The genus Pseudanthias is growing at a rate of at least one new member per year as the reefs of the Pacific continue to drip feed us with brand new, never before seen species. In 2013 we saw the appearance of the…
Magazine
What’s in a name?
Scientists are often pretty whimsical in their own way when it comes to describing a new species for science. To the undiscerning amateur like us, we may find scientific names cumbersome, made up of an unpronounceable mass of consonants with an unearthly…
Reefing like it’s 1993: One Acropora becomes three
The following article was originally published in Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine more than 20 years ago and is reproduced here with permission from the author, Tony Vargas. This is surely one of the first articles ever on propagating stony corals.…
Reef Nuggets 4: Macropharyngodon and notes on maintaining a harem
This is the fourth installation of a running series we call Reef Nuggets, a platform in which we share informative and useful tips on reef keeping in general. In this chapter we take a look at my recount regarding the…
Turbinaria bifrons is the rarest stony coral you’ve never heard of
Turbinaria bifrons is quite simply unlike any coral anyone has ever seen, and it is perhaps one of the rarest stony coral species in the aquarium hobby. When we say T. bifrons is rare we don’t mean rare as in a strain…
Sequential Hermaphrodites: Protandrous, Protogynous or serial bidirectional?
Things are rather peculiar in the realm of reef fish. Few phenomenons are clear cut in black and white. At a glance it’s as if the myriad of biological processes walk the grey zone, waiting for the deciding waves to push them…
Understanding the photography triad: ISO, aperture and shutter speed
As aquarium owners, we are often very proud of our creations and want to capture them in pictures. Perhaps it’s that Acropora that you’ve been growing, or that fish that you love so much. Photography is a great way to…
Geminate sisters and their path to speciation
Ever wondered why with an endless possibility of patterns and permutations, there is always somehow a few fish with consistently repeated pattern templates? A few species that share the same overall appearance but not quite the same. That confusing group of…
No need for costumes, I’m already halloweeny
The pumpkin’s been carved, the candy laid out. Your dogs and cats are probably decked in a casper costume and your daughter, as princess Anna or Elsa. But hey, what about your fish? They don’t look very scary. Sure most super…
I see you looking at me, like I’m some kind of freak
Sight is a vital sensory system for most living things that enables them to process and visualise information from their surroundings. What to eat, and where to find it? Who to flee from, and who to mate with? Survival and procreation…