Of all the highly diverse groups of animals that occur on natural reefs, the echinoderms are some of the most unique but also the least represented in our home reef aquariums. We have a basic understanding of starfish, urchins, and…
‘Cthulhu’ Fossil Reveals Monstrous Relative of Modern Sea Cucumbers
An exceptionally-preserved fossil from Herefordshire in the UK has given new insights into the early evolution of sea cucumbers, the group that includes the sea pig and its relatives, according to a new article published in the journal Proceedings of the…
Sea Cucumber Pretends It’s A Coral
Sometimes it seems like every creature living on a coral reef has at least one species which mimics it. Take, for instance, this juvenile sea cucumber, Thelenota ananas, which has mastered the art of being Pocillopora. Question is… can it…
Sea Apples: Hazardous Holothurians Best Left to Advanced Hobbyists
In several posts here at Saltwater Smarts, I’ve mentioned that certain marine organisms routinely offered in the aquarium trade should come with a warning label—especially for novice hobbyists. In these cases, I’m usually referring to animals that are really gorgeous…
There’s something in my cloaca: Pearlfish and its bizzare behavior caught on tape
Pearlfishes are unique in their own crazy way and have some of the most unusual living habitats. These slender eel like fish belonging to the Carapidae family do not inhabit pristine coral bommies or live in rocky mounds. No. Instead, these…
Would you set up a tank full of sea pigs?
[youtube width=”680″ height=”400″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzFxjmr5mW8[/youtube] We’ve seen some alien-looking critters in our reef tanks before but the cold water sea pigs are way up there in terms marine life oddities. Closely related to sea cucumbers, the sea pigs are a group of…
