The family Acanthuridae with its six charismatic genera are some of the most beloved and recognisable fish both in the field and in the trade, serving as iconic reef denizens which play important roles in herbivory. The six genera holds…
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…
Chrysiptera starcki: A tail of two damselfish
Chrysiptera starcki is a well loved damsel that commonly graces the aquarium of most hobbyist. The bright blue and yellow coloration is a trademark branding for most Chrysiptera, but it looks spectacular on C. starcki. Although often imported from Australia,…
“Diversity and Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes” lecture tomorrow at California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco is presenting “Diversity and Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes,” a lecture by Dr. Luiz Rocha, as part of the Pritzker Lecture series. Rocha is the Assistant Curator, Ichthyology at the academy and…
Something old, something new: Evolution within the hobby
One of the coolest things about our hobby is the amazing progression over the years in both the state of the art and the technology that we embrace. Improvements that have enabled us to do things previously thought incredibly difficult…
Coral reefs proved to be evolutionary “hotspot”
A new study has found coral reefs account for more new species than any other tropical marine habitats. Through analysis of fossil records going back 540 million years ago, researchers have analyzed the rate of evolution and discovered new species…
