Advanced Aquarist
One of the largest plecos now described
L186 now has a formal description. Pseudacanthicus major is the newest described Loricariid. Hailing from the Amazon, this monster pleco can grow upwards of two feet (600mm).
Product Review: Kessil's AP700 LED Luminaire
Dana Riddle exhaustively reviews Kessil's AP700. Kessil is a lighting manufacturer well-known for their pendant LED lighting systems, but how does their first and currently only panel fixture measure?
Marian Sterian's magnificent Dutch aquascape
Dutch-style aquascapes are the closest thing to underwater (living) floral arrangements. By purely relying on the composition of high-contrast plants, Marian is able to create an amazing aquascape without rocks and woods.
$460 surgery to save clownfish? Worth it.
Our friends at AquaA3 share an inspiring story of a fishkeeper's love. Spending $500 to save a $100 fish is only irrational if you view fish as objects. When it comes to animals that rely on you for their well being, you do all that you can.
A mutant zooxanthallae can refuse coral symbiosis
Scientists have engineered a zoox that is can reject symbiosis with cnidarians by simply withholding a single nutrient compound. Now researchers hope these mutants can help identify the algal genes responsible for this remarkable symbiosis.
This new squid species is adorably tiny
Idiosepius hallami is a new pygmy squid from eastern Australia. These cephlapods are tiny ... like really really tiny. Adults grow to only 1 to 2 cm (0.4-0.9 inches). They're so small that Idiosepius sp. are often overlooked as floating debris.
Epizoic acoelomorph flatworms inhibit growth and expansion of the soft coral Cladiella sp.
Acoel flatworms can form dense blooms on coral hosts, both in the wild and in aquaria. Adverse effects of acoels on scleractinian corals have been shown in the form of coral mucus consumption by flatworms, impairment of coral feeding and kleptoparasitism. This study investigated whether flatworms also have detrimental effects on alcyonacean corals.
Innovative Marine lauches external overflow NUVO EXT aquariums
Innovative Marine is jumping aboard the external overflow trend with their new NUVO EXT aquarium line, which are essentially IM's excellent Fusion aquariums with external "Herbie" glass overflow boxes.
Digging deeper into the chemical armament of SPS corals
A new study has isolated the first identified toxin specific to stony corals as well as discovered many interesting characteristics of coral toxicity.
Reimagining eggcrates: Innovative Marine's SnappGrid
Eggcrates are very useful in aquariums as frag holders and tank dividers. Innovative Marine has created a better eggcrate system that allows aquarists to quickly and securely create customized solutions via a locking, modular design.
Anemone eats bird
We all know anemones can ensnare fishes, crabs, shrimps, snails, and most any organism that ventures too close to their deadly tentacles. But birds? There's actually footage and scientific documentation of this phenomenon.
Crenicichla ploegi: A new pike cichlid
Crenicichla ploegi is the newest species of pike cichlids from Brazil. C. ploegi is the twenty-third described species that is part of the C. saxatilis group (AKA "spangled pike").
Brittle stars are covered with thousands of light sensors
Have you ever wondered how brittle stars hide from light without eyes? Scientists have now discovered the mechanism for their eyeless "vision": The skin on the arms and bodies of brittle stars are covered with thousands of photoreceptors.
Plastics linked to coral diseases
A new research has found a clear link between contact with plastics and the prevalence of coral diseases. Corals in contact with plastic were over twenty-two times (yes, 22x) more likely to suffer from infectious diseases!
Coral deathmatches
We often think of reefs as bustling, harmonious gardens of beautiful sealife, but they are highly competitive arenas where corals are constantly vying with their neighbors for real estate dominance. Watch as corals battle each other with mesenterial filaments packed with nematocysts (stinging cells).
