The United Nations has declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. It is a celebration of life on earth and of the value of biodiversity to our lives. The world is invited to take action in 2010 to safeguard the variety of life on earth: biodiversity

As part of the International Year of Biodiversity (IYOB) the IUCN has published a report presenting 10 new climate change flagship species to demonstrate that it’s not just the Polar Bear that’s in trouble.

These 10 species are as follows:

Staghorn corals

Ringed Seal

Leatherback Turtle

Emperor Penguins

Quiver Trees

Clownfish

Arctic Foxes

Salmon

Koalas

Beluga Whales

One thing that is immediately obvious from the list is that 7 of the species are marine animals. The second thing to strike me about this list is that 2 common aquarium animals are included, most worrying of all is the inclusion of the poster animal of the marine aquarium hobby, the clownfish

In this first of two articles I’m going to look at clownfish, the second article will be concerned with Staghorn corals.

Clownfish and Climate Change

Clownfish, or Anemonefish, belong to the Family Pomacentridae, with their vivid orange and white colouration are one of the most familiar species of tropical marine fishes. This familiarity was boosted by the film ‘Finding Nemo’, which featured the Common Clownfish, Amphiprion ocellaris, a mainstay of the marine aquarium hobby.

Clownfish are found in tropical and subtropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans where they are restricted to shallow waters owing to their mutualistic relationship with a small number of specific anemone species. A host anemone can support a colony of several clownfish consisting of one female, one functional male, and a number of subordinate fishes, all non-functional males.

When the female dies the male turns into a female whilst the largest subordinate fish becomes male. Clownfish lay their eggs close by their host anemone, guarding them until they hatch. On hatching the larvae disperse into the water column where they remain for around 8 to 12 days before settling out as juveniles and seeking a host anemone of their own. As larvae develop, chemical signals allow them to detect suitable host anemone.

Research has shown that the larvae that survive to settle out as juveniles tend to return to the reef where they originated so the majority of the survivors do not disperse very far from their parents’ anemone.

There are 28 species of clownfish described to science; all behave in a similar manner, exhibiting reliance on their obligate association with host anemones for survival.

Captive breeding.

Clownfish have been bred in captivity since the early eighties so we have a lot of information about how different environmental conditions such as temperature and pH affect this species. Although it’s interesting to note that the recent studies from the reef, revealing that reduction in ocean pH levels have an affect on clownfish’s ability to detect the chemical signals necessary for locating an anemone host, answer the question of why captive bred clowns are often slow to adopt an anemone in a reef aquarium.

Why are Clownfish vulnerable to the effects of climate change?

Habitat loss: Coral reefs are in decline owing to increased levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. The current level stands at 387 ppm CO2, higher than 350 ppm that many leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, and the level we need to get back to as early as possible to avoid runaway climate change. If CO2 levels reach 450 ppm, predicted to occur by 2030-2040 at the current rates of increase, reefs will be in terminal decline worldwide from mass bleaching, ocean acidification, and other environmental impacts. Clownfish are dependent on anemones for their survival, which most frequently occur on coral reefs.

A couple of examples: the global coral bleaching event of 1998, led to the complete disappearance of several sea-anemone species used by clownfish in the corals reefs around Sesoko Island, Japan, causing local population declines; and take a look at: Reef Ramblings June/July 2008 to see an earlier article about reduction in clownfish numbers on the Great Barrier Reef.

Disruption of navigation: Decrease in ocean pH levels have been shown to affect a clownfish’s ability to detect the chemical signals that allow them to locate a host anemone. This is known to be a particular problem for juveniles as, if they’re unable to locate a host, they’re at greater risk of predation. Juveniles unable to locate a new anemone face the chance of returning to their parental anemone, increasing the likelihood of inbreeding.

Larval development: As ocean temperatures increase we’d expect to see faster development of larval and juvenile clownfishes. This may bring a reduction in dispersal distance with the result of settlement closer to the parental anemone increasing local competition for recruitment to neighboring host anemones. Again increasing the possibility of inbreeding.

Reproductive behavior: Clownfish, along with many other fish species, only reproduce within a narrow temperature range. This presents the possibility that as temperatures increase that there may be a reduction in breeding activity. A secondary problem that we’re familiar with from captive breeding is that high temperatures can have a deleterious affect on egg development.

It’s also worth noting that in the IUCN report, under the heading of “Other threats”, that the marine aquarium industry is singled out for mention, although it does go on to add that the greatest threat is down to human activities, presumably the usual

Can clownfish adapt to climate change?

Currently this is unknown, most species can usually adapt to changes in environmental conditions as long as these change occur slowly over time. As ocean temperatures continue to increase, clownfish and their associated host anemones may be able to shift their ranges southwards to cooler water. However, neither clownfishes, nor their anemones, are particularly mobile so it’s likely that successful relocation to new, more suitable habitats will be limited.

The concern about more rapid larval development, with its resultant limitation on dispersal, raises the question of inbreeding, the consequences of which are unknown.

A further possibility, but one that seems to me unlikely, is whether clownfishes could adapt to seasonal breeding pattern taking advantage of the cooler seasons.

Interestingly, the IUCN report states the one species of clownfish has recently been shown to use soft corals as an alternative habitat, something previously only seen in captivity. This is referenced to Arvedlund, M., and Takemura, A. (2005) Long-term observation in situ of the anemonefish Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett) in association
with a soft coral. Coral Reefs 24, 698-698.

It’s not known if other species of clownfish could adopt other host species, nor whether such associations would have the same value as the present association with anemones.

What can we do?

Whilst climate change does not mean extinction, some species will be able to adapt whilst others will perish. The question is which species will survive and which will perish? Worsening climate change effects are inevitable, even if all CO2 emissions ceased today, because of the lag-effects of the greenhouse gasses already emitted.

It’s up to all of us, along with our governments, to commit to targets to reduce emissions at the earliest opportunity if, we want to slow the pace of climate change and give clownfishes and other species a chance to survive.

If you are a reefkeeper, try to raise awareness of the destructive affects of climate change to the marine environment by using the familiar clownfish as an example of what may be lost.

You can download the IUCN report here: Species and Climate Change

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

One of the world’s largest coral atolls which, surprisingly, belongs to Britain, may soon become the biggest Marine Protected Area (MPA) on Earth.

A three-month public consultation is underway to persuade the UK government to protect the Chagos Archipelago, a group of 55 tropical British islands, in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

This week the 10,000th person signed up in support of the campaign.

The Chagos Environment Network (CEN) who put forward the proposal to protect the giant reef, which is twice the size of Britain, 544,000 sq km area, and boasts the cleanest seawater ever recorded on Earth.

The Chagos contain some of the world’s healthiest coral reefs and the world’s largest surviving coral atoll. It is home to over 220 coral species and 1000 fish species, including the endemic Chagos clownfish, Amphiprion chagosensis.

The pollutant levels in Chagos waters are exceptionally low. Analyses in 1996 suggested that the marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago as a whole is exceptionally pristine, and that it was the cleanest water tested in the world at that time.

In addition the Chagos is a breeding ground and refuge for important populations of sharks, dolphins, marine turtles, and other vulnerable marine and island species.

The area includes deep-sea habitats including 6000 m deep trenches, oceanic ridges, and seamounts, each harbouring specially adapted species. Despite a Fisheries Conservation Management Zone with commercial catches limited by licence, legal and illegal fishing has impacted the area. Sharks, sea cucumbers, turtles, and fish are all known to have declined as a result of illegal fishing and the by-catch from legal fishing. Protecting this area would contribute to a richer Indian Ocean, benefiting people living in and around it

This is one of the best quality reefs remaining on the planet and, from a reef science perspective, it provides a good comparison to reefs damaged by climate change, rising sea temperatures, and other anthropogenic factors. The Chagos Archipelago is an area comparable in importance to better known areas such as the Galapagos or the Great Barrier Reef.

The Chagos Environment Network (CEN) is a collaboration of nine conservation and scientific organisations: The Chagos Conservation Trust, The Linnean Society of London, The Marine Conservation Society, The Pew Environment Group, The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, The Royal Society, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, The Zoological Society of London, and Professor Charles Sheppard of Warwick University.

The consultation, ends on 12th February, and examines three options for protection:

• A full, no-take, marine reserve for the entire territory.
• A marine reserve of the same size that allows some seasonal deep-sea fishing in certain zones.
• No-take reserves protecting only the vulnerable reef systems.

The Moral Dilemma.

Unfortunately creating this MPA is not as straightforward as might be hoped, owing to the ongoing court case brought by relocated Chagossians at the European Court of Human Rights, which is expected to be decided later this year.

Between 1967 and 1971 the entire population of the Chagos islands, numbering around 2,000 people, was evicted from the archipelago to make way for the Diego Garcia military base. The islanders were forcibly relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles, where many have lived in poverty ever since.

In 2008 the islanders lost a long-running battle with the British government when the House of Lords, the final court of appeal in the UK, overturned High Court rulings that had repeatedly found in favour of the Chagossians. Whereas the High Court found that the Chagossians, as British dependent Citizens, had been unlawfully dispossessed and ordered that they be allowed to return to their home, the House of Lords overturned this ruling in favour of the British government.

The Guardian, a UK newspaper, recently reported that Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour MP chairing the all-party parliamentary group for the Chagos islands, said he was “concerned” that the marine protection consultation had not sought the views of exiled islanders. “The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is completely at variance with UK marine conservation policy that seeks to involve the local community,” he said.

Corbyn also said there was concern among Chagos island groups over media reports that portrayed their return as a negative for the environment, that would mean the construction of an airport and town and increasing tourism.

“You will get a small number of people living [in the Chagos] who will support sustainable fishing and ecotourism. If the ‘ultras’ in the marine reserve brigade get their way they will have to have people there to protect the environment. It’s extraordinary that islanders are not trusted but the marine community is. Wealthy people land there in yachts and stay on the islands all time. They are trusted but the islanders are not. I find it patronising and extraordinary.”

It’s Your Decision.

This is not a simple clear-cut subject. As a marine aquarist I’m in favour of the MPA, given the deteriorating state of reefs around the world conserving the Chagos would be a great step forward. I’m particularly interested in the idea that it could be used as a comparative instrument against which the health of other reefs could be measured.

I do however have sympathy with the Chagossians, who I believe have been badly mistreated by the British Government, I also find myself a little uneasy with the idea of an area where access might be restricted to scientists alone. Everywhere else in the world, wherever reef conservation is carried, out it’s considered good practice to get local people involved as much as possible.

There is an alternative to just signing up to the www.protectchagos.org proposal, if you go to http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos you’ll find a petition organised by the Marine Education Trust that is in favour of the MPA, urging the Foreign Secretary to work with the Chagos islanders and the Government of Mauritius to devise an MPA solution that makes provision for resettlement and that protects Mauritius’ legitimate interests.

To find out more about the various issues, in addition to the previously mentioned links, take a look at the following:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagos
• www.chagos-trust.org
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/27/gordon-brown-britain-great-barrier-reef

Also take a look at, “Stealing a Nation”, the John Pilger documentary, winner of the 2005 Royal Television Society Award, that tells the story of the expulsion of the entire population of the Chagos islands.

If you do decide that you’d like to add your support to the proposed MPA, visit: http://www.marineeducationtrust.org/petition/protect-chagos or  www.protectchagos.org, according to your conscience, before the February 12th 2010 deadline, to register your support for the creation of a Chagos no-take Marine Protected Area.

By the way, my conscience moved to me to sign the Marine Education Trust petition.

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

Although we tend to associate coral bleaching with elevated water temperatures, it may not be as widely known that it can also occur when water temperatures drop below the low limit of coral survivability, 15 ËšCelsius. Bleaching occurs when a coral undergoes stress and loses or expels its zooxanthellae, or symbiotic algae, with prolonged stress resulting in coral death.

Cold-water Bleaching on the Reef.

The recent sustained low water temperatures in South Florida and the Florida Keys have triggered severe coral bleaching and coral fatalities. Temperatures in some areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary have dropped to as low as 11 ËšCelsius for several days, well below average for the time of year. This is the first time that cold-water bleaching and die-off has occurred in Florida since the late 1970s.

“The Keys have not seen a cold-water bleaching event like this since the winter of 1977-78, when acres of staghorn coral perished,” said Dr. Billy Causey, southeast regional director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. “But today we are better prepared to document and assess the impacts of stress thanks to numerous partners.”

Over the next two weeks, teams of science divers from federal and state agencies, non-governmental and academic organizations, will be surveying the reefs to assess and monitor mortality and changes in coral health.

“If there is any ‘good news’ it’s that reef managers and scientists are able to quickly respond to this event and are in a good position to learn more about how reefs will rebound following such a rare occurrence,” said Chris Bergh, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Coastal and Marine Resilience Program.

Usually the Florida Reef Resilience team carries out surveys following warm-water bleaching events. Activating the team now will provide valuable insights on what happens to corals when they get too cold. Monitoring needs to be implemented as quickly as possible, because macro-algae and cyanobacteria quickly invade or overgrow dead coral making identification of recently deceased corals difficult.

Reports so far indicate that all species have been equally affected by the cold, though more will be known when the results of the survey are in. It seems that offshore reefs have fared better than inshore and mid-channel reefs.

The coral reefs of the Florida Keys are part of a unique and diverse ecosystem that forms the third largest barrier reef in the world. Reef-related expenditures generate more than $4.4 billion annually in southeast Florida and reef recreation supports more than 70,000 jobs.

Cold-water Bleaching in the Aquarium.

Cold-water bleaching can also occur in the reef aquarium. During the very cold weather of December 2009 - January 2010, I experienced this phenomenon in one of the Midland Reefs research tanks. Interestingly it was a half a dozen or so Entacmaea quadricolor, Bubble-tipped anemones, that were affected rather than any of the stony corals in the system.

The problem was caused, as you might have guessed, by a couple of defective heaters. These had been running since the system had been set-up so were in the region of 8 years old, As an aside, I’ve noticed numerous equipment failures in the fish house over the last year so I’m now minded to change many items of equipment, heaters, ballasts, pumps, etc. once they reach the 6 year mark. After all, no item of equipment is going to last forever, especially non-serviceable items such as ballasts, ignitors, and heaters.

So far the anemones are remaining in good health, they’re feeding well and producing nematocysts but there’s not yet any sign of recruitment of new strains of zooxanthellae.

I feel an experiment coming on to ascertain whether the anemones can use the strains of zooxanthellae present in the corals that they share the system with. I’ll try removing half of the bleached anemones to a system containing unbleached specimens of the same species and then compare the two systems for signs of zooxanthellae recruitment.

And in the meantime, whilst I’m awaiting results of the experiment, it’s time to search the science for more information regarding zooxanthellae and which organisms that they choose to inhabit.

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

Researchers from Tel Aviv University zoology department have reported previously unknown behaviour regarding feeding in a Large Polyped Stony Coral.

Whilst carrying out a survey dive of Fungiids, Mushroom Corals, on reefs off of the coast of Eilat the researchers took photographs documenting Fungia scruposa feeding on, Aurelia aurita, Moon Jellyfish. Previously, scientists believed these corals to feed on zooplankton in the range 0.2 to 0.4 millimetres in size.

Photo courtesy of TAU.

This is the first documentation of a coral feeding on a jellyfish almost equal to its size. F. scruposa can grow to around 30 cms in diameter while A.aurita ranges from 5 cms up to 40 cms in diameter. The fact that corals are capable of devouring prey several orders of magnitude larger than previously thought - was unknown to science until now.

Aquarium observation.

Although I’ve not seen this behaviour myself, I have come across something tantalisingly similar. A few years back I was maintaining a dozen or so juvenile specimens of Cassiopea species, Upside Down Jellyfish, at around 2 cms in diameter. Needing some extra room to accommodate some juvenile Fungia species of around the same size, I added the corals to the Jelly tank without a second thought. Within a couple of days I started to see jellies being injured by the corals and had to separate the two species.

Now although reef scientists may have thought that these corals only eat small zooplankton, in captivity it’s obvious that Fungiids are quite capable of coping with far larger prey items, my Fungia are regularly fed adult PE Mysis which can be up to 2 cms in length. It’s interesting to note that these corals do appear to have a sizeable mouth in comparison to other coral species, a 10 cm diameter specimen of mine has a mouth around 3 cms in length. Given this large mouth size it seems that they may be adapted to a larger prey size, although their main mode of feeding is to catch small particles on their upper surface which are then slowly transported to the mouth.

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

Some of the photos of photographer, Robert Delfs, a consultant and underwater photographer who has worked for The Nature Conservancy, WWF, and RARE Conservation. Among other positions, he was formerly the Hong Kong based China Correspondent, Beijing Bureau Chief, and Tokyo Bureau Chief for the Far Eastern Economic Review from 1981through 1993. He currently is working with RARE to help plan a suite of community-based conservation training programs at wetlands nature reserves in China. These pictures and the accompanying text were the subject of a photo exhibition at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong.

Please click on the link below, to view slideshow:

The Intimate Reef

In forest and savannah, nature photographers often rely on “big glass” – fast telephoto lenses that can peer into the lives of animals from distances of more than 100 meters. It is different on coral reefs. Seawater is rarely gin clear. Planktonic organisms such as eggs, larvae, and protozoa are almost always present. The way water selectively absorbs longer wavelengths of light (reds, oranges, and yellows) reduces the spectrum of ambient light from the sun to a monotonous blue/cyan cast even at modest depths of 20-30 meters, while the effective range of underwater strobes may be only a few feet. This is part of the reason photography on the reef is an intimate affair.

If the mantra of terrestrial nature photography is “f/8 and be there”, the drill for an aspiring underwater photographer is “Get closer. Now get even closer.” For large marine wildlife and reefscapes, we use very wide lenses to approach as close as possible and minimize the water column between the camera and the subject. (Most of the wide-angle images here were shot with the amazing 180 Tokina10-17 mm fisheye.)

With very small subjects, we take macro lenses and strobes into the reef microhabitats, to photograph tiny fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other creatures. Many live in complex symbiotic partnerships with corals, anemones, sponges, crinoids, fish and other hosts. Here what is often most difficult is simply locating cryptic creatures possessing formidable powers of camouflage and disguise.

Long before the foolhardy concept of taking a single-lens reflex camera underwater ever entered my mind, I had my first lessons in stalking large marine wildlife from Markus Tolang at Maumere Bay on the Indonesian island of Flores. Markus had grown up on the reef, making his living as a spear fisher with his beautiful, hand-carved spear gun. As my first dive instructor, Markus showed me how to approach slowly, breath held to avoid noisy bubbles, while I held back, holding the string of still-living groupers, snappers and angelfish. Spearfishing, too, is an intimate affair.

My introduction to the “micro-world” of the reef, on the other hand, came at the hands of the late, legendary Larry Smith, who almost single-handedly invented “critter diving” in the Lembeh Strait off northeast Sulawesi. Larry was also the dive instructor of my late partner, Sandra Burton, former Time Magazine correspondent. It was our experiences with Larry at Lembeh that prompted Sandy to give me my first underwater camera, in 1999 - 10 years ago.

What began with Marcus, Larry, and Sandy was not just an interest in diving, but a lifelong passion for going deep and getting close in order to bring back images that convey some of the tangled complexity, stunning colors and dazzling beauty of life on the coral reefs.

The real subject of these images is the inconceivable richness of coral reef communities of Eastern Indonesia at the heart of the Southeast Asian Coral Triangle. This is the most biodiverse marine ecosystem on the planet, home to 75 percent of all known coral species, more than

3,000 different fish species, six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles and the playground for dozens of different species of dolphins, whales, and other marine mammals. Many of these species and their habitats are critically threatened by coastal development, climate change, over-fishing and destructive fishing practices, including the unsustainable demand for live wild reef fish in restaurants in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.

Help protect reefs by saying no to shark’s fin and supporting sustainable reef fish and tuna fisheries and by contributing to the international Coral Triangle Initiative through Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Fund RARE Conservation, or else contact me at uwphoto@tabula-international.com.

TimHayes

Midland Reefs

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Genus Coryphopterus

Sand Gobies

Most, although not all, of these small gobies live on sandy substrates, feeding on diatoms, detritus, micro-crustaceans, and other small invertebrates.

Useful for sand maintenance in smaller aquaria such as nano tanks.

The majority of this genus is to be found in the Western Atlantic / Caribbean waters although a small number of species can be found in the Pacific. Consequently I’ve split the species list into separate Atlantic and Pacific categories. (See note in Part 4, Genus Elacatinus.)

Female to male sex change. For aquarium pairs, or single male with multiple females, the introduction of a small group of juveniles will naturally produce a social group. Male may tend multiple broods of eggs from spawnings with multiple females.

Coryphopterus - Pacific

Coryphopterus urospilus - Redlight goby

Lives in the sand/rubble fringe of rocky reefs or coral patches, foraging on micro-crustaceans amongst the rocks. When foraging over sand, the orange spots may act as camouflage. Dart about quickly and dives for cover when disturbed.

Coryphopterus (Pacific) - 3 species described

Ref. www.fishbase.org

Coryphopterus - Atlantic

Coryphopterus glaucofraenum - Bridled goby

Inhabits clear white sandy areas near deep reefs and grassy and rocky areas. Burrows in the sand and the male guards the eggs.

Coryphopterus (Atlantic) - 13 species described

Ref. www.fishbase.org

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

Genus Amblygobius

Hover Gobies.

Spend much of the time “hovering” above the substrate on the look out for food. Most species appear to be omnivorous, some are substrate sifters but in general there does seem to be a correlation between the presence of filamentous algae and success in keeping these species. Likely what appears to be herbivory in some of these species is actually a reliance on epibenthic organisms i.e. the small flora and fauna living on the algae.

Can be kept in pairs depending on the size of the aquarium.

In the wild many of these species use various invertebrate burrows for shelter.

Commonly available aquarium species:

Amblygobius decussatus - Orange-striped goby, Crosshatch Goby

9.5 cms

Substrate sifter.

Amblygobius hectori - Hector’s Goby

8.5 cms

Inhabits sheltered bays and inner reefs on fine rubble shaded by large living corals. Occurs solitarily, hovering a short distance above sandy bottoms of reef bases. Stomach contents of one specimen comprised filamentous algae, harpacticoid copepods, ostracods, amphipods, and nematodes.

Amblygobius phalaena - Banded goby

15 cms

One for the larger aquarium, where it can be a useful addition as a substrate sifter. Inhabits coastal reefs and lagoons on sand and rubble margins of algal reefs and sometimes near seagrass beds. Feeds by sifting mouthfuls of sand and expelling it through the gills, to capture small invertebrates, detritus, and algae. Monogamous.

Amblygobius 14 species described

Ref. www.fishbase.org

Genus Koumansetta

You may be wondering why Amblygobius rainfordi - Old glory or  the Court Jester Goby, perhaps the most well known of these fishes, wasn’t included in the above list. In July 2009 it was decided that the valid name for this fish was: Koumansetta rainfordi - Old glory. (See note below)

Currently there is just the one species in this genus.

Koumansetta rainfordi - Old glory

8.5 cm SL, Western Pacific

Depczynski and Bellwood describe this fish as having an average total length of 5.6 cm with the smallest at 4.54 cm TL (possibly down to the geographical area being studied) and (along with others) believe this represents the smallest documented adult size for a herbivorous marine fish and that it may define the lower size-limit for a herbivorous marine vertebrate.

Inhabits sandy and muddy bottoms of turbid coastal reefs to depths pf 20m, unlike others in its former genus it doesn’t appear to use a burrow.

Note:

Taxonomy, or biological classification, is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms. As with all areas of science, this is best considered to be an ongoing work in progress, resulting in organisms being subject to re-classification and name change. In fishes, as a rule of thumb, about 10% of the names in any given work will be outdated after 10 years (Froese).  As DNA is becoming more widely used as an additional tool of biological classification, I’d expect see a lot more re-classification and name change occurring in the future.

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

Genus Elacatinus

Cleaner Gobies.

Formerly know as Gobiosoma, these are small fishes ranging from just over 1.5 cm up to 5 cm in length.

The most familiar of these are the cleaner goby complex, consisting of around 6 species, typified by E. oceanops - Neon Goby. These are fish that provide a cleaning service, removing ectoparasites from other, larger fishes.

Other fishes in this genus are known for their association with sponges, particularly tube sponges such as Callyspongia and Verongia.

The majority of this genus is to be found in the Western Atlantic / Caribbean waters although a small number of species can be found in the Pacific. Consequently I’ve split the species list into separate Atlantic and Pacific categories.

I believe it to be a bad idea to mix species from these two different oceans for a number of reasons, including potential vulnerability to unfamiliar pathogens and parasites, and the failure to recognise unfamiliar threat signals and react accordingly.

This is one area where Nano Aquaria work well, making it easy to keep just a few Atlantic organisms without succumbing to the desire to top up the fish population with the more common Pacific species.

Can be kept in pairs or small groups. May be intolerant of later additions of the same or similar species. Reputed to be monogamous but may pair seasonally.

Elacatinus - Pacific.

Some of the more common aquarium species:

Elacatinus puncticulatus - Red Head Goby

Inhabits rocky reefs, usually found in the vicinity of the urchin, Eucidaris thouarsi.

Elacatinus (Pacific ) - 6 species described

Ref. www.fishbase.org

Elacatinus - Atlantic

Some of the more common aquarium species:

Elacatinus multifasciatum - Greenbanded Goby

Inhabits pitted limestone faces and tide pools in surf areas in clear waters. Usually found among spines of rock-boring sea urchins. A protogynous hermaphrodite, this fish has been successfully reared in captivity

Elacatinus evelynae - Sharknose goby

Although a single species, there are three distinct colour forms of this fish, yellow, blue, and white, that occur in separate geographical areas.

This is a trait common to a number of other species in this genus.

Elacatinus oceanops - Neon Goby

Inhabits coral heads. Removes ectoparasites from other fishes. Was one of the first ornamental marine fishes to be reared in captivity.

In addition to Elacatinus oceanops the “Cleaner” species complex includes: E evelynae, E Figaro, E genie, E illecebrosus, E prochilos, and E randalli.

Elacatinus (Atlantic) - 28 species described

Ref. www.fishbase.org, Colin,

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs

©2010

A new movie from Disney Nature, “Oceans”, is to open on Earth Day 2010.

For the first week of the movie Disney will be donating money on behalf of all moviegoers to help fund a new MPA (Marine Protection Area) in the Bahamas in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt a Coral Reef Program. Disney have pledged a minimum donation of $100,000.

If you’re involved in education there’s a 42 page “Educator’s Guide” available to download. It’s aimed at US grades 2 - 6, ages 7 to 12, and looks quite a useful resource.

To see more about the movie, including trailer and downloads, goto:
http://disney.go.com/disneynature/oceans/

To learn more about The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt a Coral Reef Program goto:

http://adopt.nature.org/coralreef/

Tim Hayes

Midland Reefs