and numbers, according to a study published in a recent issue of the journal Biological Conservation. 21 new species of livebearing fish named -- Brazilian livebearer expert Paulo Lucinda has described 21 new species of the South American livebearer genus Phalloceros in a study published in a recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Jellyfish increase points to declining ocean health -- Increasing numbers of jellyfish across the world may be linked to the declining health of the oceans, scientists report. In the past year, jellyfish swarms on Côte d’Azur in France, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, and Waikiki in Honolulu, USA, have led to the closure of beaches - causing issues for tourists as well as fishermen. No-take zones protect more than just fish -- An Australian scientist has found that no-take marine reserves that ban fishing protect more than just the fishes alone. Reporting in a recent issue of the journal Current Biology, Hugh Sweatman compared the frequency of Crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) outbreaks on no-take reefs and on reefs that were open to fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. New Austrolebias killifish named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of annual killifish from southern Brazil in a recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Julian Ferrer, Luiz Malabarba and Wilson Costa describe Austrolebias paucisquama from the laguna dos Patos drainage. New Heterandria described from Mexico -- American scientists have described a new species of livebearing fish endemic to Lake Catemaco in Mexico. The new species is named Heterandria tuxtlaensis, after its type locality (the Tuxtla Mountains in Mexico), by John McEachran and Thomas DeWitt in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Sharks and rays at high risk -- A group of 15 scientists have conducted a study of the global threat status of 21 species of oceanic pelagic sharks and rays and found three-quarters of them to be at high risk of extinction. Alien lionfish threaten reef fish -- Rising numbers of predatory Lionfish are causing concern on coral reefs in the Caribbean Sea. A new study has found that the invasive alien species, which originates from the Pacific and Indian Oceans, is reducing the juvenile reef fish populations in the region by up to 80%. News Stories from July 2008
Giant clams 'secure for another generation' after Philippine re-seeding -- Re-seeding programmes on over 50 reefs are securing the survival of the giant clam for at least another generation, according to WWF-Philippines. One third of reef-building corals face extinction -- A third of reef-building corals around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the first-ever comprehensive global assessment to determine their conservation status. The study findings, authored by a group of 39 researchers including STRI’s Héctor Guzmán was published on July 10 by Science Express. Nine Rineloricaria described -- Brazilian scientist Miriam Ghazzi has described nine new species of plecos in the genus Rineloricaria from the Uruguay River drainage in southern Brazil in the latest issue of the journal Iheringia: Série Zoologia. The nine species are named Rineloricaria tropeira, R. anitae, R. anhaguapitan, R. zaina, R. capitonia, R. stellata, R. reisi, R. setepovos and R. sanga. Croaking fish link to human speech -- The part of the brain that enables us to talk may have been developed over 400 million years ago in fish, according to a new study. Neurobiologists in the USA have found that the neural circuitry responsible for enabling Midshipman fish to make audible grunts is located in the same region of the brain as the neural networks responsible for vocalisation in birds, amphibians and mammals. Lipstick barb among five new species described -- The Lipstick barb is among one of five new species of barbs described from northern Myanmar by Sven Kullander in the most recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. The five species are all found in small streams in the Irrawaddy River drainage and in Lake Indawgyi and are characterized by a prominent blotch or band around the caudal peduncle. The five new species are named, Puntius erythromycter (lipstick barb), Puntius nankyweensis, Puntius thelys, Puntius macrogramma and Puntius pugio. Scientists review WoRMS -- Scientists consolidating the world databases of marine organisms into a new World Register of Marine Species have so far demoted one third of all reviewed names to aliases. The names of approximately 122,500 unique marine species names have been validated already, while 56,400 have been recognised as describing a species already validated. Live goldfish keyrings 'shocking' -- Animal welfare groups are deploring the sale of live goldfish keyrings being sold as unofficial Olympic souvenirs in the Chinese port city of Qingdao, describing the sales of such merchandise as shocking. New tetra discovered in Colombian Amazon -- Colombian and Venezuelan scientists have described a new species of Hyphessobrycon tetra from the Colombian Amazon. The new species is named Hyphessobrycon oritoensis. New Leporinus described from Brazil -- A new species of Leporinus tetra has been described from the Amazon River in Brazil in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Geraldo dos Santos and Jansen Zuanon name the new species Leporinus amazonicus. Aqua Medic launches Medusa jellyfish aquarium -- German aquarium products manufacturer Aqua Medic has launched a new aquarium aimed at keeping jellyfish in the home. The Medusa aquarium is a Kreisel tank designed specifically for keeping jellyfish or other planktonic organisms. The tank has a flat front and rear and curved internal walls creating an oval current chamber. News Stories from June 2008
Interzoo: Hagen reformulates Nutrafin Cycle -- Rolf C Hagen has reformulated its widely-sold filter boosting and maturation product Nutrafin Cycle. Hagen claims that new Cycle can allow the instant introduction of fish when the product is added to a correctly set up aquarium containing dechlorinated tapwater. New tetra described from eastern Brazil -- A new species of tetra related to the rosy tetra has been described from eastern Brazil. The description of the new species, named Hyphessobrycon khardinae by German scientist Axel Zarske, is published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. New catfish described from Madagascar -- A new species of catfish has been described from northeastern Madagascar in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. The new catfish, named Gogo atratus by Heok Hee Ng, John Sparks and Paul Loiselle, is known from the lower reaches of the Mananara du Nord River drainage in the northeastern highlands of Madagascar. New species of aplocheiloid killifish described -- Brazilian killifish expert Wilson Costa has named a new species of aplocheiloid killifish from central Brazil in a recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. The new species, named Rivulus formosensis is a member of the subgenus Melanorivulus. Third species of Dicrossus described -- German scientists have described a third species of checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus) from Colombia. Ingo Schindler and Wolfgang Staeck describe the new species as Dicrossus gladicauda in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. New species of killifish described -- The new species is named Rivulus giarettai, after the herpetologist Ary Giaretta, who was the first to collect the new species, by Wilson Costa in a recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Reverse evolution occurs in some small fishes -- Scientists from the USA and Japan have shown that evolution can occur very rapidly in reverse in some small fishes in a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Current Biology. 380 million year old fossil fish is oldest known livebearer -- Australian scientists have discovered a remarkably well-preserved 380 million year old fossil fish that represents the oldest known live bearing vertebrate. The fossil, identified as a new genus and species of placoderm fish, represents a pregnant adult female with embryo inside its body cavity, connected by what strongly resembles an umbilical cord. New species of gudgeon described -- Scientists from the Czech Republic, Russia, Slovakia and Turkey have described a new species of gudgeon from the Volga River drainage in Russia. The new species is named Gobio volgensis (after the Volga River) in a study of the molecular phylogeny of the gudgeons (genus Gobio) by Jan Mendel and co-authors published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Two new Rineloricaria plecos described -- Two new plecos in the genus Rineloricaria have been described by Brazilian scientists in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. Mónica Rodriguez and Roberto Reis describe Rineloricaria malabarbai and R. baliola in a taxonomic review of the Rineloricaria from the Laguna dos Patos drainage in southern Brazil. New Australoheros cichlid described -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of cichlid in the genus Australoheros from southeastern Brazil. The description of Australoheros ribeirae by Felipe Ottoni, Osvaldo Oyakawa and Wilson Costa is published in the most recent issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. New dwarf cichlid named after cichlid biologist -- A new species of dwarf cichlid from northern Peru has been named after famous cichlid biologist George Barlow. The new species, Apistogramma barlowi, was described by German scientists Uwe Römer and Ingo Hahn in the latest issue of the journal Vetebrate Zoology. Two new species of darter tetra described -- Brazilian scientists have described two new species of darter tetra from eastern Brazil. The two new species are named Characidium nupelia and C. xavante by Weferson da Graça, Carla Pavanelli, and Paulo Buckup in the most recent issue of the journal Copeia. New heptapterid catfish described -- Scientists from Brazil and Argentina have described a new species of heptapterid catfish from northeastern Argentina. The new species is named Rhamdella cainguae in a paper published by Flávio Bockmann and Amalia Miquelarena in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New Slingjaw wrasse described -- Scientists from the USA have described a second species of Slingjaw wrasse, naming it Epibulus brevis in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. New killifish genus and species described -- The taxonomy of the South American killifish genus Leptolebias has been the subject of a detailed study by Brazilian killifish expert Wilson Costa. Three Neoplecostomus described from Brazil -- Scientists from Brazil have described three new species of the loricariid catfish genus Neoplecostomus from the upper Paraná River drainage in southern Brazil. Prior to this study by Cláudio Zawadzki, Carla Pavanelli and Francisco Langeani published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, only one species of Neoplecostomus, N. paranensis, was known from upper Paraná River drainage. New cave catfish discovered in Brazil -- A new species of cave trichomycterid catfish has been described from central Brazil by Brazilian catfish experts Maria Bichuette and Eleonora Trajano. The new species, named Ituglanis mambai, is described from a cave in the Mambaí karst area in Goiás State, Central Brazil in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New anostomid named Leporinus venerei -- A new species of Leporinus tetra has been described from central Brazil by Brazilian scientists in the most recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New ray named Potamotrygon boesemani -- A new species of spotted freshwater stingray has been described from the Corantijn River drainage in Suriname. Ricardo Rosa, Marcelo de Carvalho and Cristiane de Almeida Wanderley name the new stingray Potamotrygon boesemani after the late Dutch ichthyologist Marinus Boeseman for his contribution to South American ichthyology in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Two Trimma gobies described -- Japanese scientists have described two new species of the gobiid genus Trimma from southern Japan. Named Trimma kudoi and T. yanoi by Toshiyuki Suzuki and Hiroshi Senou, the descriptions of the two new species are published in a recent supplemental issue of the Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science Series A. Zoology. New project maps freshwater biodiversity -- The world’s first comprehensive database of almost all of the world’s freshwater habitats has been compiled. The ‘Freshwater Ecoregions of the World’ (FEOW) is a collaborative project between the World Wildlife Fund and The Nature Conservancy, and has taken over a decade to complete. Albino ray goes on display -- An unusual albino ray is to go on display at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth. The locally caught fish is believed to be the first albino ray to be found in British waters, with its lack of camouflage making it a wonder it has survived predation. The fish is currently in quarantine in the aquarium before it is moved out into one of the displays. Environmentalists sue over fish disease -- Environmentalists in the United States have started legal proceedings against governmental agencies for doing little to prevent the spread of a disease which is deadly to fish throughout the Great Lakes. News Stories from May 2008
Breeder produces Clown loach hybrids -- A professional fish breeder from Russia claims to have produced artificial hybrids of the Clown and Yo-Yo loach. Oleg Mihajlov from Ivanovo in Russia made the news in March 2008 when he became the first person to document the artificial reproduction and rearing of the Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus. Fish ice cream, anyone? -- At this time of the year, people’s minds start turning to ice cream, but maybe not this type; food scientists in India have developed an ice cream made from 'fish'. The Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) in Kochi, Kerala have developed the new ice cream known as ‘maricream’ using cooked cuttlefish (a cephalopod), egg, water, sugar, butter and a compliment of emulsifiers, stabilisers and flavourings. Flying fish flies into record books -- A TV crew working off southern Japan has filmed the longest recorded flight by a flying fish. According to a report from the BBC, which shows the footage on its website, the flying fish was filmed by a film crew from NHK off Yakushima Island and shows the fish completely airborne for 45 seconds. The longest previously recorded flight was 42 seconds and was recorded by an American researcher in the 1920s. The footage shows the flying fish gliding alongside a ferry, which was travelling around 20 mph, and periodically using its tail to get airborne again. New darter tetra discovered -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of darter tetra in the genus Characidium from southern Brazil. The new species is named Characidium heirmostigmata by Weferson da Graça and Carla Pavanelli in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Three catfish named from Central America -- The taxonomy of species of the Central American marine catfish genus Cathorops has been revised and three new species described. Publishing the revision in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology, Alexandre Marceniuk and Ricardo Betancur describe Cathorops belizensis from mangrove areas in Belize, C. higuchii from shallow coastal areas and coastal rivers in the cantral American Caribbean and C. kailolae from the Usumacincta River and Lake Izabal drainages in Mexico and Guatemala. New marine catfish described -- Japanese scientists have described a new species of marine eeltail catfish in the genus Plotosus from southern Japan. Naming the new catfish Plotosus japonicus, Tetsuo Yoshino and Hirokazu Kishimoto have published the description in a recent supplemental issue of the Bulletin of the National Museum of Nature and Science Series A. Zoology. New catfish described from Brazil -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of big-headed trichomycterid catfish in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Catfish experts Wolmar Wosiacki and Mário de Pinna name the new species Trichomycterus igobi after a mythological character of the Tupi-Guarani Indian legend about the origin of the Iguaçu waterfalls (where this species is found). New catfish discovered in Myanmar -- A new bagrid catfish has been described from the upper Irrawaddy River drainage in northern Myanmar. The description of the new species, named Batasio procerus by Heok Hee Ng, is published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New scorpionfish described -- A new species of the scorpionfish has been described from the Izu Peninsula on the Pacific coast of Japan. The new species, named Scorpaena brevispina by Japanese scorpionfish experts Hiroyuki Motomura and Hiroshi Senou in the most recent volume of the Journal of Fish Biology, is described based on a single specimen, collected off the east coast of the Izu peninsula, at a depth of 45m, in 1982. Three new Amphilophus cichlids named -- American scientists have described three new species belonging to the Midas cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellum) species complex from Lake Apoyo in southwestern Nicaragua. Male cichlid colour linked to parasite load -- Scientists have found that the intensity of colour in a male cichlid fish is an indicator of its parasite load (the number of parasites an individual is carrying) and that such parasite-mediated sexual selection may have led to the divergence of two species of Lake Victoria cichlids. News Stories from April 2008
Swiss legislation to affect aquarium hobby -- New animal protection legislation is to come into effect in Switzerland from 1st September 2008. Fish are to be protected under the new legislation for the first time, following the Swiss government’s acceptance of studies showing that, like other animals, fish do suffer. Other animals covered under the new legislation are to include dogs, cats, cattle, horses, pigs, sheep, guinea pigs, lizards and rhinoceroses. Under the new legislation, aquariums in Switzerland must not be transparent on all sides, and minimum aquarium and pond size restrictions will be put in place for any fish over the size of 20cm. Amazon molly defies evolution -- Scientists have shown that a fish species that has been alive for up to 100,000 years without sex and producing only female young is defying the power of evolution by avoiding extinction. The study on the Amazon molly Poecilia formosa by Laurence Loewe and Dunja Lamatsch at Edinburgh University used a complex mathematical computer model to show that based on the theory of the evolution of sex this species should have gone extinct at some point in the last 70,000 years. The Amazon Molly is a small female-only freshwater fish (3-7 cm) found in a limited range from south-east Texas through to Mexico. New Great Barrier Reef Exhibit Opens May 16, 2008 -- The Toronto Zoo will offer visitors a newly refurbished Australasia Pavilion featuring the much anticipated NEW Great Barrier Reef Exhibit. New marine exhibits have been built to feature the beautiful and enchanting Great Barrier Reef, one of the Wonders of the World and a World Heritage Site. The centerpiece of this exhibit is the Great Barrier Reef Community Tank. Over 23 feet in length (7m) and 32,000 litres, it offers over 1,000 reef fish such as Bamboo Shark, Parrot and Angel Fish all set within a colourful coral reef display. Also new to the Zoo will be a Moon Jelly Fish, Australian Sea Horse and live Coral Reef Exhibits. Colossal Squid Thaw to Be Webcast Live -- Marine scientists in New Zealand on Tuesday were thawing the corpse of the largest squid ever caught to try to unlock the secrets of one of the ocean's most mysterious beasts. Australia Shark Count Breaking Records -- Australians apparently have a good chance of spotting a shark in the wild, since a new project called the Great Australia Shark Count has thus far determined at least 4,022 sharks swim in waters surrounding the land down under. Shark Attack Kills San Diego Man -- A shark on Friday attacked and killed a 66-year-old swimmer who was training in the ocean off San Diego County with a group of triathletes, authorities said. The man was attacked by what authorities believe was a great white shark at Tide Beach around 7 a.m., authorities said. Narwhals Threatened by Polar Melt -- The polar bear has become an icon of global warming vulnerability, but a new study found an Arctic mammal that may be even more at risk to climate change: the narwhal. The narwhal, a whale with a long spiral tusk that inspired the myth of the unicorn, edged out the polar bear for the ranking of most potentially vulnerable in a climate change risk analysis of Arctic marine mammals. No cause for concern over dead fish: MNR -- Dead fish carcasses have again surfaced on area shores, but the Ministry of Natural Resources assures residents there's no cause for concern. "At this point it's a reasonable conclusion that this is nothing more than a winter fish kill, which is a completely natural phenomenon," said Jamie Prentice, acting information officer for the Ministry of Natural Resources' Peterborough District Office (MNR). "It's environmentally driven and it's certainly no cause for concern." Time's running out for tuna -- Tuna stocks in the Pacific are running out due to overfishing from illegal and commercial fishing fleets. About 60 percent of the world’s tuna stocks come from the Pacific, and scientists believe that two key species, bigeye and yellowfin, are in danger of becoming overfished. Turtle rescued from life of drugs -- A turtle that was involved in the drugs trade has been given a new crime-free life at the New England Aquarium in Boston, USA. Fluffy, a 45 lb Alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii, was previously a guard for a New York drug dealer, who used the turtle to protect his stash of illegal drugs. Researchers track Australian sharks -- Researchers are tracking over 50 vulnerable sharks on Australia’s southern coast to assess the conservation value of restricted fishing zones. Study describes Leptobotia loach spawning behaviour -- Scientists have published a study describing the spawning behaviour of an endangered species of loach from the genus Leptobotia. The Kissing loach, Leptobotia curta, a member of the botiid loach subfamily Botiinae, is found in Lake Biwa in Japan and is considered to be an endangered species. Pesticides make fish less attractive to females -- Mexican scientists have found that male goodeid fishes exposed to insecticides before birth are less attractive to females in later life. Octopus has sophisticated sex life -- Octopuses lead interesting sex lives replete with stalking, passionate groping, and sneaky males, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Marine Biology. Puffer fish kills eight and hospitalises 170 -- In the past week suspected puffer fish poisoning has been responsible for killing eight people and hospitalising over 170 more. The eight deaths occurred in Bangladesh in the Narsingdi district where 38 people, including a fishmonger, were affected after eating what locals call potka fish. Nuclear plants kill billions of fish, says scientist -- Nuclear power plants in Britain kill billions of fish each year, according to a recent report by a scientist from Oxford University. Peter Henderson, an environmental researcher, has compiled data that suggests that damage to Britain's marine fish stocks caused by coastal power plants using cooling systems that draw water from the sea is more severe than previously thought. Divers discover possible new fish family -- A psychedelically striped peach and tan fish with a flat face and arm-like fins that enable it to crawl into crevices may belong to a new family of anglerfishes (also known as frogfishes). The owners of a commercial dive company were the first to spot the unusual fish in the waters of Ambon Island in Indonesia. Seahorse population discovered in Thames -- A population of seahorses have recently been found living in an area of the Thames between Essex and Kent. Zoological Society of London (ZSL) scientists found the Short-snouted seahorses, Hippocampus hippocampus, during routine wildlife monitoring in 2006 but kept the details secret as they were waiting for legislation to be put into place to protect them. Nuked coral reef recovers -- Scientists have found out that coral reefs recover astonishingly well 50 years after being nuked. In a study published in a recent issue of the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin, Zoe Richards, Maria Beger, Silvia Pinca and Carden Wallace surveyed the corals living in Bikini Atoll in the Central Pacific about 50 years after the last nuclear tests were conducted there. Global warming affecting coral microbes -- The litany of woe continues for coral reefs, with microbiologists now identifying a new threat to their survival, the bacteria that live on them. New tetra described from Venezuela -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Hyphessobrycon tetra from Venezuela with hooks on the anal-fin rays of adult males in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. The new tetra is named, Hyphessobrycon otrynus. Surfer killed in fatal shark attack -- Australia saw its first fatal shark attack in over two years last week. UK's Biota super aquarium just three years away -- The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and Whipsnade zoo are currently working on what promises to be one of the world’s largest and most unique aquariums. ‘Biota!’ an 80 million pound project is being built in the London docklands at Silvertown Quays and will open in 2011. Mbuna use sound to recognise mates -- Interspecific mate recognition among Lake Malawi cichlids of the Pseudotropheus zebra species complex is not mediated by sight alone, but also by sound, according to a study published by scientists from Portugal and the UK in the most recent issue of the Journal of Fish Biology. Study reveals spawning habits of Arapaima -- The details of the spawning habitat of the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) have been studied in a recent paper published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Fish Biology New cyprinid named Garra findolabium -- Chinese scientists have described a new cyprinid species belonging to the genus Garra from the Red River drainage in southern China. Rachovia stellifer killifish placed in new Llanolebias genus -- A new genus has been erected for the South American annual killifish species Rachovia stellifer based on morphological and molecular evidence. New catfish threatened by dam project -- A new species of loricariid catfish whose long-term survival may be threatened has been described from the Orinoco River drainage in Venezuela. The new species, named Pseudancistrus reus, could be under threat from a recently-constructed dam that has already flooded its type locality. New Triplophysa loach described -- Chinese scientists have described a new species of nemacheilid loach in the genus Triplophysa. The description of the new species, named Triplophysa lixianensis by Chunlin He, Zhaobin Song and E Zhang, is published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Cyprinid taxonomy in state of confusion -- The intrafamilial classification of the largest freshwater fish family in the world, the Cyprinidae, continues to be in a state of confusion, according to a recent study based on a phylogenetic analysis of the family using a nuclear gene for the first time. Study reveals spawning habits of mountain stream tetra -- While many tropical freshwater fishes spawn during periods of flood associated with rainy seasons, there are some fishes that are exceptions to the rule and spawn only during dry seasons. One such species is Creagrutus guanes, a small tetra inhabiting mountain streams of the Magdalena River drainage in Colombia New killifish named from Tocatins basin -- A new species of South American killifish that lacks pelvic fins has been described from central Brazil by Wilson Costa and Gilberto Brasil in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. The new species is named Rivulus planaltinus, from the Portuguese name for the county where the type locality is located (Planaltina means from the high plains), and is a member of the Melanorivulus subgenus. Two Thicklip thornycats named -- Scientists from USA and Venezuela have described two new species of thicklip thorny catfishes of the genus Rhinodoras. Publishing the descriptions in the latest issue of the journal Copeia, Mark Sabaj, Donald Taphorn and Otto Castillo have named the two new species Rhinodoras armbrusteri and Rhinodoras gallagheri. New Tanganyikan catfish described -- A new species of claroteid catfish has been described from Lake Tanganyika in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. Named Chrysichthys acsiorum after the All Catfish Species Inventory (ACSI, a research initiative to catalogue and describe the catfishes of the world) by Michael Hardman, the new species is known only from the type locality, at a depth of approximately 30 metres in Lake Tanganyika, near the village of Kajaga in Burundi. Rabbitfish keep reef algae down -- Australian scientists have found an unlikely saviour to help keep coral reefs from being overrun by algae: the rabbitfish. In a study to be published in the journal Coral Reefs, Rebecca Fox and David Bellwood of James Cook University used a series of seagrass and macroalgal assays to test the intensity of herbivory across a reef gradient in a study site on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Child hospitalised after drinking fish medication -- A toddler has been treated in hospital after drinking a commercially available product for treating aquarium fish parasites. The three-year old girl drank up to two ounces of Wardley Ick Away, a medication based on 0.075% malachite green, which is designed for treating whitespot and fungus on aquarium fishes. Circus slaves rescued from piranha tank act -- Police have closed down a circus in Southern Italy after two teenage Bulgarian girls were forced to swim with piranhas in front of a paying audience. New miniature bagrid catfish described from southern Borneo -- Its description as Nanobagrus immaculatus by Heok Hee Ng of the National University of Singapore has been published in the most recent issue of the journal Copeia. Woman killed by leaping eagle ray -- A woman has been killed by a leaping ray in a bizarre accident off the Florida Keys. The Spotted eagle ray, Aetobatus narinari, collided with Judy Kay Zagorski, of Michigan, while she was aboard a boat with her family. Four new Australoheros cichlids described -- A recent review of the chanchito cichlids of the Uruguay and Paraná river drainages in Argentina, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay has recognised eight species, four of which are described as new. Australoheros facetus, A. kaaygua, A. scitulus, and A. tembe are the four species recognized, with an additional four species described as new: A. charrua, A. forquilha, A. guarani and A. minuano. News Stories from March 2008
Fishkeeper successfully breeds Clown loach -- A Russian fishkeeper has reported a successful spawning of the Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus. Mihajlov Oleg from Ivanovo, Russia, bred his Clown loaches last month and currently has hundreds of five-week old fry which have now started to take on adult colouration. However, unlike previously documented spawnings, Oleg bred his fish completely artificially. Sharks can predict weather -- Don’t trust the weather reports on television? Then start looking to the seas. A study in Scotland has shown that sharks have a well developed ability to sense changes in pressure. Two new cyprinids described from Malawi -- South African scientists Denis Tweddle and Paul Skelton have described two new species of cyprinids from Malawi. The descriptions of the two new large barbs, ‘Barbus’ seymouri and Labeobarbus nthuwa, are published in the latest issue of Smithiana Bulletin. Both new species are described from the South Rukuru River, which flows into Lake Malawi. Two new Oreonectes loaches described -- Chinese scientists recognize six species of the nemacheilid loach Oreonectes, two of which are described as new, in a recent review of the genus. Oreonectes anophthalmus (from Guizhou Province in southern China), O. furcocaudalis (from Guangxi Province in southern China), O. platycephalus (from southern China and northern Vietnam) and O. retrodorsalis (from Guangxi Province in southern China) are the four described species recognised as valid in this study. The two new species described from Guangxi Province in southern China are Oreonectes microphthalmus and O. polystigmus. Arowana become popular pet of super rich -- Forget oil and diamonds, the next big thing in South East Asia is fish. Dragon fish or arowana, such as Scleropages formosus, are one of the most popular fish kept in Asia. Believed by those of Chinese origin to resemble a dragon and to symbolise good luck, health, prosperity, family harmony and protection against evil, suppliers of these fish have given some specimens price tags of many tens of thousands of pounds. While these fish may be disappearing in the wild, their popularity amongst Asia’s richest is ever increasing. Slaty leaf fish described -- The Slaty leaf fish from northeast India that has been showing up in the aquarium trade recently has been formally described as Nandus andrewi. Reef development independent of coral diversity -- In a study published in a recent issue of the journal Science, Kenneth Johnson, Jeremy Jackson and Ann Budd compared changes in coral diversity and reef development within the tropical western Atlantic over the past 28 million years using new and published fossil and stratigraphic data. Even though coral diversity on Indo-Pacific reefs is 10 times higher than on Caribbean reefs, the rates of carbonate production and reef growth are similar. Reef specialists decline when corals suffer -- Scientists have confirmed that reef specialists suffer more when corals decline by studying damselfishes (pomacentrids) in the Great Barrier Reef. Tubesnout fish lays eggs in sea squirts -- Japanese scientists have observed and described the unusual breeding behaviour of the Japanese tubesnout (Aulichthys japonicus), a species that conceals its eggs in ascidians (sea squirts) after copulation. Tinfoil barbs caught in Portuguese waters -- Portuguese scientists have documented the first ever occurrence of the Tinfoil barb, Barbonymus schwanenfeldii, on the Iberian Peninsula. New tetra described from Rio Paraná -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of tetra, named Hemigrammus parana, from the Paraná River drainage in southeastern Brazil. Popular Bee shrimps get scientific names -- Chinese scientists have formally named some of the bee shrimps that have been in the aquarium trade for some time. The descriptions of four new species of the atyid shrimp Caridina were published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa by Liqing Wang, Xiangqiu Liang and Fan Li: Caridina maculata, C. meridionalis, C. tumida and C. venusta. Sand dollars clone themselves when they sense danger -- Scientists from North America have discovered that some animals can clone themselves to escape a potential attack by fish predators. Dawn Vaughn and Richard Strathmann from the University of Washington found that four day old larval Sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus) would produce clones within 24 hours of being exposed to fish mucus, the cue to a potential predator. Six-armed hexapus on display -- Staff at Blackpool Sealife Centre have found what they claim is a world first - a six legged Octopus. The octopus - a Lesser, Northern or Curled octopus, Eledone cirrhosa was found in a lobster pot off the coast of Anglesey a few weeks ago and was taken to Blackpool for their new ‘Suckers’ exhibition. It was only when he attached himself to the glass of the tank that staff noticed the lack of two limbs. Staff have christened the octopus ‘Henry the Hexapus’. Undercover survey reveals aquarium retailer filter cycling advice -- Around 96% of aquatic retailers in the UK recommend cycling methods which could expose fish to harmful nitrogenous pollutants, an undercover survey has revealed. New Stiphodon goby described from Sumatra -- Goby expert Ronald Watson has described a new species of freshwater goby, named Stiphodon carisa, from southern Sumatra. Dominant Neolamprologus pulcher control breeding -- Dominant females can play an important part in controlling breeding in social fish a study by Canadian scientists has found. The study focussed on the social cichlid from Lake Tanganyika, Neolamprologus pulcher. This species of cichlid is unusual in that it lives in relatively large permanent groups of up to 20 individuals. Plenty more fish in the North Sea -- There are now more species of fishes in the North Sea, due to global warming, according to a study published in the journal Global Change Biology. Territory quality causes cichlid to be less picky with mates -- Some female cichlids value territory quality so much that they are willing to mate with males of a different species, a recent study published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology has found. Peter Dijkstra, Els van der Zee and Ton Groothuis studied the mating preferences of female Pundamilia nyereri, a Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlid. Mbuna most aggressive to lookalikes -- Male mbuna display more aggression towards similarly coloured fish, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Biology Letters. Reef fish drawn to feeding grounds by algal cue -- American scientists have found that a chemical responsible for the smell of the sea is also the substance which some reef fishes use to home in on feeding grounds. Deadly fish virus found in imported goldfish -- The deadly fish disease Spring Viraemia of Carp (SVC) has been discovered in imports of goldfish brought into the UK from a Hong Kong aquarium fish supplier. Agricultural activity makes male bass develop eggs -- A recent study in America has found that male fish may develop female characteristics in areas of increased agricultural activity. Researchers at the National Fish Health Research Laboratory found increased levels of intersex in smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the Potomac River, Virginia. Sand gobies eat slow-developing eggs so they can breed again -- Male sand gobies are likely to cannibalize slower developing eggs they are guarding so that they spend less time taking care of the brood and can mate again, according to a study by scientists in Finland published in the most recent issue of the journal Biology Letters. Amorous introduced guppies harassing native Skiffia for sex -- Non-native guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are endangering the long-term survival of the native Mexican livebearer Skiffia bilineata by sexually harassing them, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Biology Letters. Four hillstream catfishes described from China -- Chinese scientists have described four new species of rheophilic sisorid catfishes from southern China. The four new species named are Pseudecheneis brachyura and P. gracilis from the upper Irrawaddy River drainage, and P. longipectoralis and P. paucipunctata from the upper Salween River drainage. New hillstream catfish discovered -- A new species of hillstream catfish with a wrinkled chin has been described from river drainages in western Thailand and southeastern Myanmar. The new species is a member of the Asian hillstream catfish family Sisoridae and has been named Glyptothorax rugimentum. Serenading females leaves electric knifefishes drained -- Electrically serenading female electric knifefishes is energetically expensive for the males, according to a study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology. Fishing leads to shy fish -- Scientists from Australia and Canada have found that fishing constitutes a human-driven evolutionary pressure that selects against fast-growing, bold fishes. Picky eating by Chevron butterfly may be its downfall -- The picky diet of the Chevron butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis) may threaten the survival of this species, according to a study to be published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Global threat to marine biodiversity by invasive species assessed -- A recent review of marine invasive species confirms earlier assessments that international shipping, followed by aquaculture represent the major means of introduction. Arapaima form continuous population says study -- A study of the population genetic structure of the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) in the Amazon basin has found that genetic exchange among pirarucu populations along the Amazon River drainage is significantly restricted at distances greater than 2,500 km. New Pimelodus catfish described -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Pimelodus catfish, named Pimelodus pantaneiro, from the upper Paraguay River drainage in central Brazil. News Stories from February 2008
Butterflyfish may go extinct -- A beautiful black, white and yellow butterflyfish, much admired by eco-tourists, divers and aquarium keepers alike, may be at risk of extinction, scientists have warned. The case of the Chevroned Butterflyfish is a stark example of how human pressure on the world’s coral reefs is confronting certain species with ‘blind alleys’ from which they may be unable to escape, says Dr Morgan Pratchett of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University. "T. Rex of the Ocean" Found in Arctic -- Dubbed the "the Monster," this newly identified fossil predator is one of the largest marine reptiles ever found, scientists announced today. The 50-foot-long (15-meter-long) "sea monster" was excavated last summer on Norway's Arctic island of Spitsbergen. Danio and two new loaches discovered in Western Ghats -- Scientists from India have discovered three fish in the Western Ghats, Karnataka, India, which they believe to be undescribed. The three fishes - a Danio, a Schistura and a Mesonemacheilus loach - were discovered from the Western Ghats region of Karnataka by Dr PK Pramod, the State Coordinator of Ornamental Fish Development at Mangalore's Marine Products Export Development Authority. More sharks to be added to Red List -- Nine species of shark are to be added to the IUCN red list when it is revised in October, joining the 126 shark species already listed. Two new Rivulus killies named -- Killifish expert Wilson Costa has described two new species of Rivulus from the upper Paraguay River drainage in central Brazil. The two new species, named Rivulus bororo and Rivulus paresi, belong to the subgenus Melanorivulus and are described in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Salmon farming killing off wild salmon -- Salmon farming is slowly killing off wild salmon, according to a recent study by Canadian scientists. Study unravels Cichlasomatini relationships -- Scientists from the Czech Republic have conducted the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the South American cichlid tribe Cichlasomatini, publishing their results in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Hybrid inviability did not drive cichlid speciation -- Hybrid inviability is not likely to have led to speciation or to maintain species boundaries in some Lake Victoria cichlids, according to recent research. The research is published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Evolutionary Biology by Inke van der Sluijs, Tom van Dooren, Ole Seehausen and Jacques van Alphen. Fish with weak ears less successful on reefs -- Reef fish larvae require symmetrical ears to ensure successful navigating from open waters back to the reef, according to the results of a new study. Monica Gagliano, Martial Depczynski, Stephen Simpson and James Moore studied the damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis, a common and abundant species on the Great Barrier Reef. Endangered fish live in hydrogen sulphide pools -- Scientists have characterised the habitat of two rare and endangered poeciliid fishes from Mexico that are known only from sulphidic habitats. New Rivulus killi named -- Yet another new species of rivulid killifish in the subgenus Melanorivulus has been described, this time from the Paraná River drainage in central Brazil. Wilson Costa named the new species Rivulus faucireticulatus in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Wild type carp could be wiped out -- Scientists from Japan have discovered that the native strain of the wild carp (Cyprinus carpio) in Japan is in danger of extirpation via large-scale introductions of domesticated strains from Eurasia. Indian killifish placed at bottom of evolutionary family tree -- New research on the phylogeny of cyprinidontiform fishes, soon to be published in the Journal Zoologica Scripta, suggests that the Indian Killifish genus Aplocheilus is the sister group to all other cyprinidontiform fishes. Competition led to colour polymorphism in Lake Victoria cichlid -- Competition among female cichlids has led to colour polymorphism among Neochromis omnicaeruleus from Lake Victoria, according to a recent study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. New Benthochromis described from Lake Tanganyika -- A new species of Benthochromis cichlid from Lake Tanganyika has been described by Tetsumi Takahashi of Kyoto University. The new species, named Benthochromis horii, in honour of the first person to recognise its status as a distinct species (Michio Hori), is described in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology. New Rasbora described from eastern Borneo -- Noted Swiss ichthyologist Maurice Kottelat has described a new species of Rasbora from Tarakan Island, off the eastern coast of Borneo. The description of the new species, named Rasbora dies, is published in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Two Chromaphyosemion killifishes described -- Two new species of Chromaphyosemion killifishes have been described from the coastal plain of Equatorial Guinea in west central Africa by Rainer Sonnenberg. The two new species are named Chromaphyosemion ecucuense and Chromaphyosemion erythron in the latest issue of Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Fish invasions study shows human impact -- Human activity is most responsible for the propagation of alien fish species, according to a recent study. The study was conducted by Belgian, Canadian and French scientists Fabien Leprieur, Olivier Beauchard, Simon Blanchet, Thierry Oberdorff, and Sébastien Brosse and was published in the journal PLoS Biology. Pacu important in dispersal of plant seeds -- Bigger is better when it comes to fish acting as seed dispersers, according to the results of a recent study. Mauro Galetti, Camila Donatti, Marco Pizo and Henrique Giacomini studied the role of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) in acting as the dispersal agent for the palm Bactris glaucescens. Visitors film shark eating shark at public aquarium -- Visitors to the Mall of America's Underwater Adventures Aquarium have filmed a nine foot Sand tiger shark attempting to swallow another shark. Video footage of the shark attack, which has been posted on the video sharing websites YouTube and LiveLeak, shows the 9'/2.74m long 300lb/136kg Sand tiger shark attempting to swallow a 4.5'/1.37m White tip reef shark. DNA evidence suggests Barramundi is two species -- Australian scientists have found evidence for a second species of barramundi or Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) using DNA barcoding. Four cardinals described in Nectamia study -- A recent study of the cardinalfish genus Nectamia from the Indo-Pacific region recognizes nine species, four of which are described as new. Larval life affects survival of adult Bluehead wrasse -- The ability of a reef fish to survive in the long term is determined by the amount of adversity it faces as a larva, according to a study published in the most recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study by Scott Hamilton, James Regetz, and Robert Warner focused on the Bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum) living in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. News Stories from January 2008
Queensland floodwaters threaten Great Barrier Reef -- Queensland floodwaters are causing concern as they approach the Great Barrier Reef. Scientists from James Cook University, the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Natural Resources are meeting at the flooded Fitzroy River to assess the situation. It is feared that sediment and chemical run-off from farmland and mining sites could threaten corals on the reef. Swimmers' Sunscreen Killing Off Coral -- The sunscreen that you dutifully slather on before a swim on the beach may be protecting your body but a new study finds that the chemicals are also killing coral reefs worldwide. Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species. Antarctic Marine Census Trip Begins -- U.S., New Zealand, and Italian marine scientists have begun a two-month voyage to Antarctica's northern coast as part of an ongoing study of worldwide marine biodiversity. New killi named Rivulus kayabi -- A new species of Rivulus killifish has been described from the Tapajós River drainage in central Brazil. Killifish expert Wilson Costa named the new species Rivulus kayabi in the most recent issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Predators affect killifish reproduction -- A study on killifish in Trinidad has shown that the effects of predators on prey reaches far beyond the simple fact of just killing them. The ecological impacts of predation have long been established but very few studies have looked at the evolutionary consequences. Nest entrance size matters to blenny -- Entrance size is an important factor for males of the western Pacific blenny species Rhabdoblennius ellipes when choosing a nest cavity. Study highlights migrations in undescribed Arapaima -- The lateral migration an undescribed species of Arapaima has been studied in a paper published in the most recent issue of the journal Ecology of Freshwater Fish. Study reveals local specialists in endangered fish populations -- Japanese scientists have found that common fish species may be composed of sub-populations of specialists adapted to specific narrow niches in local conditions and that these sub-populations are vulnerable to local extinction. New freshwater sand goby named -- Scientists from the UK and the Czech Republic have described a new species of freshwater sand-goby from the Morac (a River drainage in southern Montenegro. The new goby is named Potamischus montengrensis by Peter Miller and Radek Šanda in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology. New Gorogobius described -- A second species of goby in the genus Gorogobius has been described from the São Tomé Islands in the Gulf of Guinea. Marcelo Kovai and Ulrich Schliewen name the new species Gorogobius stevcici in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. When Barracudas Attack: Swift and Sharp -- The great barracuda deserves its fearsome reputation, suggests a new study on its predatory ways. The toothy fish tackles large prey, the study's authors report, by impaling its victim with sharp fangs and then slicing it in half, scissor-style. Endangered Turtle Makes Record 647-Day Journey -- A leatherback sea turtle recently completed the longest recorded migration of any sea vertebrate: 12,774 miles (20,558 kilometers) across the Pacific Ocean. The journey, tracked by satellite, provides the first record of a trans-Pacific migration by a leatherback. Unusual new Danio-like fish discovered -- Aquarium hobbyists in India have reported a highly-unusual Danio-like species on sale. The strikingly coloured fish appears to be a new member of the Danio genus. Silvery John Dory caught in Mediterranean -- Italian scientists have documented the first ever occurrence of Zenopsis conchifera in the Mediterranean Sea. Though common in the eastern central Atlantic, Zenopsis conchifera, commonly referred to as the Silvery John dory, Sailfin dory or Buckler dory, was previously undocumented from the Mediterranean Sea. Tube-eye fish placed in new order -- Japanese and American scientists have created a new order for the strange deep-sea tube-eye fish, Stylephorus chordatus. The new order, named Stylephoriformes, was created based on new evidence about the phylogenetic position of S. chordatus obtained from DNA sequence data, in a study published in the most recent volume of Ichthyological Research. New Pseudomystus catfish named -- A new species of bumblebee catfish has been described in the latest issue of the journal Zootaxa. Kelvin Lim and Heok Hee Ng have named the catfish from central Sumatra, Pseudomystus heokhuii, after Heok Hui Tan, who brought the attention of the fish to the authors. Study shows reef fish colour vision -- A study published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Experimental Biology has shown that coral reef fish are capable of colour vision. Fish ladders harm migrating fish -- Fish ladders built into hydroelectric dams in South America can harm, rather than aid, migrating fish, a study to be published in the journal Conservation Biology revealed. Celestial Pearl danio renamed Danio margaritatus -- Scientists have suggested changing the scientific name of the Celestial Pearl danio to Danio margaritatus, after further study suggested it did not warrant a genus of its own. Vaquita porpoise being driven to extinction by humans -- The vaquita, a rare porpoise restricted to the northern Gulf of California, could very soon join the baiji as another cetacean species driven to extinction by humans, according recent studies. The plight of the vaquita (Phocoena sinus), also known as the Gulf of California porpoise, was highlighted in a recent issue of the journal Conservation Biology by Armando Jaramillo-Legorreta, Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, Robert Brownell, Andrew Read, Randall Reeves, Katherine Ralls and Barbara Taylor. Octopus befriends Mr Potato Head -- An octopus at the Blue Reef Aquarium, Newquay, has grown quite attached to a Mr Potato Head toy. The 18-month-old Giant Pacific octopus, named Louis, was given the children’s toy by the aquarium staff as part of an enrichment program, and it has since become a firm favourite. Aquarium curator Matt Slater told BBC News that "its bright colours, strange shape and moveable parts make it fascinating for Louis." Swimbladder structure suggests relationship between halfbeaks -- The discovery of a highly unusual swimbladder structure in two different groups of halfbeak fishes has provided evidence to suggest that the genera are closely related. Starfish threaten the Coral Triangle -- A group of reefs known as the “Coral Triangle” are under threat from an outbreak of Crown of Thorns Starfish. The Wildlife Conservation Society and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies conducted surveys on the Coral Triangle, a name given to the coral reefs located in the Sulu and Sulawesi seas between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. UK's largest ever illegal coral seizure -- Illegal corals valued at £50,000 have been seized from Manchester Airport in the UK's largest ever seizure of CITES listed corals destined for the aquarium trade. The corals, which are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) were discovered in an air freight consignment at Manchester Airport and had been shipped to the UK from Malaysia. Goblin shark biology revealed -- New information on the biology of the bizarre Goblin shark has been revealed in a recent study by Japanese researchers. The study, published in the most recent edition of Ichthyological Research, examined 171 specimens of the Goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni, collected off the Pacific coast of Japan over a 30-year period. Two new dwarf snakeheads described -- Two new species of dwarf snakehead have been described from Myanmar. The new species, which are unusually colourful for snakeheads, have been named Channa ornatipinnis and C. pulchra by snakehead expert Dr Ralf Britz, of the Natural History Museum, London. Corals decline where humans thrive -- Corals decline where humans thrive, according to a study to be published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. The study by Camilo Mora of Dalhousie Uiversity in Canada, used a large-scale database on the status of coral reef communities in the Caribbean (consisting of 322 sites in 13 countries). Hyphessobrycon rutiliflavidus described from Mato Grosso -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of tetra from the upper Paraguai River drainage. The new characid was named Hyphessobrycon rutiliflavidus in a recent issue of Zootaxa by Fernando Carvalho, Francisco Langeani, Carlos Miyazawa and Waldo Troy. New moray eel described -- A new species of moray eel has been described from the Red Sea in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. The new species was named Gymnothorax baranesi by David Smith, Eran Brokovich and Shai Einbinder. Study reveals new killifish egg structures -- Researchers in Brazil have discovered structures on the surface of the eggs of killifish never documented before. D. Fava and M. Toldeo-Piza from the University of São Paolo in Brazil, studied 19 species of Simpsonichthys killifish gathered from areas throughout South America including Brazil, Venezuela, Uruguay and Argentina. Using scanning electron microscopy they discovered that each species of fish features unique features on the surface of the eggs. Coralline algae will suffer as oceans acidify -- Corals are not the only reef organisms to suffer directly from increased ocean acidification, according to a study to be published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Ilsa Kuffner, Andreas Andersson, Paul Jokiel, Ku'ulei Rodgers and Fred Mackenzie carried out a seven-week experiment examining the effects of increased ocean acidification on crustose coralline algae, a group of calcifying algae that is important in many shallow water habitats, including coral reefs. Report highlights Indonesia's illegal freshwater turtle trade -- Growing demand for tortoises and freshwater turtles by exotic pet owners is fuelling rampant illegal trade in the pet markets of Indonesia, according to a report from the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC. Investigators from TRAFFIC surveyed pet markets in Jakarta and found 48 species of freshwater turtle and tortoise on sale, the majority of which had been obtained illegally. Corals spread south as oceans warm -- Corals along the western coast of Australia may head south as water temperatures rise, a new study suggests. Scientists Benjamin Greenstein and John Pandolfi predict that global warming could trigger the diverse array of corals found in warmer, northern waters to spread and inhabit cooler waters in the south, currently home to just a small range of species. Great Barrier Reef coral cover could drop below 10% by 2098 -- Recent predictions suggest that coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef could be reduced to less than 10% within the next 90 years. Dr. Eric Wolanski of James Cook University believes that the state of the Barrier Reef between Lizard Island and Bowen has been declining since the European settlement of Australia. However, rather than global warming causing this decline, Wolankski has suggested that “right now, the problem is a land-use problem, which we can correct.”. Five marine damselfishes described -- Five species of damselfishes of the genus Chromis, all collected from deep (more than 60 m) coral reef habitats in the western Pacific, are among the first new fish species to be described in 2008. The descriptions of Chromis abyssus, C. brevirostris, C. circumaurea, C. degruyi and C. earina by Richard Pyle, John Earle and Brian Greene are published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New Lake Victoria cichlid described -- A new species of Haplochromis has been named after the Father of Modern Taxonomy, Carolus Linnaeus (or Carl von Linné), by Dutch scientists. The description of Haplochromis vonlinnei from Lake Victoria is published in the latest issue of the journal Zoologische Mededelingen by Martien van Oijen and Marnix de Zeeuw. Study reveals Colomesus puffer diet -- Scientists have studied the diet of a Brazilian brackish water puffer fish, revealing new information on the feeding ecology of the species. Experts at the Center for Tropical Marine Ecology at Bremen, Germany, caught 102 Colomesus psittacus in intertidal mangrove creeks near Braganca, northern Brazil and analysed their gut contents. Their findings, which were published recently in the Brazilian Journal of Biology, show that the species is a specialised predator of barnacles and fiddler crabs. New Halichoeres named Mardi Gras wrasse -- A new species of wrasse has been described from the western Gulf of Mexico in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. The new species is named the Mardi Gras wrasse (Halichoeres burekae) by Douglas Weaver and Luiz Rocha. Reintroduced conserved fishes susceptible to parasites -- A study published in the most recent issue of the journal Conservation Biology has found problems associated with the ex situ conservation of fishes. Using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as a model, Cock van Oosterhout, Alan Smith, Bernd Hänfling, Indar Ramnarine, Ryan Mohammed and Joanne Cable studied the effects of inbreeding and susceptibility of captive-bred fish to parasite infestation upon reintroduction to the wild. New Pareiorhaphis plecostomus described -- Scientists from Brazil have described a new species of sexually dimorphic loricariid catfish from southeastern Brazil. The description of the new species, named Pareiorhaphis nasuta by Edson Pereira, Fábio Vieira and Roberto Reis, is published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New Hypostomus described from southern Brazil -- A new species of Hypostomus catfish has been described from southern Brazil in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. The new species, named Hypostomus multidens by Fernando Jerep, Oscar Shibatta and Cláudio Zawadzki, is distinguished from most other Hypostomus catfish in having a colour pattern of light spots on a dark background. Miniature Acestridium loricariid described -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of miniature loricariid catfish from the eastern Amazon River drainage. The new species is named Acestridium triplax by Mónica Rodriguez and Roberto Reis in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Two pike cichlids described -- The descriptions of two new species of pike cichlid have been published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Carlos de Lucena has named the two new species from the upper Uruguay River drainage Crenicichla hadrostigma and C. empheres; both species are considered to belong to the C. missioneira species-group. Farmed Pacific salmon invade Atlantic -- A study published in a recent issue of the journal Conservation Biology has confirmed that introduced Pacific salmon are successfully invading the Atlantic. Simpsonichthys killifish revised -- A revision of the South American killifish genus Simpsonichthys published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa recognizes 50 species. The study by Wilson Costa describes the 50 valid species in five subgenera. Sticklebacks use prawns to guide them to food -- Scientists from the University of Leicester and the University of Sydney have shown that Three-spined sticklebacks are capable of using common prawns as a guide to optimal foraging spots. Sea Cucumber protein used to inhibit development Of Malaria parasite -- Scientists have genetically engineered a mosquito to release a sea-cucumber protein into its gut which impairs the development of malaria parasites, according to new research. New Stigmatopora pipefish described -- Australian scientists have described a new species of pipefish in the seas off southern Australia. The new species is named Stigmatopora narinosa by Robert Browne and Kevin Smith in the latest issue of the Memoirs of Museum Victoria. News Stories from December 2007
10-acre artificial reef proposed for Hawaii -- The barren seafloor off the coast of 'Ewa could become home to coral and other marine life if an artificial reef project is approved. The proposed 108-acre artificial reef is a massive expansion of the 1.1-acre reef replacement required for developer Haseko's permit to build the Ocean Pointe Marina. Nile perch population explosion studied -- The colonisation of Lake Victoria by Nile perch (Lates niloticus) and the consequent decline of the haplochromine fishes in the lake has been elucidated in a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes. Global warming and acidification threaten coral survival -- Global warming and increasing acidification of marine waters threaten the long-term survival of coral reefs, according to a review published in the most recent issue of the journal Science. Bears control age of salmon -- The rate of predation by brown bears (Ursus arctos) on sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) drives the aging rate of the salmon, a recent study by scientists from the University of Washington and McGill University found. Two dwarf suckermouth catfishes named -- Brazilian scientists have described two new species of miniature loricariid catfish in the genus Hisontous. The descriptions of the two species, named Hisonotus chromodontus and Hisonotus luteofrenatus by Heraldo Britski and Julio Garavello, are published in the most recent issue of the Brazilian Journal of Biology. Swordtails turn off when turned on -- Female swordtails down regulate, or turn off, certain genes and up regulate, or turn on, others when interacting with male fish, according to a recent study by scientists from the USA. Governor's Request Keeps Manatee in Endangered Class -- Governor Charlie Crist spoke out for manatee conservation, and Wednesday the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded by giving the manatee a reprieve. The commission voted to defer a decision about reclassifying the state's remaining manatees from endangered to threatened. Cichlid urine advertises dominance -- A new study has demonstrated that male tilapia cichlids use urinary odours to advertise their dominance within hierarchies. The study, carried out at the University of Algarve, was based on the Mozambique tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, a maternal mouth-brooding cichlid found in freshwaters along the coast of East Africa. New shrimpgoby described -- Scientists have described a new species of shrimpgoby from Indonesian island of Flores. The new species, named Tomiyamichthys tanyspilus, is described by John Randall and I-Shiung Chen in the most recent issue of the journal Zoological Studies. New Batasio described -- A new species of Batasio catfish has been described from southern Myanmar and the identities of two other members of the genus have been clarified in a study published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New electric knifefish discovered -- A new species of electric knifefish, Gymnotus chimarrao, has been described from southern Brazil. Endangered turtle may be last remaining -- The baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) may not be the only aquatic vertebrate from the Yangtze River that has gone extinct in recent times. This dubious distinction may be shared by the Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle (sometimes known as the Shanghai soft-shell turtle and known in Chinese as the Banbie, Rafetus swinhoei). Electric currents may be saving coral reefs in Bali -- Just a few years ago, the lush coral reefs off Bali island were dying out, bleached by rising temperatures, blasted by dynamite fishing and poisoned by cyanide. Now they are coming back, thanks to an unlikely remedy: electricity. Flooding triggered piranha evolution -- Biologists have discovered that present day species of piranha have evolved as a result of the Atlantic ocean flooding the Amazon plain five million years ago. 40% of Med's sharks and rays at risk -- A review of the sharks and rays in the Mediterranean has shown that over 40% are at risk, making this group one of the most threatened populations in the world. New date for speciation of Malawi cichlids -- Scientists have found new evidence for the date of the event that may have caused the explosive speciation of Lake Malawi cichlids. Blue marlin uses bill to slash prey -- A recent study published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Research by Japanese scientists have confirmed that the Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) uses its bill to attack prey. Fangblenny changes colour to mimic prey -- Australian scientists - Karen Cheney, Alexandra Grutter and Justin Marshall - have proven that the Bluestriped fangblenny, an aggressive mimic of the juvenile Cleaner wrasse is able to adopt mimic colours depending on the availability of cleaner fish. News Stories from November 2007
Do Brook trout have personalities? -- Not all fish behave the same, according to a study published in a recent issue of the journal Animal Behaviour. The study by Canadian scientists Alexander Wilson and Robert McLaughlin assessed whether the search tactics used by newly hatched Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) represent behavioural syndromes. Goldfish urine advertises readiness to mate -- Researchers at the University of Minnesota have demonstrated that goldfish can advertise their reproductive condition through pheromones released in their urine. New Astyanax described from Argentina -- Scientists from Argentina have described a new species of Astyanax, named Astyanax puka, from the Salí River drainage in northwestern Argentina. Whalers depart Japan -- The Japanese government whaling fleet has departed its home port of Shimonoseki, for its biggest hunt since the moratorium on commercial whaling came into being over twenty years ago. The fleet intends to kill more than 1,000 whales while in the Southern Ocean, including 50 endangered fin whales, 50 threatened humpback whales and 935 minke whales. Jellyfish devastate salmon farm -- The only salmon (Salmo salar) farm in Northern Ireland has been devastated following a series of jellyfish plagues that have wiped out more than a quarter of a million fish in two incidents. Soap chemical affects fish shoaling -- Scientists have found that a common pollutant, 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), is capable of disrupting the ability of fishes to school. Model assesses Chrondrichthyan extinction risk -- A study by Canadian scientists published in the most recent issue of the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences has shown that there is a relationship between habitat, life history and extinction risk in chondrichthyans (sharks, rays and chimaeras). New Lepidolamprologus is an aggressive mimic -- Scientists from the USA, Japan and South Africa have described a new species of Lepidiolamprologus from Lake Tanganyika that practices aggressive mimicry. The new species, named Lepidiolamprologus mimicus, is known from the Zambian (southern) coast of Lake Tanganyika. Giant sea scorpion is bigger than a man -- Scientists in Germany have discovered a giant sea scorpion a massive 2.5 metres in length that's been extinct for several million years. Researchers at the University of Bristol discovered the fossilised 45 cm long chelicerae – pointed mouthparts used to grab food- in Prüm, Germany in what is thought to be the remains of either a brackish lagoon or a flood plain lake. New Brazilian tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Moenkhausia tetra from central Brazil. The new species, named Moenkhausia cosmops by Flávio Lima, Heraldo Britski and Francisco Machado, is described in the latest issue of the journal Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology. Whale lost up the Amazon dies -- Efforts to free a lost whale that strayed into the heart of the Amazon River have come to an end now that it has died. The 12-tonne Minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) had been found in the Tapajos River (a tributary of the Amazon River) near the city of Santarem in Brazil, some 1300 km upriver from the sea. Salinity holds back invasiveness of mosquitofish -- A new study has shown that the invasive success of mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, can be limited by the salinity of the water. Scientists uncover mudskipper spawning mystery -- Mudskippers brood their eggs in air-filled burrows but submerge them in water when they are ready to hatch, a new study on the amphibious fish has shown. Cichlid egg-spot gene found -- German scientists have revealed a gene with a key responsibility in the success of haplochromine cichlid breeding. New Orleans Aquarium denied funding for restocking -- The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, in New Orleans, has been denied the funding needed to re-stock following damage caused by Hurricane Katrina. Emperor of Japan distressed after introducing fish -- The Emperor of Japan has expressed contrition over the his role in introducing the Bluegill sunfish into Japan, where it is now threatening native fishes. Four out of five marine fish already described by scientists -- According to a recent paper to be published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, scientists have described four out of five of the world's marine fishes. New freshwater stingray described from Myanmar -- A new genus and species of freshwater stingray has been described from Myanmar. The new stingray, named Makararaja chindwinensis, is described from the Chindwin River (a tributary of the Irrawaddy River in northern Myanmar) in a paper by Tyson Roberts published in a recent issue of the Natural History Bulletin of the Siam Society. Knifefish is energy efficient -- Scientists have developed a new computer based model which can help predict the strategies that animals will use to catch their prey using the Black ghost knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons) as their subject. New dogtooth characin named -- A new species of dogtooth characin has been described from the Xingu River drainage (a southern tributary of the Amazon River) by a Brazilian scientist. The description of the new species, Cynopotamus xinguano, is published by Naércio Menezes in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Prawns feel pain says research -- Chefs who prepare crustaceans by dropping them into boiling water while alive might now be feeling guilty, as scientists have provided evidence to suggest that invertebrates, such as prawns, can feel pain. One in three European freshwater fish threatened -- About one in three European freshwater fish species are threatened with extinction, according to the most authoritative study of European freshwater fish biodiversity to date, which has just been published in a book. Parrotfishes a key to reef stability -- New research has revealed that parrotfish may be the key to maintaining the stability of coral reef habitats and preventing them from transforming into a stable macroalgal-dominated condition following disturbance. New parrotfish described -- Scientists from Thailand and the USA have described a new species of parrotfish from the eastern Indian Ocean. The description of the new species, named Scarus maculipinna, is published in a paper by Mark Westneat, Ukkrit Satapoomin and John Randall in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New goby named after Emperor -- A new genus of goby from the South Pacific has been named after the Emperor of Japan. The new genus and species is named Akihito vanuatu, with the genus named after Emperor Akihito of Japan and the species named after the island nation of Vanuatu, on which the goby is found. News Stories from October 2007
Arowana seized in London raid -- A shipment of sub-adult arowana has been seized during a raid at a property in east London. According to a report from the BBC, officers found 11 arowana, which it says are worth up to £2000 each. New dwarf suckermouth catfish named -- Argentinian and German scientists have described a new species of miniature loricariid catfish. The new species, named Hisonotus hungy, is described in the latest issue of the Revue Suisse de Zoologie by Maria Azpelicueta, Adriana Almirón, Jorge Casciotta and Stefan Koerber. British fishkeeper spawns Clown loach -- A British fishkeeper has provided photographic evidence for one of the first documented captive spawnings of the Clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus. British company exports giant Koi -- A British aquatic retailer has exported the largest Koi ever to leave Japan. Rainbow Koi in Wiltshire, paid an undisclosed sum to a Japanese breeder for the fish - named Big Girl - which is 120cm/4' long and weighs 41kg/90lbs. Neolamprologus brichardi and N. pulcher are same species -- Scientists have found evidence that the Lake Tanganyikan cichlids Neolamprologus brichardi and N. pulcher are actually one and the same species. Scientists Spot New Marine Species -- A swimming sea cucumber, a Nemo-like orange fish and a worm with tentacles sprouting from its head are among dozens of possible new species found during a survey of the Celebes Sea, researchers said. Fish sleep and experience insomnia -- New research from sleep scientists has shown that, contrary to popular belief, and despite their lack of eyelids, fish do sleep and some even suffer from insomnia. Two Neolamprologus described -- Two new rift lake cichlids belonging to the genus Neolamprologus have been described from Lake Tanganyika. The descriptions of the new species, named Neolamprologus walteri and N. chitambwebwai, are published in a paper written by Piet Verburg and Roger Bills in the latest issue of the journal Zootaxa. New dottyback mimics damsel -- A new species of dottyback has been described from coastal waters off western New Guinea. The description of the new species, named Manonichthys jamali by Gerald Allen and Mark Erdmann, is published in the most recent issue of the journal Zoological Studies. New Venezuelan tetra -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of tetra from Venezuela. The description of the new species, Hemigrammus taphorni, is published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New akysid catfish is a mimic -- Akysis pulvinatus, named by Heok Hee Ng, is described from the upper Tapi River drainage and hillstreams flowing into the Andaman Sea on the western half of the Isthmus of Kra in southern Thailand. Stunning Emperor botia gets name -- The fish recently imported as the Emperor botia has been named. The description by Heok Hee Ng is published in the latest issue of the journal Zootaxa and names the species Botia udomritthiruji. Fish 'poisoned' at public aquarium -- An act of deliberate poisoning has been suspected following the deaths of over 500 fish at a public aquarium in northern Malaysia. A large section of Langkawi Underwater World has been closed as a police investigation gets underway. Fishing ban protects largest coral reef in the Philippines -- Reef fish and other marine species can breathe easier with the introduction of a fishing ban around Apo Reef, the largest coral reef in the Philippines and the second largest contiguous reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. Under the ban, all extractive activities, such as fishing, and coral collection and harvesting, will be completely forbidden. Convict and Jack Dempsey placed in new genera -- New cichlid genera have been erected for both the Convict cichlid and the Jack Dempsey. This was done as part of a recent revision of the central American cichlid genus Archocentrus, with two new, closely-related genera (Amatitlania and Rocio) and six new species (three of Amatitlania, two of Rocio and one of Cryptoheros) described as a result. Protecting cod and coral off eastern Canada -- Decisions made at a meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization will help cod recover and protect vulnerable cold-water corals off the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador. News Stories from September 2007
Rivulus killifish described from Brazil -- A new South American killifish in the genus Rivulus has been described. The description of Rivulus illuminatus is published by Wilson Costa in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Three new killifish described -- German killifish expert Rainer Sonnenberg has described three new species of nothobranchiid killifish from the coastal plains of Cameroon. The descriptions of the three new species, named Chromaphysemion koungueense, C. omega and C. melinoeides, are published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Catfish and characin feed together -- Scientists from Brazil have discovered an unusual feeding association between a small loricariid catfish (Parotocinclus maculicauda) and an undescribed species of darter tetra (Characidium sp.). Loreto Panda Corydoras named ortegai -- A new species of Corydoras catfish has been described from the Putumayo River in Peru. The new species is named Corydoras ortegai and its description by Marcelo Britto, Flávio Lima and Max Hidalgo is published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New Pimelodus catfish discovered -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of pimelodid catfish from the Paraná River drainage in southern Brazil. Julio Garavello and Oscar Shibatta describe the new species as Pimelodus britskii in a paper in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Propimelodus described from Araguaia drainage -- A new pimelodid catfish has been described from the Araguaia River drainage in Brazil. The description of new species, Propimelodus araguayae, by Marcelo Rocha, Renildo de Oliveira and Lúcia Rapp Py-Daniel is published in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New plec named Hypostomus chrysostiktos -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of loricariid catfish in the genus Hypostomus from northeastern Brazil. The result, a description of Hypostomus chrysostiktos by José Birindelli, Angela Zanata and Flávio Lima, is published in the most recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New Moenkhausia tetra named -- A new species of tetra in the genus Moenkhausia has been described from northeastern Brazil. The description of Moenkhausia diamantina has been described in a paper by Ricardo Benine, Ricardo Castro and Alexandre Santos published in the most recent issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New red tetra discovered in Brazil -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Hyphessobrycon tetra from eastern Brazil. The description of the new tetra, named Hyphessobrycon vinaceus, is published in a paper by Vinicius Bertaco, Luiz Malabarba and Jorge Dergam in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New giant tetra described from Brazil -- A new species of giant tetra in the genus Salminus has been described from eastern and northeastern Brazil. Publishing their results in the latest issue of the journal Neotropical Ichthyology, Flávio Lima and Heraldo Britski have named the tetra, Salminus franciscanus, after the Saõ Francisco, the river drainage to which the new species is endemic. New Hemibrycon tetra from Peru -- Brazilian and Peruvian scientists have described a new Hemibrycon tetra from the Ucayali River drainage in Peru. The description of the new species, Hemibrycon divisorensis, is published in the latest issue of Neotropical Ichthyology by Vicinus Bertaco, Luiz Malabarba, Max Hidalgo and Hernán Ortega. New Astyanax tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Astyanax tetra from the upper potions of the Iguaçu River in southeastern Brazil. The description of the new species, named Astyanax varzeae after the type localilty (río da Várzea) by Vinícius Abilhoa and Luiz Duboc, is published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Fishkeeping comes to Nintendo DS -- Mercury Games is to release two new fishkeeping games for the Nintendo DS handheld games console. The new simulation games Aquarium by DS and Fantasy Aquarium by DS will be available on the Nintendo DS, providing an alternative, virtual, way of keeping fish. A range of over 30 common aquarium fish will be available to care for on Aquarium by DS – including angelfish, clownfish, guppies and Neon tetras. Clownfish share anemones with non-relatives -- Scientists from Spain and the USA have found that clownfish groups living in a single anemone are not close relatives. Publishing their results in a recent issue of the journal Molecular Ecology, Peter Buston, Steven Bogdanowicz, Alex Wong and Richard Harrison studied a population of the clown anemonefish, Amphiprion percula, in Madang Lagoon in Papua New Guinea. Banggai cardinal among additions to Red List -- The Banggai cardinal, Pterapogon kauderni, is among the new additions to the 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Pterapogon kauderni has been classified as endangered in the 2007 Red List because its small population has suffered dramatic declines in recent years due to over-collecting for the aquarium trade. Earlier this year, the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) rejected a decision by the United States to protect Pterapogon kauderni on Appendix II of CITES. New doradid has proboscoid mouth -- Scientists from Brazil, the USA and Venezuela have described a new species of doradid catfish with an unusual proboscoid mouth in the latest issue of the journal Copeia. The new species, named Rhynchodoras castilloi, is described from the Apure River (part of the Orinoco River drainage) in Venzuela by José Birindelli, Mark Sabaj and Donald Taphorn. Seven new African catfish named -- Seven new species of African catfish in the family Amphiliidae have been described in a recent study. Published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa in a paper by Paul Skelton, the seven new species (four species of Amphilius, two species of Doumea and one species of Phractura) are all described from West Central Africa. New Mandarin shark discovered -- Scientists have named a new species of Mandarin shark from south eastern Australia. William White, Peter Last and John Stevens of CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research named the new species, Cirrhigaleus australis, in a paper in the latest issue of the journal Zootaxa. Moray eels use second set of jaws to grab prey -- Researchers have found that moray eels use a second set of hidden jaws to help them swallow prey and pull it into their oesaphagus. Fish conservationists saved wrong species -- Scientists who have been trying to preserve an endangered species of fish for the past two decades have learned that they were preserving the wrong species. Reef fish diversify faster -- American and Canadian scientists have found evidence that fishes living in coral-reef habitats undergo higher rates of diversification than similar groups living in other habitats. Rare British coral struck by disease -- British scientists have recorded the first incidence of a coldwater coral disease in a species on an international list of threatened species. Experts from the Marine Institute at the University of Plymouth recorded the disease in the Pink sea fan, Eunicella verrucosa, in a marine protected area in south west England. German scientists study malachite green alternative -- Scientists in Germany have published the results of a study investigating the performance of an alternative whitespot medication following a ban on the use of malachite green. Rare piranha photographed for first time -- A Venezuelan fish collector has obtained the first live, colour photograph of a rarely-seen piranha. Ivan Mikolji shot Serrasalmus nalseni for the first time during a recent trip to the Uracoa River, an Orinoco tributary in Monagas State in the north east of Venezuela. News Stories from August 2007
Invasive algae killing Costa Rican coral reef -- A tropical algae thriving on fertilizers from hotel golf courses and badly treated sewage is killing one of Costa Rica's most important coastal reefs, scientists say. Fish Health Inspector receives accolade for part in shark sting -- A British Fish Health Inspector has received an award following his investigative work which led to the prosecution of those smuggling sharks from the USA into the UK's aquarium trade. API and RENA renamed Mars Fishcare -- Mars Incorporated has been explaining the thinking behind the decision to unify its regional fish care businesses into the newly named Mars Fishcare operating unit. New Oligosarcus tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of tetra of the genus Oligosarcus from Brazil. The new species, named Oligosarcus perdido by Alexandre Ribeiro, Marcel Cavallaro and Ótavio Froehlich, is described in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. Elephantnose fish can recognise objects in the dark -- Elephantnose fish can detect the shape, size, volume and material of underwater objects in complete darkness, according to the results of a new study. Elephantnose fish, Gnathonemus petersii, live in the muddy swamps of Africa and have poor eyesight but an acute sense of spatial awareness thanks to electrolocation. Unusual loach placed in own family -- The relationships of the cobitoid loaches have been examined in a recent study and the familial placement of the genera Barbucca, Serpenticobitis and Vaillantella have been reassigned. The study by Vendula Šlechtová, Jörg Bohlen and Heok Hui Tan is published in the latest issue of the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Puffer fish sold as salmon kills 15 -- The meat of toxic puffer fish has been passed off as salmon by fish suppliers in Thailand, killing 15 and hospitalising a further 115 over the past three years. New Hypostomus from Venezuela -- American scientists have described a new species of Hypostomus catfish from southern Venezuela. The description of the new Loricariid species, named Hypostomus rhantos, by Jonathan Armbruster, Leigh Tansey and Nathan Lujan is published in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa. New Caenotropus tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of Chilodontid tetra from Brazil. The new species, named Caenotropus schizodon by Alexandre Scharchansky and Carlos de Lucena, is known from the Tapajós River drainage which is part of the Amazon River drainage. Clouded ghost knifefish described -- A new species of ghost knifefish has been described from the Amazon River. The decription of the new species, Adontosternarchus nebulosus, by John Lundberg and Cristina Fernandes has been published in the latest issue of the journal Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. Tanganyikan scale-eating cichlids studied -- The evolutionary history of Lake Tanganyika's scale-eating cichlids has been reconstructed by Austrian scientists. New Laetacara cichlid described -- German scientists have described a new species of Laetacara dwarf cichlid from the upper drainages of the Rio Orinoco and Rio Negro in Venezuela. Wolfgang Staeck and Ingo Schindler described the new species as Laetacara fulvipinnis in a paper published in the latest volume of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. Long-finned Corydoras gets name -- A new species of long-finned Corydoras species has been described from the Parana River drainage in northern Argentina. The new species, named Corydoras longipinnis in a paper by Joachim Knaack published in the most recent issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology, superficially resembles the well-known C. paleatus. Three new darters named -- American scientists have described three new species of freshwater fish which were discovered in the Mobile Basin drainage of Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. James Williams, David Neely, Stephen Walsh and Noel Burkhead named the new species as Percina kusha, Percina sipsi and Percina smithvanizi in a paper in the latest volume of the systematics journal Zootaxa. Giant ray find baffles experts -- Experts are baffled at the appearance of a three-metre-plus Manta ray which was found dead near a beach in Salem, Massachusetts. The Manta ray was spotted floating in Salem harbour and was towed to shore by jet skiers. New Knodus described from Peru -- A German scientist has described a new species of characin from the Knodus genus after it was discovered in Peru. Axel Zarske named the new species, Knodus pasco, in a paper in the German journal, Vertebrate Zoology. New tetra described from Amazon -- Scientists have described a new species of translucent tetra from the central Amazon River drainage. The new tetra is named Hemigrammus geisleri by Axel Zarske and Jacques Géry in a paper published in the most recent issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. New Simpsonichthys killifish -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of seasonal killifish from the swamps of the upper São Francisco River drainage in central Brazil. The new species, named Simpsonichthys punctulatus after the rows of blue dots on the flanks of the males (from the Latin punctum, meaning a small spot), is described in a paper by Wilson Costa and Gilberto Brasil published in the latest issue of the journal Vertebrate Zoology. Two new loricariids named -- American scientists have described two new species of loricariid catfish of the genus, Pseudancistrus. Publishing their results in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters, Nathan Lujan, Jonathan Armbruster and Mark Sabaj have named the two new species from southern Venezuela, Pseudancistrus pectegenitor and P. yekuana. Humans drive Yangtze dolphin to extinction -- Scientists from North America, Europe and Asia have declared the Yangtze River dolphin or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer) extinct after an extensive survey of the middle-lower Yangtze River failed to locate any either by sight or acoustically. Discus genus revised -- Heiko Bleher and co-workers have published a revision of the Discus genus Symphysodon which provides evidence for the existence of three genetically distinct clades. New ghost knifefish described -- Scientists in Colombia and the USA have described a new species of ghost knifefish. The new species, named Apteronotus galvisi, after the prominent Colombian ichthyologist German Galvis, is described from the Río Meta drainage in Colombia by Carlos de Santana, Javier Maldonado-Ocampo and William Crampton in a paper published in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Fisherman catches living fossil -- An extremely rare living fossil caught by a fisherman in Indonesia is being examined by scientists. The 1.3m-long (4.3ft), 50kg (110lb) coelacanth is only the second ever to have been captured in Asia and has been described as a significant find. Study reveals stingray potency -- Brazilian scientists have undertaken a study which shows why freshwater stingrays are so much more venomous than their marine counterparts. New Cameroon killifish described -- A new species of nothobranchid killifish has been described from western Cameroon by scientists in Cameroon, Germany and Belgium. Christian Akum, Rainer Sonnenberg, Jouke van der Zee and Rudolf Wildekamp have named the new killifish, Fundulopanchax kamdemi. News Stories from July 2007
Giant tuna dies after head-butting glass -- A 229-pound bluefin tuna was found dead Monday morning in the popular Outer Bay Exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium after it had slammed head-first into the tank's 13-inch-thick acrylic window the night before. New Metahomaloptera loach -- Chinese scientitsts have described a new species of balitorid loach from southern China. The new loach, named Metahomaloptera longicauda, is described in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa by Jian Yang, Xiaoyong Chen and Junxing Yang. New Moenkhausia tetra named -- Brazilian scientists have described a new species of the tetra genus Moenkhausia from the Rio Tocantins drainage in Brazil (part of the Amazon River drainage). Publishing their results in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, Paulo Lucinda, Luiz Malabarba and Ricardo Benine have described Moenkhausia hysterosticta, the name coming from the Greek hysteros, meaning posterior and stictus spot, in reference to the posteriorly-located humeral spot in this species. Central American cichlids renamed -- American scientists have renamed two popular cichlids, Neetroplus nematopus and Hypsophrys nicaraguensis. In a paper published in the most recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, Prosanta Chakrabarty and John Sparks re-diagnosed the cichlid genus Hypsophrys and regarded Neetroplus as its junior synonym. Angler hooks piranha -- A piranha has been caught in a river in North Carolina in the USA. Jerry Melton, 46, caught the fish - which weighed 566g./1lb. 4oz. - while fishing for local catfish. Melton told the Herald Times he had been fishing the river his whole life and had never seen anything like it. New Bedotia rainbow described -- Scientists have described a new species of rainbowfish from Madagascar. Paul Loiselle of the New York Aquarium and Damaris Rodriguez of the American Museum of Natural History described the new species as Bedotia leucopteron in a paper in the latest issue of the systematics journal Zootaxa. Madagascan rainbows redescribed -- Two species of Madagascan rainbowfish have been redescribed by scientists. Paul Loiselle of the New York Aquarium and Damaris Rodriguez of the American Museum of Natural History redescribed Bedotia geayi and B. madagascariensis as part of their study on the newly discovered Bedotia leucopteron. CITES rejects proposal to protect Banggai cardinal -- CITES has rejected a proposal to protect the Banggai cardinal, a species believed to be under threat from aquarium fish collectors. Soft Corals "Melting" Due to Warming Seas, Expert Says -- Soft coral communities in tropical waters may literally be melting away because of bleaching events, which have been dramatically accelerated by global warming, a leading expert says. Curious creature caught off Keahole Point -- What appears to be a half-squid, half-octopus specimen found off Keahole Point on the Big Island of Hawaii remains unidentified and could possibly be a new species, said local biologists. Wind, sun and tides power Biorock, rehab for recovering coral reefs -- U.S. firm Cypress Semiconductor Corp. has announced that it has donated six 90-watt solar panels to power MIT's First-Step Coral Reef Rehabilitation project. The solar panels supplied by Cypress' subsidiary SunPower Corp. will go to power the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's First-Step Coral Reef Rehabilitation project in the Sagay Marine Reserve in the Philippines. New fish named after vacuum cleaner? -- South African scientists have discovered a new genus and species of an attractively patterned electric ray off the east coast of South Africa and they have named it after a vacuum cleaner company. Lone Blacktip shark was pregnant -- Aquarium officials from the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Centre have revealed that a lone female Blacktip shark that died during a routine health check-up was pregnant. Giant fishes threatened with extermination -- An article in the latest issue of the journal Science highlights the plight of giant freshwater fishes. In the article by Richard Stone, entitled "The Last of the Leviathans", the extinction threats to some of the world's largest freshwater fishes are highlighted. News Stories from June 2007
Coral Reef Fish Starve Themselves to Maintain Social Order -- Some coral reef fish starve themselves to avoid getting into fights with their larger, dominant neighbors, researchers have found. Worrying trend in Peru fish exports -- Ornamental fish exports in Peru have been the subject of a recent study, and a worrying trend towards the export of species biologically unsuited to heavy exploitation has been identified. Tiger shovelnose genus split into eight species -- A revision of the South American tiger shovelnose catfish genus Pseudoplatystoma recognizes eight valid species. First Manta ray born in captivity -- The birth of a Manta ray in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan is believed to be a world-first in captivity. The newborn Giant manta ray, a female, was 1.9m (over 6 ft) in width at birth – almost half the size of its mother! Colour drives hamlet speciation -- Researchers from Panama, Canada and the UK have demonstrated for the first time that colouration in coral reef fish can cause diversification in species. Second Whale shark dies at aquarium -- Georgia Aquarium has lost its second Whale shark in five months. Officials at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA, confirmed today that their second Whale shark, named Norton, had to be euthanised after months of illness. Five months ago, Norton's companion, Ralph, died following the application of a chemical to the water to cure an outbreak of leeches. Dolphins far from home could signal sea warming -- Whales and dolphins from the Mediterranean are for the first time being regularly seen in northern Scottish waters. Scientists say that the phenomenon may be the result of rising sea temperatures off the West Coast of Scotland. Jellyfish taking over the seas -- Scientists believe depleted fish stocks have removed competition for jellyfish, allowing them to breed to plague proportions. Jellyfish blooms – where the creatures multiply rapidly into untold millions – clog water intakes on ships and power stations, ruin fishing nets and can wreck engines. Salmon farming threatens Chile's Patagonian lakes -- A new WWF study released today finds that the production of farmed salmon in Chile’s unique Patagonian lakes has doubled in the last decade, contaminating them with nutrient pollution, invasive species, disease and harmful chemicals. CITES backs red, pink and other corals -- Red, pink and other coral species in the genus Corallium will be better protected from over-exploitation after delegates attending a meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) adopted a US proposal to list the genus in Appendix II of the convention. Global warming contributing to coral decline -- American and Australian scientists have found evidence that global warming may be responsible for increasing incidences of coral disease. Japan plants coral to save sinking territory -- Japan has begun planting baby coral on a remote Pacific atoll in a multi-million-dollar project to save sinking islets and defend a territorial claim disputed with China. Sturgeon injures woman -- A woman has sustained injuries from a sturgeon fish as it leapt from the water of the Suwannee River in Florida. The woman had been boating over the weekend when she was knocked unconscious by the heavily-armoured fish. Schindleria genus contains cryptic species -- Scientists have undertaken a molecular study on one of the world's tiniest fish and have found that its genus contains more species than currently recognised. Interactions shape cichlid brains -- Recent research provides evidence that the shape and size of cichlid brains is strongly influenced by environmental complexity and social interactions among conspecifics. Poeciliid colonisation of Central America -- A recent study of the molecular phylogeny of poeciliid fishes indicates that the family colonised Central America multiple times over the last 65 million years. New hillstream loach named -- Scientists have described a new species of hillstream loach from the genus Erromyzon. Two new Akysis described -- Scientists have described two more species of the Asian catfish genus Akysis. Two new deepwater electric knifefishes described -- Scientists have described two new species of deepwater electric knifefishes from the lowland portions of the Amazon River. Aquarium puts RFID tags in fish -- A Singapore public aquarium has tagged some its fish with Radio-frequency Identification (RFID) microchip tags to help visitors identify different species as they swim past. Pelvicachromis taeniatus has longest sperm -- The West African dwarf cichlid Pelvicachromis taeniatus has been found to have extraordinarily long sperm. Catfish diversity quantified -- New research has finally shed light on the age old question of how many valid species of catfishes there are in the world. According to Carl Ferraris, who published a comprehensive checklist of the fossil and living catfishes in a recent issue of the journal Zootaxa, there are 3093 valid species in 478 genera (out of 4624 proposed species names and 810 proposed generic names) and 36 families as of 2005. Extinct plec rediscovered -- An armoured catfish previously believed to be extinct has been re-discovered in Suriname. The dwarf suckermouth catfish, Harttiella crassicauda, was thought to be extinct after it had not been sighted in over 50 years - but has now been rediscovered in a previously unexplored region of Suriname, on the north eastern coast of South America. New populations of Celestichthys discovered -- Fisheries authorities in Myanmar have discovered a number of other populations of the Celestial pearl danio, Celestichthys margaritatus, a fish believed to have been driven to near extinction by over-collecting for the aquarium trade. Oestrogen causes fish populations to decline -- Hormones found in domestic wastewater can cause declines in wild fish populations, a new study has revealed. Genetic data useful for distinguishing piranhas -- Scientists working on the molecular phylogeny of piranhas (Serrasalmidae) have found molecular data to be useful in distinguishing the species. News Stories from May 2007
Special Feature: Arowana breeding -- Matt Clarke gets the rare opportunity to see mouthbrooding arowana and has a close look at their eggs and fry, and finds out how the farms breed them. Nemo's Secret: Clownfish Use "Snappy" Trick to Make Weird Sounds -- Movie magic gave a human voice to the hero of Finding Nemo. Now scientists have figured out how real-life clownfish make "chirp" and "pop" noises to woo mates and ward off enemies. Authorities confirm GM fish report -- British authorities have confirmed that the Red danios Practical Fishkeeping claimed were transgenic fish are genetically modified to fluoresce. Uproar at fish cruelty on YouTube -- Several videos show live mice and frogs being dropped into fish tanks while their owners film them swimming around and being attacked by large predatory fish. Others show fish placed together apparently for the purposes of filming their fight. Unicorn tang horn used as signal -- Male unicorn tangs change the colour of their horn to signal to rival males and prospective partners a new study has shown. Scientists believe that the horn plays a role in courtship as well as maintaining dominance over subordinate members of the same species. Six-banded and seven-banded frontosa are same species -- New specimens of the six-banded morph of Cyphotilapia frontosa collected from the northern half of Lake Tanganyika, and specimens of the seven-banded morph of C. frontosa collected from Kigoma, Tanzania, have allowed scientists to analyse differences between the two morphs. Eradication programme threatens Basking shark -- The world's second largest fish species is close to disappearing from Canadian waters because of a program the federal government started to eradicate the species. The Basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, has a tendency to get caught in salmon nets, causing severe damage, so an eradication programme was started in an attempt to protect the salmon fishery. Seahorse recovers quickly from transit stress -- Pot-belled seahorses recover as quickly from transport stress as other fish, suggesting that extra precautions are unnecessary when shipping the species. Five Garra described -- The five new Garra were discovered in Ethiopia, an area to which four of the fish are believed to be endemic. The species have been named Garra regressus, Garra duobarbis, Garra geba, Garra tana and Garra dembecha. News Stories from April 2007
New Silver shark species named -- Two leading experts on Asian fishes have described a second species from the Silver shark genus Balantiocheilos. Maurice Kottelat and Heok Hee Ng of the National University of Singapore named the new species as Balantiocheilos ambusticauda. Fish growing faster as seas warm up -- Some species of Australian marine fish are growing larger and faster than ever before as sea temperatures continue to rise, experts have announced. Taiwan hesitant to supply Whale sharks -- The Taiwanese government has reportedly been hesitant in supplying a pair of Whale sharks requested by the Georgia Aquarium, after the mysterious death of a previous specimen. Scale-eating cichlids use different feeding techniques -- New video footage of scale-eating cichlids from Lake Tanganyika has shown marked differences in the way in which two related species feed. New blind cave loach -- Scientists have discovered another species of blind cave loach in China's cave systems. Jing-Cheng Ran, Wei-Xian Li and Hui-Ming Chen discovered the new loach species in a cave in Nandan County, Guangxi, and named the new species Paracobitis posterodorsalus. New labeonine described -- Chinese scientists have described a new species of labeonine cyprinid and placed it in a new genus by itself. Wei-Xian Li, Jing-Cheng Ran and Hui-Ming Chen named the new fish Longanalus macrochirous. New doradid placed in new genus -- Scientists have placed a newly discovered doradid catfish from Brazil in a genus of its own. Horacio Higuchi, Jose Birindelli, Leandro Sousa and Heraldo Britski named the new species Merodoras nheco. Aquarium offers shark cage experience -- A UK public aquarium is offering visitors the opportunity to come face to face with Great white sharks from the safety of a shark cage, without even getting wet. The Bournemouth Oceanarium aquarium launched the world's first "interactive dive cage" experience. New Grayling species described -- The new fish, which has been named Thymallus tugarinae in a paper in the Journal of Ichthyology, was discovered in the lower and middle reaches of the river. News Stories from March 2007
British aquarist bred illegal GM fish at home -- A Practical Fishkeeping reader has bred genetically modified glow-in-the-dark fish that he purchased illegally from an aquarium shop in the UK. 20 groupers threatened with extinction -- Around 12% of all grouper species are threatened with extinction, according to the results of the first comprehensive conservation assessment of the family. GM fish smuggled into Germany -- German authorities are concerned that aquarium fish suppliers are smuggling illegal genetically modified fluorescent ornamental fish into the country. Two new neon gobies named -- Scientists have described two new species of colourful neon goby from the Gulf of Mexico. Michael Taylor and Lad Akins of Southeast Missouri State University and the Reef Environmental Education Foundation named the two new species Elacatinus jarocho and E. redimiculus. Sorubim review recognizes five species -- A review of the South American shovelnose catfish Sorubim has recognized five species as valid. Michael Littmann of the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, says that Sorubim lima, S. maniradii, S. trigonocephalus, S. elongatus and S. cuspicadus are all valid species. Four new kuhli loaches described -- Ralf Britz and James Maclaine of the Natural History Museum in London undertook a review of the Pangio species of Myanmar (formerly Burma) and named three new species, Pangio signicauda, P. lumbriciformis and P. elongata. They also described a new species from India called Pangio apoda. Live reef fish trade decimating fish populations -- The live reef fish trade in northern Borneo has a severe impact on coral reef fish populations, according to the results of a new study. Four L-number plecs get names -- Scientists have described four new species of loricariid catfish from the genus Hypancistrus. Jonathan Armbruster, Nathan Lujan and Donald Taphorn described the four new species as Hypancistrus contradens, H. debilittera, H. furunculus and H. lunaorum. Fish smuggler gets community service -- An Australian woman who was caught smuggling over 50 live tropical fish out of Singapore in her skirt has been sentenced. 11 new loaches described -- Scientists have described 11 new species of loach from Turkey which span three different genera. New Cyclocheilichthys named -- Scientists have described a colourful new member of the carp family from the island of Palawan in the Philippines. Maurice Kottelat of the National University of Singapore and Miguelito Cervancia of the Western Philippines University, described the new fish as Cyclocheilichthys schoppeae. New Sharks, Rays Discovered in Indonesia Fish Markets -- At least 20 previously unknown species of sharks and rays have been found during a survey of local fish markets in Indonesia, scientists say. The five-year study focused on catches from tropical seas around the Southeast Asian country, which encompasses more than 17,000 islands News Stories from February 2007
Florida Tire Reef Proves To Be A Disaster -- A well-intentioned attempt in 1972 to create what was touted as the world's largest artificial reef made of tires has become an ecological disaster. Galaxy rasbora placed in new genus -- Microrasbora sp. 'Galaxy' has been officially described and placed in a new genus. Tyson Roberts today described the new species as Celestichthys margaritatus in a paper in the Raffles Bulletin of Zoology. He has also given the fish the new common name of Celestial pearl danio. Fish shipments arriving dead -- Fish importers in South Carolina are claiming that cargo handlers in Atlanta have caused delays leading to the deaths of thousands of ornamental fish. Two new shrimp gobies named -- Scientists have described two new species of marine goby from the Western Pacific which live alongside partner shrimps. John Randall, Kwang-Tsao Shao and Jeng-Ping Chen described the two species as Ctenogobiops mitodes and C. phaeostictus. Five Acestrocephalus named -- A scientist has described five new species of toothy characin from the South American genus Acestrocephalus. Naercio Menezes of the Museu de Zoologia at the Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil named the new species Acestrocephalus maculosus, A. stigmatus, A. nigrifasciatus, A. acutus and A. pallidus. Cichlid prefers to mate with relatives -- A West African cichlid, Pelvicachromis taeniatus, prefers to mate with unfamiliar relatives, rather than unrelated fish, suggesting that inbreeding may help increase its evolutionary fitness. Rheophilic tetra described -- Scientists have described a new species of Knodus tetra from the upper Rio Negro system in Brazil. Katiane Ferreira and Flavio Lima described the new characin as Knodus tiquiensis. New catfish named Pimelodus pohli -- Scientists have described a new species of pimelodid catfish from the Rio Sao Francisco drainage in Brazil. Atlantic corals now protected -- After years of lobbying efforts, the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission and the European Community have agreed to protect the coral-rich waters off north-west Scotland. Sea Creature's Toxin Could Lead To Promising Cancer Treatment -- A toxin derived from a reclusive sea creature resembling a translucent doughnut has inspired UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers to develop a related compound that shows promise as a cancer treatment. Thousands of new sea species found -- A French-led marine expedition team has discovered what is believed to be thousands of new species of molluscs and crustaceans around a Philippine island. The announcement was made by officials and scientists on Monday. Galaxy rasbora under threat -- Just six months since its discovery, the soon-to-be-described Galaxy rasbora, is facing the threat of being wiped out by the aquarium trade. The brightly coloured cyprinid from Myanmar, which was first introduced into the hobby in September 2006, has been collected so heavily that catches of the species are down to just a few dozen fish per day. News Stories from January 2007
Brit jailed for shark smuggling -- A man who left Tyneside to become a minister in a church in California has been jailed for smuggling sharks into the aquarium trade. Kevin Thompson, 48, formerly of Jarrow, South Tyneside, in north east England, was sentenced to one year in jail and ordered to pay fines of $100,000 (about £51,000) after pleading guilty to poaching thousands of baby Leopard sharks and selling them to the aquarium trade. Three Synodontis described in revision -- Scientists have undertaken a revision of the Synodontis catfish of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa and have identified 11 species, three of which are new to science. New Entomocorus named in review -- Scientists have reviewed the South American catfish genus Entomocorus and have named a new species. New blind loach found in China -- Chinese scientists have described an unusual new species of loach from a cave system in Guangxi, China. Oreonectes translucens, which is a member of the loach subfamily Nemacheilinae, was described from three specimens caught in a cave in Xia'ao Village, Du'an County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of southern China. New Pimelodus catfish named -- Scientists have described a new species of striped Pimelodus catfish from the Rio Tapajos and Rio Tocatins in Brazil. Frank Ribeiro and Carlos de Lucena named the new species Pimelodus tetramerus. New loach found in Indian cave system -- Scientists have found a new species of loach in a cave system in Meghalaya State, India. The balitorid loach is a member of the Nemacheilinae and has been named Schistura papulifera - a name chosen due to the presence of small skin projections on the lower half of the head. New Petrotilapia named -- Scientists have described a new species of Petrotilapia cichlid from Lake Malawi in East Africa. Ruffing, Lambert and Stauffer discovered the new cichlid in Nkhata Bay and have named the species Petrotilapia microgalana. New loach described from China -- Scientists have described a new species of homalopterid loach from Zhejiang in China. Wang Huo-Gen, Fan Zhong-Yong and Chen Ying named the new species as Crossostoma fasciolatus. Bulbous-headed knifefish placed in new genus -- Scientists have placed a newly discovered electric fish from South America in a genus of its own. The species has been named Pariosternarchus amazonensis by James Albert and William Crampton. New fish is named after Batman -- The new loricariid catfish is a member of the hypoptopomatine genus Otocinclus and has a dark marking on its tail resembling the Batman logo. Ichthyologist Pablo Lehmann, of the Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, has named the species Otocinclus batmani. New Metriaclima described -- Experts have described a colourful new species of mbuna from the Lake Malawi National Park. Ad Konings and Jay Stauffer named the new cichlid Metriaclima flavifemina. Groupers and moray eels hunt cooperatively -- Groupers and Giant moray eels use interspecific and communicative hunting, according to a recent scientific paper. Plectropomus pessuliferus and Gymnothorax javanicus have been observed working with each other to catch prey in the Red Sea. Metriaclima diagnosis revised -- Experts have revised the diagnosis for the Lake Malawi mbuna genus Metriaclima. Ad Konings and Jay Stauffer revised the diagnosis of Metriaclima to include a number of feeding behaviour characteristics. Farting turtle sets alarm bells ringing -- A flatulent turtle at a British public aquarium caused problems over Christmas as it set off an alarm with its farts. A Christmas treat of brussel sprouts led to the turtle at the Weymouth Sealife Centre developing flatulence which set the aquarium's alarm bells off. Reef fish cultivates algal crop -- The damselfish, Stegastes nigricans, manages algal farms by defending its patch against invading grazers and by weeding-out unpalatable algae of other species so that the target crop - a species of Polysiphonia - grows more readily. New Black ghost knifefish named -- Scientists have discovered a new species of Black ghost knifefish in the Rio Tocatins basin in Brazil. The new knifefish was discovered at Rosariano in the mouth of the Rio Maranhao in Goias State and has just been named Apteronotus camposdapazi. Simpsonichthys boitonei redescribed -- Simpsonichthys boitonei, a rare, seasonal killifish that is threatened with extinction has been redescribed by ichthyologists. New dwarf plec named -- Brazilian scientists have named a new species of Otocinclus-like suckermouth catfish. Katianne Ferreira and Alexandre Ribeiro named the catfish Corumbataia britskii. Live foods produce better Koi -- Diets of live zooplankton produce faster growing, more marketable Koi than either commercial diets or water enrichment, says a new study. News Stories from December 2006
30 new fish among Borneo discoveries -- Thirty new fish species are among this year's new discoveries from the island of Borneo. The discoveries are outlined in a report compiled by the WWF which emphasises the need to conserve the biodiversity of Borneo, the world's third largest island. A total of 52 species were described or discovered in Borneo this year, the report says. Four killifish described in review -- A review of the Pachypanchax killifish of Madagascar has seen the description of four new species and the redescription of two others. The study by Paul Loiselle of the New York Aquarium sees Pachypanchax omalonotus and P. sakaramyi joined by four new species, which have been named P. varatraza, P. patriciae, P. sparksorum and P. arnoulti. Marine parasite can infect freshwater fish -- Several freshwater fish species have been experimentally infected with a parasite that normally only infects marine fishes. Enteromyxum leei, a myxosporean parasite, infects a wide range of marine fishes and new evidence has shown it is capable of infecting freshwater fish, too. New piranha and stingray found -- A survey of fish in part of Venezuela has revealed 13 new species of fish including a stingray and a piranha. According to a report from Reuters, a three-week study of the confluence of the Rio Orinoco and Rio Ventuari, an area of Venezuela exposed to pollution from the gold-mining industry, has revealed more than a dozen new fish species. Coldwater shrimps act as cleaners -- Parasite-cleaning shrimps are not confined to the tropics as previously believed - two species live in UK waters. Scientists have found that two coldwater shrimps, Palaemon adspersus and Palaemon elegans remove and feed on parasites on the Plaice, Pleuronectes platessa. Cleaner shrimps are well-known in the tropics but this is the first time that parasite-cleaning behaviour has been seen in temperate shrimps. New freshwater goby named -- A new freshwater goby from the genus Rhinogobius has been named by scientists from Taiwan. I-Shiung Chen of the National Taiwan Ocean University and Lee-Shing Fang of the National Museum of Marine Biology named the new goby Rhinogobius wangi. New loach named -- A new species of cobitid spinous loach has been described from Shikoku Island in Japan. Yuzuru Suzawa of the Institute of River Biology in Yokohama Kanagawa named the new loach Cobitis shikokuensis. Second Episemion killi described -- Scientists from Germany have named a new species of killifish discovered in West Africa. Rainer Sonnenberg, Thomas Blum and Bernhard Misof of Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig in Bonn named the new killifish Episemion krystallinoron. New killifish named -- A new species of rivuline killifish has been described from Brazil. Killifish authority Wilson Costa of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro named the species Rivulus kayapo. New shark glows in the dark -- Scientists have described a new species of shark which emits green light from its belly. Jayna Schaaf-DaSilva and David Ebert of the Pacific Shark Research Center in California named the new species Etmopterus burgessi. Two Isbrueckerichthys described -- Two new plecs from the Isbrueckerichthys genus have been described from the Rio Paranapanema basin in Brazil. Brazilian scientists described the new catfish as Isbrueckerichthys saxicola and Isbrueckerichthys calvus. Nine Cichla described during review -- Nine new species of cichlid have been described during a review of the South American genus Cichla. Scientists conducted an in-depth study of the Cichla genus and identified 15 species, nine of which are new to science. News Stories from November 2006
New Discus named Symphysodon tarzoo -- Discus found in the western Amazonian region are a distinct species which has been given an old scientific name. Scientists from the Swedish Museum of Natural History and Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia (INPA) have named the species Symphysodon tarzoo. New Nanochromis found in Congo -- Scientists have described a new species of Nanochromis from the Congo basin. Anton Lamboj of the University of Vienna and Robert Schelly of the American Museum of Natural History have named the cichlid Nanochromis teugelsi. Aquarium trade may have spread gourami virus -- The ornamental fish trade is suspected of facilitating the spread of an emerging viral disease. The virus, which affects the Dwarf gourami, Colisa lalia, is so similar to one that infects farmed Murray cod, Maccullochella peelii peelii, that the two are believed to be a single species with a common geographic origin. Two new Chaetostoma described -- A scientist has described two new species of loricariid catfish from the Chaetostoma genus. Norma Salcedo of Texas Tech University described the new catfishes as Chaetostoma daidalmatos and C. stroumpoulos. Outlook less bleak for Giant catfish -- Wild populations of the world's largest catfish species might be more robust than previously believed, according to the results of a new genetic study. The molecular analysis of the Giant Mekong catfish, Pangasius gigas, has shown that it is still genetically diverse, despite a considerable drop in the size of the wild population. Sea Urchin Genome Reveals Striking Similarities to Humans. -- Sea urchins and humans have a remarkable amount in common—genetically speaking. Scientists already knew that the creatures, which resemble underwater hedgehogs, are one of only a few invertebrates on the human branch of the evolutionary tree. New killifish found in Chile. -- A new species of killifish has been found in the Andes in Chile. Irma Vila of the University of Chile discovered the new fish at Laguna Piacota in the Southern High Andes and named the species Orestias piacotensis. Captive breeding promotes aggression. -- Fish bred in captivity can become more aggressive than their wild counterparts, limiting their suitability for reintroduction into the wild, says new research. Captive-bred Butterfly splitfin livebearers, Ameca splendens, become much more aggressive when bred in captivity, with aggression levels believed to be linked to environment and stocking density. Coral eggs signal to sperm. -- The eggs of mass spawning corals avoid hybridization by releasing chemical cues to attract sperm of the same species and repel the sperm of others. According to the results of a new study by Japanese scientists, Acropora sperm are attracted to eggs of their own species but not by those of their relatives. Clownfish study suggests single genus. -- The most in-depth study of clownfish evolution to date has suggested that the fish may be members of a single genus, rather than two. Butterflyfish suffer after coral bleaching. -- The loss of corals through bleaching can have severe effects upon the abundance of butterflyfishes, says new research. Tropical marine butterflyfishes are often dependent upon hard corals for food, and scientists have now shown that they become less abundant when corals die off. Captive Whale sharks get health check. -- Scientists yesterday got a unique opportunity to examine the world's largest fish species, when one of the Georgia Aquarium's Whale sharks had a medical examination. Ralph, one of the Georgia Aquarium's four captive Whale sharks, underwent the latest in a series of health checks - with the help of 600 gallons of anaesthetic and 50 staff. Carib Sea fined for illegal CITES imports. -- Both Carib Sea Inc., and its president Richard Greenfield, 46, of Fort Pierce, pleaded guilty in federal court in Miami on Tuesday to a charge of not having the proper permit when the company attempted in March to import 42,000 pounds of protected coral rock from Haiti into Miami in a cargo-container. Orange roughy gets protection. -- Orange roughy has become the first commercially-caught fish to be added to Australia's list of threatened species. Protection under the law was needed if the species is to have any chance of long-term survival. New Parasinilabeo discovered. -- The labeonine cyprinid was discovered in the He Jiang, part of the Zhu Jiang or Pearl River basin in Guangxi, China, and has just been named Parasinilabeo longibarbus. New Cnesterodon livebearer described. -- A new species of livebearing tropical fish has been described from the Rio Uruguai drainage in the Republic of Uruguay. Cnesterodon holopteros is a member of the Poeciliinae family and has just been named in a paper in Zootaxa by Paulo Lucinda, Thomas Litz and Roberto Recuero. News Stories from October 2006
New disease threatens sponges. -- Marine sponges in the Caribbean's coral reefs are under threat from a new disease. Scientists from the University of Alabama, have described a new disease called Aplysina red band syndrome after studying the condition in Caribbean rope sponges from the Aplysina genus on shallow reefs in the Bahamas. New trichomycterid catfish found. -- A new species of trichomycterid catfish from the Ituglanis genus has been described from Bahia State in Brazil. Ituglanis cahyensis was found in the Rio Palmares, a tributary of the Rio Cahy in south east Bahia State in Brazil. UK aquarium in native stony coral study. -- A leading UK public aquarium has obtained specimens of an unusual stony coral found in the deep, cold waters off the north west coast of Britain in an effort to learn more about the biology of the species. Two new gobies named -- A scientist has described two new species of goby from the coral reefs of the western Pacific Ocean. Richard Winterbottom of the Royal Ontario Museum's Department of Natural History described the two new gobies as Trimma anthrenum and Trimma preclarum. Marine larvae are fastest swimmers. -- The world's fastest swimming fishes - in relation to their size - are coral reef fish larvae on their way to settle on reefs. New evidence has shown that they also use more oxygen than any known ectothermic vertebrate. Estee Lauder takes seahorses out of display. -- Cosmetics giant Estee Lauder has asked for live seahorses to be removed from its display at Dublin Airport following complaints that some of the fish had died. New Nandus species described. -- Scientists have described a new species of leaf fish from Sabah in north eastern Borneo. The new member of the family Nandidae has been named Nandus prolixus by Prosanta Chakrabarty, Ronald Oldfield and Heok Hee Ng. Hoplias species was described twice. -- A study of the South American giant trahiras has shown that one member of the Hoplias genus has been described twice under different scientific names. Two new Guianacara described. -- Scientists have described two new species of cichlid from the Guianacara genus after they were discovered in the Guiana Shield in eastern Venezuela. Hernan Lopez-Fernandez, Donald Taphorn and Sven Kullander described the two new cichlids as Guianacara stergiosi and G. cuyunii. Two new tetras named. -- Scientists have described two colourful new species of tropical fish from the tetra genus Hyphessobrycon. Tiago Carvalho and Vinicius Bertaco of Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul described the two new characin species as Hyphessobrycon melanostichos and H. notidanos. News Stories from September 2006
New shark discovered off South Africa. -- A new species of scyliorhinid shark has been described from South Africa. The catshark has been named Haploblepharus kistnasamyi. Amano shrimp gets new name. -- The freshwater Yamato shrimp, Caridina japonica, made popular by aquascaping guru Takashi Amano has been given a new scientific name. Fish Sentries Monitor for Terrorism. -- A type of fish so common that practically every American kid who ever dropped a fishing line and a bobber into a pond has probably caught one is being enlisted in the fight against terrorism. San Francisco, New York, Washington and other big cities are using bluegills — also known as sunfish or bream — as a sort of canary in a coal mine to safeguard their drinking water. Five new Madagascan cichlids described. -- A revision of the Madagascan cichlid genus Ptychochromis has led to the description of five new species and the erection of a new genus for a previously described fish. Stunning finds of fish and coral. -- Discoveries of hugely diverse fish and coral species in the Indonesian archipelago have amazed researchers. The Bird's Head region in Papua may be the most biologically diverse in all the oceans, say scientists from Conservation International (CI). New freshwater shrimp lives on new sponge species. -- A new species of strikingly-coloured freshwater shrimp from the genus Caridina has been discovered in Sulawesi, Indonesia, where it lives upon a species of freshwater sponge previously unknown to science. Red Sea cardinal swims to Mediterranean. -- A species of tropical marine fish normally found in the Red Sea has managed to swim to the Mediterranean by navigating the Suez Canal. Scientists study spawning Cichla -- Scientists have studied the reproduction of one of the world's largest cichlid species - the tucanare, Cichla aff. monoculus. Aquarium introduces new Great white shark. -- For the second time, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has introduced a young Great white shark into its public exhibit, two weeks after collectors caught the fish on a rod and line off southern California. Aquariums launch Big Fish Project. -- Public aquariums across the UK are jointly running a project to raise awareness of the need to think carefully before buying potentially giant-sized fish as pets. Marineland Plans Big Aquarium Complex -- Marineland is building the world's largest aquarium complex, a 60- acre tourist attraction that will include four domed structures housing such marine life as sharks, dolphins and stingrays. Poison-spined fish from Asia have invaded U.S. waters. -- In the past decade or so, the lionfish has increasingly shown up along the U.S. coast from North Carolina to Florida, where it could spell big trouble for the domestic fish whose ranges it's invading. Grouper kills fisherman. -- A fisherman who speared a protected species of grouper while diving off Florida has been killed after the fish swam into a hole and entangled him in the line attached to the speargun. Aussies investigate stingray revenge attacks. -- Government officials in Australia are investigating whether the corpses of mutilated stingrays washed up on Australian beaches are the result of revenge killings following the tragic death of Steve Irwin last week. The next big thing?: Microrasbora sp. "Galaxy". -- I'm making a prediction: this fish, discovered just a few weeks ago, is going to be the next big thing in the aquarium trade - think of it as the next Puntius denisonii - at least for the smaller aquarium. Shortest recorded vertebrate lifespan found in a coral reef fish. -- The Australian coral reef pygmy goby (Eviota sigillata), which frequents the Great Barrier Reef as well as others in the Pacific and Indian oceans, enjoys barely three weeks’ adult life before it meets its maker. Great Barrier Reef fish rebound in marine protected areas. -- Recovery rates of fish in the Great Barrier Reef have increased significantly as a result of marine protected areas. 'Crocodile hunter' Steve Irwin dead. -- The Crocodile Man, Steve Irwin, is dead. He was killed in a freak accident in Cairns. It appeared that he was killed by a sting-ray barb that went through his chest, Queensland Police Inspector Russell Rhodes said. Venomous Fish Far Outnumber Snakes, Other Vertebrates, Study Says. -- Venomous snakes send shivers down many people's spines, but venomous fish are far more common, scientists say. According to a new evolutionary study, venomous species of fish outnumber not just such snakes, but all other venomous vertebrates combined. News Stories from August 2006
Dolphin like mad dog. -- For several weeks, an enraged dolphin has been terrorising the French Atlantic coast, attacking boats and knocking fishermen into the sea. Moving day for prickly creatures. -- Moving day at Conch Reef recently was a prickly business, and the movers all wore gloves. Scientists and volunteers spent the day 5 miles offshore rounding up about 500 long-spined sea urchins in a shallow rubble zone and moving them to deeper water on the coral reef. Scientists hope to protect animals from dangerous hurricane seasons. Celebrity fish dies at Chicago aquarium. -- A huge Shedd Aquarium grouper that became an instant celebrity - and inspiration to cancer patients - after becoming the first fish in history to receive chemotherapy and bounce back from cancer has died. More tropical fish sighted in R.I. water. -- An unusually large number of tropical fish have been spotted this summer in Rhode Island waters by divers, fishermen and environmentalists. Among the fish seen so far: juvenile orange filefish, snowy grouper and lookdowns. A local lobsterman pulled up a large trigger fish in one of his traps. Fishkeeper poisoned by dead fish. -- The curator of a public aquarium has been poisoned by a dead porcupine puffer fish after he sustained a series of minor pricks from its spines during an autopsy.. Mycobacteria widespread in aquaria. -- A study on the presence of mycobacteria in healthy fish and aquariums in the Czech Republic has shown that the incidence of the pathogens is 'quite high'. Corals switch algae to beat global warming. -- The ability of corals to change the type of symbiotic algae they contain may allow them to adapt to rising seawater temperatures caused by global warming, scientists have found. Three new killifish described. -- The world's leading expert on rivulid killifishes has described three new species of Simpsonichthys from Brazil. Wilson Costa of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, who has described more rivulids than probably any other scientist, named the three new species as Simpsonichthys mediopapillatus, S. macaubensis and S. janaubensis. New freshwater threadfin. -- Polynemus bidentatus, a new species of freshwater threadfin from the Polynemus genus has been discovered in the Mekong River in Vietnam. New Garra described. -- Garra rotundinasus, a new species of bottom-dwelling cyprinid fish from the Garra genus has been described from the Yunnan Province in China. Asian carp pose threat to America's Great Lakes. -- America is counting the cost of introduced fish species, as members of the carp family threaten to infiltrate the Great lakes of Northern America. New bumblebee catfish. -- Microglanis leptostriatus, a new species of bumblebee catfish from the Microglanis genus has been described from the waters of the Rio Sao Francisco basin in Brazil. Altered Oceans. -- A five part series on the crisis in the seas by Kenneth R. Weiss and Usha Lee McFarling with photography and video by Rick Loomis. Undescribed fish wins Champion of Champions. -- An unidentified catfish believed to be an undescribed species has won the Champion of Champions award at the British Aquarist Festival. Britney tells husband to get rid of his sharks. -- Pop star Britney Spears has told her husband to rehome his pet sharks as she fears for the safety of his children. Wobbegong sharks redescribed. -- Two species of wobbegong shark have been redescribed, with one species previously believed to be a synonym, raised to species level once again. Scientists investigate market in shark fins. -- A team of scientists from a Japanese research institute have performed a molecular analysis of shark fins sold in the Hong Kong food trade in an attempt to determine which species are being targeted by the trade. Giant grouper dies from overeating. -- A large marine fish in an exhibit in a Chinese public aquarium has died after becoming grossly overweight from eating kilos of fish every day. Jellyfish invade Mediterranean. -- Thousands of holiday makers in the Mediterranean have been stung by jellyfish as huge swarms of the creatures invade coastal waters. Some Spanish beaches have been closed, but Sicily and North Africa are also reported to be badly affected. Researchers say at least 30,000 people have been stung since summer began. New Farlowella named. -- A new species of twig catfish from the genus Farlowella has been described. Farlowella alticorpus, a member of the suckermouth catfish family Loricariidae, was discovered in the Rio Coroico, a tributary of the Rio Beni in Bolivia. Piranha bites off side of man's finger. -- A fishkeeper has suffered a severe injury to his finger after a large piranha bit a chunk out of it while being transferred to a new aquarium. Deeper red and bigger territory means fewer parasites. -- Females of the Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlid Pundamilia nyererei can select the best sexual partners by choosing the males with the deepest red coloration and the largest territories, as the fish have the least parasites. Zebra plecs stolen from shop. -- The two Zebra plecs, Hypancistrus zebra, were stolen from the Guildford branch of the Maidenhead Aquatics chain while the shop was open for business. Although only a few inches in length, the attractive and sought-after fish are now virtually unobtainable due to import restrictions. Cyprinids move to different genus. -- More than a dozen species of cyprinid have been moved to a different genus following a taxonomic study of the group. Zhang and Chen, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, announced in Zootaxa that the 13 members of the Sinilabeo genus should be moved to Bangana as most of the morphological used to identify the two genera are identical. Man impaled by giant fish. -- A fisherman is recovering after being impaled on the bill of a 14' blue marlin that leapt over his boat during an international angling tournament off Bermuda. The 800lb (360kg) fish hit Ian Card with such force that its 3ft spear went through his chest just below his collarbone and knocked him into the sea. New Pseudecheneis described. -- A new species of sisorid catfish has been described from the tributaries of the Ganges River in India. The new fish has been named Pseudecheneis suppaetula by Heok Hee Ng and is a member of the sisorid subfamily Glyptosterninae. New pimelodid catfish named. -- A new species of pimelodid catfish has been described from the deep main channels of the Amazon and its tributaries in South America. The fish, which has been named Propimelodus caesius is believed to be one of the most common catfish species found in the channels of the Amazon. Seahorses arrive at Oceanarium. -- A colony of Brazilian seahorses has arrived at a UK public aquarium from a captive-breeding programme in Ireland. Bournemouth Oceanarium has recently taken delivery of a colony of long-snouted seahorses, Hippocampus reidi, from the Seahorse Ireland captive-breeding programme, which already supplies a number of other public aquaria as well as some shops in the aquarium retail trade. Two new catfish described. -- A leading taxonomist has described two new species of glyptosternine catfish from Nepal and China which have adhesive apparatus on their bellies. Heok Hee Ng of the University of Michigan described the two new sisorid catfishes as Pseudecheneis stenura and P. eddsi. New killifish described. -- A new species of killifish has been described from the Guyana Shield in South America. Rivulus sape was discovered in the Rio Paragua, part of the Rio Caroni drainage in the Guyana Shield in Venezuela. News Stories from July 2006
Breeder produces Gold cardinal tetras. -- A fish breeder from the Czech Republic has produced a new variety of selectively-bred Cardinal tetra which is gold and red in colour. Biologists Score Rare Victory Under the Sea. -- A leafy, emerald-green algae (Caulerpa taxifolia) with the ability to crowd out marine life has been eradicated from a harbor in Huntington Beach and a lagoon in Carlsbad, California. Endangered coral reef fish seized in Indonesia. -- Indonesian airport authorities seized 36 humphead wrasse, the third seizure of this endangered fish species in the country this year alone. The live fish, harvested in Indonesia, were destined for Hong Kong. New Rivulus killie from Guyana. -- A colourful new species of rivulid killifish has been described from the waters of the Guyana shield in South America. Rivulus mahdiaensis was discovered in a small creek which feeds into the Potaro River near Mahdia in central Guyana in the north east of South America. New livebearer found in Mexico. -- A new species of livebearer from the poeciliid genus Priapella has been described from Mexico. Manfred Schartl, Brigitta Wilde and Manfred Meyer of the University of Wurzburg named the new species as Priapella chamulae. Two new characins described. -- Scientists have described two attractive new species of characin from the rivers of Peru and Brazil. French characin authority Jacques Gery and Axel Zarske described the two new species as Dectobrycon armeniacus and Hyphessobrycon cyanotaenia. Aquarium opens in Loch Lomond. -- A new public aquarium opened today on the shores of Loch Lomond in Balloch, Scotland. Loch Lomond Aquarium is housed in Drumkinnon Tower at Loch Lomond Shores and is the first public aquarium to be opened in Scotland for over 10 years. New Argentinian cichlid described. -- A species of fish from a new South American cichlid genus has been described from the Rio Iguazu basin in Argentina. The new fish, is a member of the recently erected Australoheros genus and has been named Australoheros kaaygua. New Geophagus named. -- A new species of South American cichlid which has been in the aquarium trade for some time now has an official name. The geophagine cichlid was described from the Rio Parnaiba in Brazil and has been named Geophagus parnaibae by Wolfgang Staeck and Ingo Schindler. Eight new hogfish described. -- The marine hogfish genus Bodianus has been revised and eight new species have been described. Ornamental fish stolen by thieves. -- Twelve Japanese koi carp and an orfe fish have been stolen from a pond and fountain business on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland. Tropheus are not polygamists. -- A new study has shown that unlike the vast majority of haplochromine cichlids, the Tropheus species of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa mate with only a single sexual partner at a time. Heatwave hits UK pond owners. -- Fish and invertebrates in rivers and ponds around the UK are suffering as the heatwave raises water temperatures and oxygen concentrations plummet. New catfish genus described. -- A new species of catfish discovered in Colombia is so different to previously known species that it has been placed in a new genus by itself. The catfish has just been named Cruciglanis pacifici and is a member of the family Pseudopimelodidae. New Pseudopimelodid catfish. -- A new species of catfish from the Microglanis genus has been described from northeastern Brazil. The new catfish has been described as Microglanis pataxo. Giant hammerhead shark contained 55 pups. -- An autopsy on one of the largest hammerhead sharks ever caught has revealed that the fish was carrying a record 55 pups. News Stories from June 2006
Bolton Aquarium is world's first to breed tiny fish. -- Aquarists at the Bolton Museum, Art Gallery and Aquarium have become the world's first to spawn one of the world's tiniest fish species - the miniscule Danionella translucida. Endangered sturgeon caught. -- Scientists have caught nearly a dozen endangered Shortnose sturgeon in a US river in the first confirmed sighting of the species in the area since 1978. Three killifish described -- Killifish experts have described three new species from the Simpsonichthys genus. Three new pike cichlids described. -- A revision of the pike cichlids of the Atlantic coastal rivers of southeastern Brazil has led to the description of three new species. The sounds of sea cucumber fish -- Scientists have undertaken a study on sound production in two fish species that live inside sea cucumbers and sea stars. New freshwater stingray named. -- A new species of freshwater stingray has been described from French Guiana in South America. The ray, which is a member of the family Potamotrygonidae, has just been named Potamotrygon marinae. New catfish may have fishing lure. -- A study of the South American catfish genus Tetranematichthys has revealed a second species and the revelation that the fish may use its unusual barbels as a fishing lure to catch prey fish. Apistogramma caetei morphs are species. -- A new study examining the genetics and mate choice patterns of a dwarf cichlid from South America have shown that what were previously considered colour morphs of a single fish are actually distinct biological species. Silver arowana under threat. -- The killing of mouthbrooding Silver arowana to remove their offspring and export them for the global aquarium trade may be placing the species under threat according to a new study. The Silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, is a paternal mouthbrooding osteoglossid fish that reaches a length of over 1m/39" and is one of South America's most popular food fish species. New barb discovered in Turkey. -- A new species of riverine barb from the Capoeta genus has been described from Turkey. The new tropical freshwater fish is a member of the family Cyprinidae and was described as Capoeta ekmekciae by Davut Turan, Maurice Kottelat, S Gulsun Kirankaya and Semih Engin in a paper in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New internally inseminating killifish. -- A new species of killifish with a mode of reproduction similar to that of livebearers has been described from Brazil. Campellolebias intermedius, which was discovered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has just been described by killifish authority Wilson Costa of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Two new Leiocassis catfish named. -- Two new species of catfish have been found in northeastern Borneo. The species are both members of the Bagridae family and have been named Leiocassis collinus and L. tenebricus by Heok Hee Ng and Kelvin Lim in a paper in the latest issue of the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. New Labeo found in Congo. -- A new species of freshwater shark from the Labeo genus has been discovered in the West Africa. The fish has just been named Labeo fulakariensis by Sinaseli Tshibwabwai, Melanie Stiassny and Robert Schelly in a paper in the systematics journal Zootaxa. New Pseudolaguvia catfish. -- A new species of erethistid catfish from the Pseudolaguvia genus has been described from the Brahmaputra River drainage in India. The fish has been named Pseudolaguvia ferula by ichthyologist Heok Hee Ng of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. New barred Acrossocheilus named. -- A new species of cyprinid fish with a pattern of dark vertical bars has been described from south China. Acrossocheilus spinifer has just been described by Yuan, Wu and Zhang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the latest issue of the Journal of Fish Biology. New film features fishkeeping. -- A talking Blue-spotted stingray is the unlikely star of a new romantic comedy about a fishkeeper who meets a pretty young teacher at his local aquatic shop. New genus for freshwater shark. -- A freshwater labeo-like fish has been placed in a new genus after scientists found it was unrelated to existing species. The labeonine cyprinid, or freshwater shark, Epalzeorhynchos bicornis, has been placed in a new genus called Akrokolioplax. Harmful algal blooms monitored from space in Chile. -- Fish farmers now have a space-age early warning system to advise them of approaching blooms of dangerous algae that could kill fish held in sea cages and prevent the deaths of people who eat infected shellfish. Rockhopper blenny nests on land. -- Scientists have described the reproduction of a species of blenny that lays its eggs in a nest on land. According to a new study which has just been published in the Journal of Zoology, males of the Rockhopper blenny, Andamia tetradactyla, build nests between crevices in rocks in the high intertidal zone, at the upper limit of waves. Magazine publishes guide to cosmetic fish surgery. -- A Singapore aquarium magazine has published an article which shows how cosmetic surgery can be performed on pet fish by amputating their tails and injecting them with dyes. New Cyprichromis cichlid described. -- A new species of Cyprichromis cichlid has been described from the Zambian coast of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. The new fish has been named Cyprichromis coloratus. New shark discovered in US waters. -- A new type of hammerhead shark has been discovered in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, marine scientists say. The shark resembles a common species called the scalloped hammerhead but has not yet been classified or named. Study shows killer whitespot strain. -- Scientists from the USA have become the first to provide experimental evidence to show the difference in virulence among different strains of the whitespot parasite, Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. Tetra launches controversial bottle. -- Tetra has launched a new bottled product that it says will allow the fishkeeper to add fish on the same day as purchasing their aquarium. The new SafeStart treatment, sold with the tagline "Enables instant introduction of fish" was launched last month at the Interzoo trade fair in Germany. Opinion: CAOAC convention. -- Over the past four years I have been very fortunate in having been invited to speak at several conventions in North America, my latest venture being to Canada and the Canadian Association of Aquarium Clubs (CAOAC) convention held in London Ontario on 19th - 22nd May. Venoms widespread in fishes. -- The evolution of venoms in fishes is much more widespread than previously believed, says a new study designed to aid the search for new drugs. Previous estimates on the number of fish species that produced venoms suggested that they were present in around 200 species. However, according to the results of a new study, 1500-2000 species should be presumed venomous. Two Female Whale Sharks Arrive At Georgia Aquarium. -- Atlanta’s Georgia Aquarium is the first outside of Asia to house whale sharks and, as of early this morning, the only one in the world to have four on display. Two new additions – Trixie and Alice – joined Ralph and Norton, two males, in the Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager exhibit, a 6.2 million gallon habitat. New subfamily of plecs described. -- Scientists have described a new subfamily of suckermouth catfishes and a new species from the family Loricariidae. Six new Betta species described. -- Scientists have described six new species from the Siamese fighting fish genus, Betta. All of the fishes have been described from the freshwaters of Borneo and five of them have previously been sold in the aquarium trade. News Stories from May 2006
Snakehead found in Tennessee. -- Tennessee has become the eighth state in America to record non-native Northern snakeheads in its waters. According to a report from the Fayette Country Review, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency's Fisheries Division received a report that a snakehead-like fish had been found by an angler in Poplar Tree Lake in the Meeman-Shelby State Park near Memphis. Sharks Wash Up On Windward Shore. -- Thirty-six baby hammerhead sharks were found washed up on shore Wednesday at a Windward Oahu beach. Shark experts will try to figure out what killed the sharks. Global warming may have permanently damaged reefs. -- The effects of global warming upon coral reefs have been more devastating than previously believed, according to the first report to show the long-term impact of rising temperatures on fish and invertebrate life. Arsonist catfish starts fire. -- An arsonist catfish is believed to have started a fire at a house in Dorset. According to a story in The Times, the fire at the home of Sharron Killahena of Poole in Dorset was started when the lighting on her aquarium malfunctioned after the power socket was splashed with water by one of her fish. More fish driven to extinction. -- Cichlids, trout, barbs, sharks, rays and cyprinids join 16,000 other species on the road to extinction, according to the latest tally. The World Conservation Union's IUCN 2006 Red List, which was released this week, provides a list of the world's rarest organisms and publishes details on their conservation status so scientists and governments can use the data to aid the protection of the species. New lionfish is evolving in Red Sea. -- A new form of lionfish has been evolving in the Red Sea during the past four decades, says new research. According to a study undertaken by Lev Fishelson of Tel Aviv University which was published today in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes, the lionfish, Pterois volitans, found in the Red Sea has changed in appearance over the past 40 years and a new form has evolved. Study shows why some wrasses clean. -- The evolution of cleaning in wrasses is not linked to their size as previously suggested. According to the results of a new study, which has just been published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, the reason why some wrasses evolve to become cleaner fishes is related to colour, not to size. Carotenoids not important in fin regeneration. -- An experiment on the effects of carotenoids on fin regeneration in wild guppies has provided some baffling new results. New cardinal fish genus. -- An ichthyologist has described a new genus of tropical cardinal fishes from the South China Sea. Artem Prokofiev of the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution at Moscow's Russian Academy of Sciences described had to erect a new genus, which he's named Kurtamia for a new apogonid he found in the South China Sea. Scientists describe bloodworm allergen. -- Medical scientists have described an allergen found in bloodworms that may affect fishkeepers. The paper, which has just been published in the Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, describes the case of a 23-year old Spanish patient who became ill after feeding bloodworms to his fish. Study shows anabantoid evolution. -- Scientists have produced the first evolutionary family tree for the anabantoids based on molecular data to determine how the fishes are interrelated. Three new cichlids in new genus. -- A study of the Chanchito cichlid genus has seen the erection of a new genus and the identification of three new fish species. Reader breeds Etroplus canarensis. -- A reader based in the USA has become the world's first fishkeeper to successfully spawn the rare Indian cichlid, Etroplus canarensis. News Stories from April 2006
Saltwater aquariums cheaper, more colorful than ever. -- It's full of vibrant color, fluid movement and a whole lot of water. In two saltwater tanks that share a corner of Riehm's home live a myriad of fish --- clowns, emperors, tangs and even a puffer. Men hallucinate after eating fish. -- Two men have suffered terrifying visual and auditory hallucinations after eating poisonous fish in Mediterranean restaurants. Ichthyoallyeinotoxism, or hallucinogenic fish poisoning, is caused by eating the heads or body parts of certain species of reef fish and has previously only been recorded from the Indo Pacific. Snailfish genus revised. -- The snailfish genus Allecareproctus has been revised and four new species have been described from the Aleutian islands. Now wash your hands. -- A new study has found that some aquariums contain bacteria that are capable of producing serious infections in humans. According to the results of a study by a team of microbiologists from a number of Australian academic institutions, research has shown for the first time that fish tanks can act as reservoirs for potentially dangerous multidrug-resistant strains of Salmonella capable of causing serious illness in humans, particularly young children. Freeville man runs colorful coral farm out of his home. -- Walking by Steve Lowes' home in the suburban Freeville neighborhood, one sees a blue house with a well-manicured lawn — nothing out of the ordinary. A passerby would never know that the basement of this typical suburban houses a jungle — a marine jungle, that is. New species of freshwater stingray discovered in Thailand. -- The Himantura kittipongi freshwater stingray has been discovered in the Mekong Basin of western Thailand. New Nanochromis cichlid named. -- A new species of dwarf cichlid from West Africa has been named by scientists. Nanochromis wickleri was found in Lake Mai Ndombe in the central Congo basin in West Africa and has just been named in the systematics journal Zootaxa. Coral syndrome could be stress marker. -- An ailment that causes pink-blue spots to appear in the tissues of stony corals could be a marker of stress. Coral pathogen benefits from global warming. -- A bacteria that causes a disease in hard corals could become more successful as sea temperatures rise and the pH of the oceans drop. Walking fish is missing link. -- The discovery of a fossilised crocodile-like creature gives us one of the missing links between fish and land-living animals. The new species, Tiktaalik roseae, has features found in fish, such as fins and gills, and also features that are only found in land-living animals, such as a wrist, elbow and neck. Palythoa and Protopalythoa may be same genus. -- New molecular evidence on hexacorals of the genus Palythoa and Protopalythoa suggests that the two are actually all members of a single genus. Two new Parotocinclus catfish. -- Scientists have described two new species of loricariid catfish from the genus Parotocinclus. The two new catfish were discovered in the Rio Paraiba do Sul basin in Brazil and have been named Parotocinclus bidentatus and P. muriaensis in a paper in the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. New sponge-eating anostomid found. -- A new species of anostomid fish which feeds on freshwater sponges has been found in the Rio Xingu in Brazil. The characin, which is a member of the Anostomidae family, has been named Anostomoides passionis and was discovered in the fast flowing waters of Brazil's Rio Xingu drainage where it feeds on freshwater sponges. New goby is named after Emperor. -- A new species of goby found in the western Pacific has been named after the Emperor of Japan. Gerald Allen of the Western Australia Museum and John Randall of the Bishop Museum in Honolulu named the new species Exyrias akihito in honour of Emperor Akihito of Japan, who is a keen ichthyologist and recognised expert on gobiid fishes. Two new tetras found. -- Two new species of tetra from the Astyanax genus have been discovered in Brazil. The new characins, which are members of the family Characidae, have been named Astyanax microschemos and Astyanax pelecus by Vinicius Bertaco and Carlos de Lucena in a paper in the journal Neotropical Ichthyology. Brazilian tetra renamed. -- A species of tetra has been moved to a new genus and given a new species name. Tetragonopterus aeneus, which was originally described by Hensel in 1870, was brought out of synonymy by Filipe de Melo and Paulo Buckup and has had to been renamed Astyanax henseli to avoid confusion with another fish already called Astyanax aeneus. Medical Imager Gets Fishy with It. -- Digital imaging technology commonly used to peer at human muscles and organs is now providing unprecedented views of fish. Study reveals cryptic species in Campylomormyrus. -- A study of the electrical impulses released by two Campylomormyrus elephant nosed fishes has suggested that one of the species contains more than one species masquerading as another morph. New tube-snouted knifefish. -- Scientists have found a new species of tube-snouted knifefish in the lowland waters of the Amazon basin in Brazil. The knifefish, which has just been named Sternarchorhynchus curumim by Carlos de Santana and William Crampton in the journal Zootaxa, is a member of the ghost knifefish family Apteronotidae. Laemolyta genus revised. -- The anostomid fishes of the genus Laemolyta have been revised and five species have been recognized. News Stories from March 2006
Endler's livebearer gets formal name. -- The popular Endler's livebearer now has a formal scientific name after scientists completed a study of the species and compared it to the common guppy. Poeser, Kempkes and Isbrucker have named the Endler's livebearer, or Campoma guppy as it is also known, as Poecilia wingei in a paper in the journal Contributions to Zoology. In African waters in Brantford. -- Ethan Wood loves fish. Lining the walls in the 13-year-old's basement are fish tanks — eight to be exact. There are three 10-gallon, one 20-gallon, one 30-gallon, two 35-gallon and a 55-gallon tank. And he has a 220-gallon container on order. Japanese create robot Koi. -- Japanese engineers have created a robotic Koi capable of swimming much like a real fish. The 80cm/32" robot was developed by Ryomei Giken, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, in conjunction with two other companies in Hiroshima, western Japan. Dangerous aquarium recalled. -- An aquarium manufactured in China has been recalled after it was found to be capable of delivering an electric shock to fishkeepers. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a voluntary recall and has warned the public to stop using the AquaPod aquarium immediately. The aquarium has been distributed in the USA by Current USA Inc of Vista, California. Three electric knifefishes described. -- Scientists have found three new species of electric knifefishes living in the Amazon in Brazil. The new species are all members of the gymnotiform sternopygid genus Rhabdolichops and were caught in the lowland central Amazon region. The group are commonly referred to as glass knifefishes. Compound from Coral Could Combat Cancer. -- A compound isolated from coral collected off the coast of Okinawa has shown the ability to slow down and possibly prevent virus replication. New knifefishes found in Amazon. -- Two new species of knifefish have been found in the Amazon basin in Brazil. The two fishes, which are members of the Ghost knifefish family Apteronotidae, have been placed in the genus Sternarchorhynchus and were discovered in Roraima state in Brazil. New Chaetostoma plec. -- A new species of bulldog plec has been found in central Peru. The loricariid catfish has been named Chaetostoma changae in a paper in Copeia, the journal of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Scientists find key cichlid gene. -- Molecular biologists have found a gene which they believe may be responsible for the speciation and morphological diversification of Lake Victoria cichlids. Furry lobster found in Pacific. -- Marine biologists have discovered a crustacean in the South Pacific that resembles a lobster or crab covered in what looks like silky fur. Kiwa hirsuta is so distinct from other species that scientists have created a new taxonomic family for it. New freshwater goby. -- A new species of freshwater goby from the genus Stiphodon has been found in Peninsular Malaysia. The fish, which has been named Stiphodon aureorostrum, was found in freshwater streams on the island of Pulau Tioman. Midas cichlids evolved together. -- Members of the Midas cichlid group underwent sympatric speciation to produce a range of species, says new research. The old-fashioned view of species formation, or speciation, was that new species formed in the presence of a geographical boundary, through allopatric speciation. Two new plecs named. -- Two new species of catfish have been described following a revision of the genus Pseudotocinclus. Prior to the study, Pseudotocinclus held a single species, P. tietensis, but recent collections in Ribeira do Iguape and the Rio Paraiba do Sul basin revealed two previously unseen plecs that appeared to represent totally new species distinct from tietensis. New tetra found in Brazil. -- A new species of tetra has been described from the Rio Xingu basin in Brazil. The new fish, which has been named Moenkhausia petymbuaba, has just been described in the journal Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters. Malawi cichlids get new names. -- A number of species of Malawi cichlid have been given new names, a new genus has been erected and six new species have been described. Jay Stauffer and Ad Konings have published a new review of the planktivorous haplochromine cichlid genus Copadichromis which aims to reexamine the diagnostic traits of the group, following the last work undertaken on the fishes by Eccles and Trewavas back in 1989. New dwarf barb described. -- A new species of dwarf barb has been described from Benin in West Africa. The new tropical fish, which has been named Barboides britzi, after Dr Ralf Britz of the Natural History Museum, was found in the Oueme River basin in southern Benin, where it was collected from the permanently flooded Lokoli forest. News Stories from February 2006
Rare seahorses survive Atlantic journey in parcel. -- More than 100 rare and endangered dwarf seahorses were discovered packed in a parcel that was sent on a normal 24-hour airmail flight from the US to the UK. New Polypterus described. -- A new species of Polypterus, originally discovered by fishkeepers in the aquarium trade, has just been described by scientists. The species, which has been available in the shops under the temporary trade name Polypterus sp. "Congo", is similar to Polypterus retropinnis. WWF Thailand has announced the discovery of a previously unknown coral reef in Phang-nga Province. -- A team of WWF divers using information from local fishermen, made the exciting discovery in January this year. Initial rapid surveys have identified over 270 hectares of previously unknown, relatively healthy reefs with over 30 types of hard corals and at least 112 species of fish from 56 families. Westerners win All Japan Koi show. -- The weekend of January 21-22 saw Koi breeders and collectors from around the world gathered in Tokyo for the highlight of the Koi calendar, the 37th All Japan Combined Nishikigoi Show. The show is held every January by the All Japan Nishikigoi Promotion Association, the professional Koi trade association and attracts simply the very best Koi in the world with over 1600 Koi entered this year ranging in size from 10cm/4" to over 1m/40" in length and with values reaching up to 6 figure sums. Dyed fish to remain legal. -- Defra has confirmed that the proposed Animal Welfare Bill will not make it illegal for shops to sell fish that have been injected or tattooed with dyes. Many trade experts had assumed that the proposed Animal Welfare Bill, which is currently being produced by the Government, would make it possible to prosecute shops that sell aquarium fish that had been mutilated in this manner. African suckermouth catfish described. -- Scientists have described a new species of suckermouth catfish from the same family as the popular Synodontis genus. The new species, which has been named Chiloglanis productus, is a member of the family Mochokidae and was discovered in the Lunzua River, which flows into the southern tip of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa. Females prefer sword-less males. -- Females of a swordtail species that has lost its sword prefer to mate with sword-less males when given a choice between those with or without a sword on the tail, says new research. Marine life treasure trove found. -- An underwater mountain with some of the richest diversity of marine life in the Caribbean has been found by scientists. During a two-week dive researchers discovered scores more species of fish than previously known in the region and vast beds of "seaweed cities". Stunning new Synodontis found. -- A stunning new species of Synodontis catfish has just been described from the Ogooue River system in Gabon, Africa. The new mochokid catfish has just been named Synodontis acanthoperca in a paper in the systematics journal Zootaxa, and was described by John Friel and Thomas Vigliotta from Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates. Three more loaches described. -- Scientists have described three more loaches from the balitorine genus Gastromyzon. The new fish, which have been named Gastromyzon scitulus, G. crenastus and G. farragus, were found in southern Sarawak, Borneo, and have just been described in the journal Zootaxa. Hundreds of endangered coral reef fish released in Indonesia. -- Hundreds of humphead wrasse were released back into the waters of the Bunaken National Marine Park after being confiscated from a fisherman who was intending to illegally sell the internationally-protected fish species abroad. Fish farm loses Barramundi again. -- A fish farming company in Australia has lost thousands of fish from one of its facilities for the second time in less than six months. According to a report from ABC, storms and high tides caused severe damage to Marine Harvest's Barramundi cage farm off the Tiwi Islands in the Northern Territory, which has resulted in 100 tonnes of the fish escaping into the wild. Vietnam fish exports booming. -- Vietnam's five year old fish export industry has doubled in size in the past two years ministry officials have said. According to a report from Vietnam's Nhan Dan, Deputy Fisheries Minister Nguyen Thi Hong Minh said the ornamental fish industry turned over £5.7 million in 2004 compared to around £3 million in 2002. L-number catfish gets name. -- An L-number plec from the loricariid catfish genus Hemiancistrus has been described by an international team of scientists. The catfish, named Hemiancistrus guahiborum, was described by David Werneke, Jon Armruster, Nathan Lujan and Donald Taphorn in the journal Neotropical Ichthyology and was discovered in the upper and middle Orinoco drainage in Southern Venezuela. New plec described from Orinoco. -- A new species of loricariid catfish has been described from the Orinoco drainage in Venezuela. Harttia merevari was discovered in the upper Caura River in the the Orinoco basin in Venezuela, South America, and is a member of the loricariine tribe Hartiini. Woman kills tropical fish during domestic dispute. -- A woman from California has been arrested for animal cruelty after she poured bleach into her husband's aquarium during a domestic argument. Sharks die at Pittsburgh Zoo aquarium. -- A group of sharks died at the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG aquarium this weekend after dangerous ozone was accidentally added to their water. According to Pittsburgh's Post Gazette, the accident occurred after the Zoo closed on Saturday during a routine water change which replaces 34,000 litres/7,500 gallons of water with purified seawater stored in a holding tank. New Moenkhausia tetra. -- A new species of Moenkhausia tetra has been described from Brazil. The new fish has just been named Moenkhausia pankilopteryx in a paper by Vinicius Bertaco and Paulo Lucinda in the systematics journal Zootaxa and was discovered in the Rio Tocatins drainage in Brazil. Coral For Cash - Now a thriving business for Tagaqe villagers. -- Have you heard of the live coral trade? It’s really a trade in bits of coral reef rock covered by particular algae species. By one estimate, there are globally at least 1.5 million tropical aquarium hobbyists—mostly in the United States-—the world’s greatest live rock market. It buys 90% of it. Three new loaches discovered. -- Three new species of loach from the Gastromyzon genus have been described from the island of Borneo. The loaches are members of the balitorid subfamily Balitorinae, which are commonly known as Chinese plecs or Hillstream suckers in the UK aquarium trade, and were all discovered in the Temburong River basin in Brunei Darussalam, on the island of Borneo. News Stories from January 2006
New plec found in Venezuela. -- A new species of Chaetostoma-like suckermouth catfish described from the northern part of Venezuela is believed to be an endangered species. The new plec species, called Cordylancistrus nephelion, was discovered in tributaries of the Tuy River in the north central part of Venezuela and has just been described by Provenzano and Milani in the journal Zootaxa. Goldfish remember pain. -- New research has shown that goldfish can remember pain for at least a day, shattering the widespread misconception that these fish have a three-second memory span yet again. News Stories from December 2005
Trained Fish Does the Trick. -- Tropical fish can be trained to do tricks. After winning a goldfish, father and son team Dean and Kyle Pomerleau applied animal and dolphin training techniques to successfully teach their goldfish, named “Albert Einstein”, and other fish to swim through hoops and push a miniature soccer ball into an underwater net. Bristleworms, aquariums don't mix well. -- A READER sent me an e-mail titled "Thing we found in our tank" and described a "pink worm-like creature with fuzzy hairs." The writer had just added some crabs to the aquarium, along with some new live rocks. News Stories from November 2005
Worried about your electricity bill? -- Don't tell your other half, but the many appliances we use in our aquariums can guzzle quite a lot of electricity and, if you have a large tank, they can dramatically increase your fuel bills. News Stories from October 2005
October 11th, 2005 Researcher Trying to Breed Tropical Fish -- A University of New England researcher is working to breed a tropical aquarium fish in captivity in an effort to take pressure off fragile ecosystems in Southeast Asia that are being damaged by unsustainable harvesting of exotic fish species. News Stories from April 2005
Thieves Return Rare Clams To Waikiki Aquarium. -- Seven clams were returned Saturday, about a week after they were stolen from the Waikiki Aquarium, officials said. Thieves Steal Rare Clams From Waikiki Aquarium. -- Waikiki Aquarium is asking for help finding seven colorful clams that were stolen over the weekend. Officials suspect the clams are now in someone's private fish tank. News Stories from February 2005
Gator has the blues -- Owner blames pet's illness on basement flooding. -- Jeremy Ramsey is upset that his 2-year-old pet alligator is sick, blaming sewage after his basement flooded for the fourth time in several years. |
Reef Central The Planted Tank |