Earlier this week, the results of a 12-month finding by the National Marine Fisheries Service has concluded to propose the beloved Banggai cardinalfish as an endangered species. Together with three species of little-known stony corals, the Banggai cardinalfish, which is…
Lionfish Invasion: An Update on Successes
I still remember the first time I encountered an invasive lionfish. It was in the late spring of 2010 during a scuba dive on the North Wall of Grand Cayman. For those unfamiliar, the North Wall is where the coral…
Why You Should Never, Ever Release Marine Aquarium Livestock into the Wild
In a perfect world, every fish, invertebrate, or alga introduced to a marine aquarium would be allowed to live out its entire lifespan there. But as we all know, there are many contingencies that can make it necessary for hobbyists…
Some idiot planted Xenia on a Venezuelan reef to awful effect
We reefers have long considered Xenia species to be a particularly weedy species in our aquariums. There once was a time when any Xenia was worth its weight in gold but now you’d be lucky to get $10 a pound, and…
The Anatomy of an Invasion: Lionfish
As iconic ornamental marine fish, Pterois spp. are coveted for their unique beauty which is bookended by elegant (but venomous), banner-like finnage. Native to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish were reportedly discovered in South Florida as early as 1985 with sightings…
Tougher wildlife import restrictions proposed by US…again
Newly proposed federal legislation is taking aim at halting the importation and interstate trade of non-native livestock, including fish and aquatic organisms bred or collected for the aquarium trade. This isn’t the first time legislation like this was proposed and…
Florida declares war on invasive lionfish
In an executive order signed earlier this month, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission has effectively declared war on the invasive Lionfish. For the next 12 months, it is a virtual no-holds-barred, open season on this damaging predator. Highlights include:…
Carp-Hunters get mideval on waterskis against invasive asian carp
If you are drinking something, you’ll probably want to set it down before you watch this video of the Carp hunters. The “water-skiing ninjas’ apparently have a grudge against the invasive asian carp which have grown to enormous numbers in…
Invasive Banggai cardinalfish crowd out native fish from Diadema and anemone habitats
[youtube width=”680″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAblRkS5J-0[/youtube] Banggai cardinalfish are so cute, what’s the worst that could happen if we set them loose in a non-native habitat? So far we’ve only been hearing about the details of the introduction, and we’ve debated what it…
Black Sun Coral, Tubastrea micrantha, found growing all over a gulf oil platform
Gulf Oil Platforms may get a little more crowded, and a little less colorful, with the discovery of non-native black sun coral, Tubastrea micrantha, in the Gulf of Mexico. Oddly enough, the only other major colonizer of gulf oil platforms…
