Cyphastrea kausti is a newly described species from the Red Sea, present in the central and northern parts but seemingly absent from the south end of the Red Sea. The new species C. kausti is readily distinguished from all other species of Cyphastrea…
Heart Cockle: living Giant clam ancestor observed in the wild
Corculum cardissa, better known as the heart cockle, doesn’t seem like it would have anything in common with our beloved giant clams. Except, maybe for the fact that it’s a bivalve. It may not be a direct ancestor, but the…
Marine Aquarium Decorations: Tacky, Tasteful, or Somewhere In-Between?
I’ve always favored very naturalistic aquariums, so when an acquaintance recently asked me what I think about using decorations in saltwater systems, my immediate response (more or less) was that I find them tacky and cringe-worthy and that corals and…
BYO Guides releases new Reef Finder underwater identification tool
Reef Finder is a new underwater identification tool that can help you identify everything that isn’t a coral. The Coral Finder is one of the best and most comprehensive guides to learning all the different corals, and now BYO Guides…
Chrysiptera caesifrons, a new damselfish from the Western Pacific
Chrysiptera caesifrons is the first new reef fish species of the week, and growing our favorite genus of damselfish but yet one more fish. Hailing from the Western Pacific Ocean, the new C. caesifrons is found in Papua New Guinea,…
Neon green Psammocora discovered living as a rollolith in Australia
A couple of neon green Psammocora have just been discovered to be living unattached, as free living coral colonies known as ‘rolloliths’. Psammocora is just the latest stony coral genus to be documented living as a rollolith, a growth form in…
Peanut Worms in the Reef Aquarium
A well-stocked reef aquarium can be a diverse place, full of invertebrate surprises. But identifying the fauna traipsing about on live rock can be a challenge for the average aquarist and few creatures are quite so confusing as the Peanut Worm.…
Tank Profile: Joe Garza’s SPS-dominate Reef Savvy Rimless Aquarium
The blue thumb behind this beautiful reef, Joe Garza, is a U.S. Navy veteran who spent years traveling the oceans, exploring the globe, and admiring the beauty of the aquatic world. He kept aquariums filled with all sorts of colorful…
Women in the Hobby, and the lack thereof
With it being Mother’s Day Weekend I thought it would be interesting to discuss a topic dear to my heart: The relative dearth of women in the hobby. While reefkeeping has been around for approximately 30 years and the advances…
The Lawnmower Blenny: a Funny, Fascinating Fish of Unpredictable Utility
The lawnmower blenny, aka the jeweled blenny, jeweled rockskipper, or sailfin blenny (Salarias fasciatus), is commonly purchased not just for its comical behavior and only-a-mother-could-love looks, but also for the utilitarian purpose of controlling algae in marine tanks. While you…
