modern aquarium october 2012

October 2012volume XIXnumber 8

ON THE COVERThis month's cover features Betta uberis, an endangered little betta from Borneo, with the ironic common name of "abundant betta." For more details on this very attractive little fish, see Al Priest's article on page 13.

Photo by Alexander A. Priest

GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY

Board MeMBers

President Dan RadebaughVice-President Edward VukichTreasurer Jules BirnbaumCorresponding Secretary Sean Cunningham Recording Secretary Tommy Chang

MeMBers at Large

Claudia Dickinson Pete D’OrioAl Grusell Ben HausEmma Haus Jason KernerLeonard Ramroop

CoMMittee Chairs

A.C.A. Delegate Claudia DickinsonBowl Show Leonard RamroopBreeder Award Warren Feuer Mark SobermanEarly Arrivals Al GrusellF.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander A. PriestMembership Marsha RadebaughPrograms Claudia DickinsonN.E.C. Delegate Claudia DickinsonTechnology Coordinator Warren Feuer

MODERN AQUARIUM

Editor in Chief Dan RadebaughCopy Editors Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. PriestExchange Editors Stephen Sica Donna Sosna SicaAdvertising Mgr. Mark Soberman

In This IssueFrom the Editor

2G.C.A.S. 2012 Program Schedule

3President’s Message

4 Last Month's Caption Contest Winner

6Tonight's Speaker: Rachel O'Leary

7Cartoon Caption Contest

8The Legacy of Dominic Isla:

9Endler's Livebearerby Joseph Ferdenzi

Our Generous Sponsors & Advertisers 12

"Abundant," but Endangered 13Betta uberis

by alexander a. Priest

My Favorite Marine Fish 15The Peacock Flounder: Bothus lunatus

by stephen sica

Pictures from our Last Meeting 18by susan Priest

A Small, Native American Fish 20Heterandria formosa

by Jules Birnbaum

Keeping and Breeding Theraps wesseli 23by dan radebaugh

Wet Leaves 25Rewilding North America

by susan Priest

Member Classifieds 27

Our Generous Members 27

G.C.A.S. Happenings 28

The Undergravel Reporter 29Raining Fish

Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) 30Things That Go Bump in the Night

Series III Vol. XIX, No. 8 October, 2012

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)2 October 2012

From theEditor by Dan Radebaugh

For those of you who may not have noticed the 90th Anniversary logo on the back cover of each issue of Modern

Aquarium this year, 2012 is a very significant year in our club's history, as it marks our 90th year of continuous operation. If you read the content of Modern Aquarium you may have noticed that we have honored this year's historical significance by including a number of historically themed articles in almost every issue. Most of these, I hasten to admit, were not due to my clever thematic planning, but just showed up at a fortuitous time.

Joe Ferdenzi, who has supplied us with more than one historical reminiscence in recent months, contributes another in this issue, bringing together memories of bygone days, influential former members of Greater City, and a subject very close to his heart, the Endler’s livebearer.

True to her promise back in March, Sue Priest has dedicated her Wet Leaves column this year to the subject of conservation. As our human population continues to grow to what our grandparents would probably have considered an almost inconceivable number, conservation of our natural world and its non-human life forms becomes ever more difficult. I think most of us here at Greater City would agree that the cause of conservation is also becoming ever more important. The book Sue reviews this month, Rewilding North America, looks like it contains much for us to ponder.

Coincidentally enough, Modern Aquarium this month includes several articles on small, water-dwelling non-human life forms. In addition to Joe’s story about the Endler’s livebearer, Jules Birnbaum introduces us to another livebearer, the mosquito fish Heterandria formosa. I talk about my experiences with a Honduran

cichlid, Theraps wesseli, and Steve Sica tells us about his current favorite marine fish, Bothus lunatus, the popularly named peacock flounder. As if all this weren’t enough, our cover this month is graced by a photo of the beautiful and endangered Betta uberis, which Al Priest tells us about in his article, “Abundant, but Endangered.” And yes, that title does include a play on words.

The Undergravel Reporter tells us about some water-dwelling non-human life forms that apparently sometimes grow on trees or drop from the sky, while our Fin Fun puzzle starts getting us in the spirit – so to speak – for Halloween later this month.

* * *Remember, as always, we need articles!

Modern Aquarium is produced by and for the members of Greater City Aquarium Society. Our members are our authors, and with ten issues per year, we always, always need more articles. I know several of you are keeping and/or breeding fish that I would like to know more about, and I’m certain other members would be interested as well. Share your experience with us. Write about it! If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry – that’s why there are editors.

If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, email it to [email protected], or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me, I’ll be delighted to receive it!

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) October 2012 3

GCASPrograms

2012It is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously

accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent

guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. I know I can barely wait to see you here! Enjoy!

Claudia

March 7 Meet the Experts of the GCAS

April 4 Felicia McCaulleyTips and Tricks to Aquarium Photography on a Budget

May 2 Jeff MichelsDwarf Cichlids

June 6 Rich LevyVirtual Fishroom Tours: Joe Ferdenzi and Jules Birnbaum

July 11 Rich LevyVirtual Fishroom Tours: Jeff Bollbach and Rich Levy

August 1 Silent Auction

September 5 Dan RadebaughParatilapia Sp. 'Fony'

October 3 Rachel O'LearyFreshwater Invertebrates

November 7 Joe FerdenziGCAS 90th!

December 5 Holiday Party!

Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please fax to (877) 299-0522, or email to [email protected]. Copyright 2012 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source and two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without express written prior permission.The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437. Find out more, or leave us a message, at our Internet Home Page at: http://www.greatercity.org or http://www.greatercity.com


President’sMessage

by Dan Radebaugh

Well, here we are in October already! That means there’s only one more meeting this year before our annual Awards Banquet/Holiday Party. Most of you know that our venue for this party over the years has been the Palace Diner, but that was sold earlier this year. We haven’t yet settled on a location for

this year’s party, but we’re working on several leads. We expect to settle on a choice within the next couple of weeks.

Greater City has been, and continues to be, an outstanding aquarium society. I haven’t been around the club as long as some of our members, but I am impressed by the longevity and dedication of our long-time members, and gratified by the number of new members we continue to attract. I remember when I was a new member feeling that the people who were running the club were no doubt somehow specially anointed – perhaps they pulled a swordfish out of a stone or something, I didn’t know, but I figured that they had to have been serving in those positions at least since becoming adults, and would doubtless continue to handle their important posts at least for the rest of my lifetime. Likewise, I understand that some of you who haven’t been members for years and years may think that we old-timers don’t need your help with the workings of the club. I assure you that we do. For instance, we still have not found a Treasurer for next year. This is a position that simply cannot be left vacant, so we need someone to step forward. If you think you can do this job, please don’t assume that you have to have been here for decades for us to need your help. We need everyone’s help. All of us are just members, who wandered in because of our interest in fish, and who have chosen, or been chosen, to accept a little more responsibility to help the club continue to take care of necessary business. None of us (I don’t think) showed up here with the intention of running the joint. Nevertheless, there are jobs that need to be done for the club to do all the things that it does. I have no doubt that there are those among our relatively newer members who could easily handle some of the “leadership” roles even better than those of us who are serving now. If you don’t volunteer to try, how will we (or you) ever know? Let me know – or tell Marsha while you’re picking up your copy of Modern Aquarium – that you’d be interested in helping out in some aspect of the club’s operations. Believe me – we need you!

Dan


If you have any 5 or 10 gallon tanks, or any filters, pumps, or plants that you could donate to NYC teacher Michael Paoli's classrooms, could you please bring them in or email Rich Levy ([email protected]). If you'd like to donate larger tanks, be sure and email Rich so he can make sure Michael can accommodate it.

Support Fish in the Classroom!


September's Caption Winner:Steve Sica

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The G.C.A.S.

Proudly extends a most Warm Welcometo

Our Guest SpeakerRachel O'Leary

Speaking OnFreshwater InvertebratesRachel O’Leary, of Mount Wolf,

Pennsylvania, has been in the hobby since childhood, but has become increasingly

active in the past decade. She currently operates over seventy tanks, with interests that range from the micro to the monster. She has a special focus on dwarf freshwater invertebrates, including snails, shrimp, crayfish, and aquatic crabs, as well as all freshwater nano fish. Rachel is currently housing over one hundred different species, all of which are in the nano category. She also has a passion for and interest in gars and polypterids, and houses several species.

Rachel is currently breeding catfish, many species of shrimp, snails, Pseudomugil rainbows, dwarf crayfish, West African dwarf cichlids, discus, Ancistrus and Hypancistrus plecos, as well as a range of livebearers and egg scatters. Her tanks range in size from ten gallons to 220 gallons.

An active member and board member of the Capital Cichlid Association, Rachel is also a global moderator on Aquaria Central and a moderator at MonsterFishKeepers.com. She actively attends conventions, and travels to speak at clubs and conventions on her invertebrate and micro fish interests.

A strong a d v o c a t e of rallying r e g i o n a l s u p p o r t , Rachel also s p o n s o r s many clubs and events around the United States.

R a c h e l imports from around the globe to redistribute and share with hobbyists around the country. She is very focused on education and information for her customers, and personally deals with each individual to help them make the best choices for their tanks. A proud mother of two, she actively donates livestock to schools around her area, and the country.

Future projects include a lot more travel to increase awareness of invertebrates and nano fish, as well as furthering the growth of her fishroom through increased breeding efforts and increased hobby availability.


The Modern AquariumCartoon Caption Contest

Modern Aquarium has featured cartoons before. This time though, you, the members of Greater City get to choose the caption! Just think of a good caption, then mail, email, or phone the Editor with your caption (phone: 347-866-1107, fax: 877-299-0522, email: [email protected]. Your caption needs to reach the Editor by the third Wednesday of this month. We'll also hand out copies of this page at the meeting, which you can turn in to Marsha before leaving. Winning captions will earn ten points in our Author Awards program, qualifying you for participation in our special "Authors Only" raffle at our Holiday Party and Banquet. Put on your thinking caps!

Your Caption:

Your Name:

Cartoon by Elliot Oshins


The Legacy of Dominic Isla: Endler's Livebearer

by Joseph Ferdenzi

This is a story about a man and a fish, but mostly about the man. His name was Dominic Isla. I don’t remember exactly how I met him or when

I met him, but I do know that when I did I was already serving as President of Greater City, and I’m guessing it was the late 1980s or early 1990s.

Dominic was of Cuban ancestry, and what I remember most about him was his passion—for just about everything he did. One of those passions was for tropical fish, especially livebearers.

When I first met him, Dominic was living alone in an apartment on the upper (around 96th Street or higher) east side of Manhattan. Somehow he had managed to cram quite a few tanks into his small apartment, and he was proud to show you his collection.

I liked Dominic. He could be very charming, and he was well spoken—clearly a people person. I never really got to know much about him personally—a lot of us guys are kind of like that, in that we rarely exchange personal details about our lives. I believe he had a child from whom he was estranged, and I could never quite figure out what he did for a living, although he always seemed to be on the periphery of economic stability. He was somewhat younger than I, but I never learned his actual age.

What I did learn over time was that he was an excellent aquarist. This was amply demonstrated to me after he moved from Manhattan to an apartment in the Sunnyside section of Queens. There, he somehow arranged to become a sort of super’s assistant, and in return for his services, the super allowed him to use a sizeable portion of the basement of the multi-family apartment building. Dominic, of course, set about turning this into his fishroom.

Before I describe my first memorable visit to that fishroom, let me digress and tell you that by then,

Dominic (I rarely called him Dom) had become a very active member of Greater City, even serving on the board of directors. It soon became apparent that Dominic was mostly interested in livebearers—not the so-called “fancy” varieties, mind you, but wild (unaltered by hobbyists) livebearers. His passion for them was such that he couldn’t understand why more members didn’t share his enthusiasm. Poor Dominic! His love of the natural world obscured his ability to see that many hobbyists are only interested in colorful or

odd fish—most wild livebearers do not fit either category.

And with this as a backdrop, I now return to the evening that I first visited Dominic’s fishroom (basement).

The first impression it made on me was that I had somehow walked into the laboratory of an eccentric scientist. Dominic had built several racks, and these held scores of tanks, mostly of the 10-gallon variety. Many had jury-rigged covers,

obviously hand-made, with unusual lift-handles (I still own one that features a wooden drawer pull). But more startling than that was all the plastic containers, mostly made of clear plastic that were placed just about wherever there was free space, including on top of the glass tanks.

Dominic also had a few large tanks. One of these (it was at least a 55 gallon, but probably larger) was uncovered, and Dominic had trained an aluminum spotlight on an Amazon sword plant in that tank. This Amazon sword plant was by far the largest one I had ever seen in a home aquarium. I still have not seen one larger. It was, in a word, stupendous!

And, speaking of spotlights, that was another aspect of Dominic’s fishroom that was a bit unusual—there were aluminum spotlights everywhere I looked. You’ve seen these fixtures in hardware stores—they employ clamps so that you can affix them just about

Dominic Isla (left) and Dr. Klaus Kallman at the Greater City 1992 show. Photo from Joe Ferdenzi.


anywhere. This use of spotlights was just another sign that Dominic had assembled this fishroom on a budget—no expensive fluorescent strip lights for him! No budget-draining full hoods to cover his tanks—scraps of glass would do.

But if you were into wild livebearers, Dominic had assembled your fantasy. Tank after tank, and plastic box after plastic box were filled with livebearers that I had never seen before, or seen only in photos. Dominic had an extensive collection because he had contacts with people who shared his interest, and also, in part, because he was somehow able to travel to the Caribbean islands (including Cuba) and do some of his own collecting.

As I looked at his tanks, one by one, I must admit that I was doing so mostly out of politeness, because to my jaded eyes, most wild livebearers are “dull” in comparison to the fish of which I was most fond at the time, namely African killifish. But there were some exceptions. One was a species of swordtail that I had never seen before. The males sported two, almost neon-red, horizontal stripes and a yellow sword. Dominic told me they were Xiphophorus clemenciae. Of course he offered me some. Dominic was not miserly in that way.

The only other fish that caught my eye that evening is the other subject of this memoir. At first blush, it just seemed that I was looking at a tank containing wild guppies (Poecilia reticulata). But that initial impression was very fleeting. I soon realized that I was looking at something quite different (or at least, so I believed). While the fish had the size and shape of wild guppies, there was something quite striking about the males—they all seemed to be exactly alike! Anyone who has ever observed a tank of wild guppies knows that is not generally the case—even to the human eye, the males sport obvious variations in color and pattern. Not “Dominic’s guppies.” They all sported this emerald green blotch, along with, among other similarities, a contrasting black blotch. They were truly a remarkable sight.

I asked Dominic if they were guppies. He said no. He said that it was an undescribed species called Endler’s livebearer. Who the heck was Endler? Dominic explained that Endler was Professor John Endler, of some university or other, who had discovered this population of fish in Laguna de los Patos, a lake in northern Venezuela, close to the town of Acarigua. Professor Endler had given some to Dr. Klaus Kallman, who was then a researcher at the New York Aquarium, and a recognized authority on livebearers. Dr. Kallman, in turn, had given some of

the fish to Dominic. Did I want some, he asked. Did I want some? Is the Pope Catholic? “Oh, yes” is the answer to both questions.

Now I wish that I had documented the year in which I received these fish. However, I can narrow it down to a few months by means of two goal posts. The first Greater City show in which Dominic participated was our 70th Anniversary Show, held in the spring of 1992. I definitely did not have the Endler’s at that time, so my acquisition had to have occurred after that. Why is that so important? Because I’ve had the fish ever since! Incidentally, if you look at the records of Greater City’s Breeders Award Program, you will see

that Mary Ann and Joe Bugeia, were the first to receive credit for breeding Poecilia Sp. Endler’s, in January, 1993, but that happened because I had previously placed the fish in our auction, and it never occurred to me to claim Breeder’s Award points for them. I never made that mistake again!

I also know that, after I acquired them and they started to multiply prolifically, I decided to make a present of them to my friend Bill Jacobs, who lived in New Jersey. Bill died in 1999 at the age of 96. I’ve previously written about Bill, a great aquarist, for the pages of Modern Aquarium—see the February 1996 and June 1999 issues. I know that Bill had them for several years before he died. In fact, he was so good at breeding them that he was selling them to his local pet shops.

Currently, my Endler’s are housed in two identically outfitted 10 gallon aquariums (see photo below). They each contain a thin layer of #1 size gravel (same size as bird grit), and each has two box filters containing crushed coral as the primary filter medium. The most important element, however, is the copious strands of Najas, a floating aquatic plant that

A few of the author's Endler's Livebearers.Photo by Marsha Radebaugh.

10 gallon Endler's tank. Photo by Marsha Radebaugh.


bag was auctioned for the price of $82! (The Bermuda dollar equals exactly one U.S. Dollar.)

These fish, then, are Dominic’s legacy to me. Dominic moved from New York to Texas to work on fish habitat protection and the like. Then he moved to Colorado and opened up a fish-selling business. We would occasionally correspond, and I saw him once or twice at various fish shows, but we didn’t have much contact in his later years. Sadly, Dominic died a few years ago. Much too young. But he left behind something for the rest of us to enjoy, and every time I look at my glass canopy with the wooden drawer pull or my aluminum spotlight, I remember Dominic. It’s funny how you meet many people during the course of your life, but only a small percentage leave an indelible impression. Dominic was a person I will never forget, and his legacy will always be in my fishroom.

quickly multiplies in alkaline water and adequate light (each tank is lit by 15-watt fluorescent tubes that are on 14 hours a day). The Najas forms a perfect hiding place for young fish, and it is a lovely shade of light green.

In the almost 20 years that I have kept this fish, I have never introduced anyone else’s strain of Endler’s livebearers. The fish that Dr. Endler gave to Dr. Kallman are, presumably, the ones in my tank, the strain from Laguna de los Platos. I know that others have crossed Endler’s with guppies, and that there are other varieties out there, but I have kept mine pure. I am so fanatical about it that once I give away any of them, I will not take them back, even if the owner assures me that they have not been contaminated by other strains. This way I only have to vouch for my own credibility, but more importantly, I can be 100% sure that this is the strain discovered by Professor Endler.

Incidentally, the debate still rages as to whether Endler’s livebearer is a type of guppy or a different species. Although some scientists have described it as a new species, Poecilia wingei, this has not ended the discussion. I personally do not care whether it is a new species. What I do know is that mine are as close to the wild fish discovered by Professor Endler as I can keep them.

Over the years, I have shared these fish with countless hobbyists. I remember the first time I brought a bag of them as a donation to the aquarium society in Bermuda. They had never seen the fish before, and the

Photo by Marsha Radebaugh.


Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Misc 5

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Scientific Name: Betta uberis

Common Name: Abundant Betta

Special consideration: anabantoid (air breather)

Adult Standard Length: 1.5" (both sexes)

pH: 3.0 to 6.0 (acidic)

Water hardness: very soft

Temperature: 75F - 90F (23.9C - 32.2C)

Distribution: Borneo

Reproduction: submerged bubblenester

Temperament: peaceful, timid

Environment: low-light, caves and/or driftwood,

tight-fitting cover with no gaps

Nutrition: primarily carnivore (live or frozen

daphnia, brine shrimp, etc.)

Male Betta uberisFemale Betta uberis

“Abundant,” Yet EndangeredBetta uberis

Text and photos by ALEXANDER A. PRIEST

Only recently described in 2006 , Betta1

uberis, a species endemic to the island of

Borneo in Indonesia, is already considered

to be endangered. In recognition of this fact, Betta

uberis has recently been added to the

“Conservation Priority Species at Risk List” of the

C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program 2

In its natural habitat, Betta uberis lives in

small b lackw ater

r i v e r s f l o w i n g

through regions of

peat swamp forests

typically found on

the island of Borneo.

There, the water

temperature rarely

drops below 70F,

a n d t h e a i r

temperature is rather

stable at 75 – 90F

throughout the year. 3

The water in these

rivers is typically

dark in color, with

humic acids and

o th e r c h e m ic a l s

released by decaying organic material. The water

is very soft, with a dissolved mineral content that

is generally negligible. The water is also quite

acidic, with a pH that can be as low as 3.0 or 4.0.

The substrate is usually covered by fallen leaves,

branches, and submerged tree roots and “at certain

times of year the fish may be forced to survive

within the moist leaf litter for several weeks as

permanent water is not always available.”4

With respect to that last statement, it should

be noted that all Betta species possess an accessory

breathing organ in their head consisting of a

labyrinth-like network of membranes that enable the

fish to absorb oxygen directly from atmospheric air,

instead of taking it from water through their gills.

As a result “labyrinth fish” (i.e., bettas, and all other

species in the sub-order Anabantoidei, generally

referred to as anabantoids), because they can

“breathe” by extracting oxygen directly from the air

around them, can

survive out of water

for extended periods

of time, as long as

their bodies remain

moist.

While I don’t

know whether an

official decision has

yet been made as to

its placement in a

s p e c i f i c “ s p e c ie s

complex” (the IBC, or

International Betta

Congress, currently

shows no complex

associated with this

species), I believe it to

be almost a certainty that Betta uberis will be placed

in the “Coccina Complex” of Betta species

consisting of small, red or dark colored fishes, with

elongated bodies, endemic to blackwater

environments. (A “species complex” is a grouping

of species primarily based on similar physical

and/or behavioral characteristics.) Currently, the

IBC lists the following Betta species as part of the

“Coccina Complex”: brownorum, burdigala,

coccina, livida, miniopinna, persephone, tussyae,

and rutilans.

Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY) October 2012 17


One feature that distinguishes Betta uberis

from other “Coccina Complex” members is the

presence of more numerous dorsal fin rays. (The

species name of uberis comes from the Latin

adjective uber, meaning “abundant,” referring to

the high number of dorsal rays.) Another feature

is the presence of iridescent green markings

between the fin rays on the dorsal, caudal, and anal

fins. This last distinguishing feature is not always

readily apparent, and is only visible in certain

displays. Males are more colorful. Females are a

drab grey, and adult females often show an “egg

spot” similar to that of female Betta splendens.

Keeping this species in the home aquarium

can be somewhat challenging, but certainly not

more difficult than the other, previously named,

members of the Coccina Complex. Ideally, Betta

uberis should be kept in a tank with no other

species (most certainly not with any other member

of the Coccina Complex, as interbreeding is quite

possible). More than one pair can be kept in the

same tank, as long as there are sufficient caves, as

well as roots or plants to reduce line-of-sight and

allow for the establishment of separate and distinct

“territories.”

Because of the low pH in which Betta uberis

need to be kept, fish waste, and decaying food and

3plants, do not break down to toxic ammonia (NH ).

Instead, they are converted by a chemical process

4to ammonium (NH ), which is not toxic. However,

this also means that a water change should be

made only with water with pH adjusted to match

that of the removed water. If added water has a

much higher pH (i.e., is less acid), then a deadly

ammonia “spike” could result, wiping out an entire

tank in minutes!

Filtration should not result in rapid water

movement (this fish is a bubblenester, and rapid

water movement is detrimental to clumps of

bubbles). I use both a box filter and a sponge filter

in my Betta uberis tank.

To reduce the pH, and to provide the dark

color to the water that mimics the fish’s natural

environment, I put some crushed Indian almond

leaves in the box filter, and use driftwood.

Initially, and until the almond leaves and driftwood

have had enough time to leach tannins into the

water, I use a wild almond leaf extract: “Atison’s

Betta Spa” by Ocean Nutrition™.

Most “wild bettas” (i.e., members of the genus

Betta other than those in the “Splendens Complex”)

are excellent jumpers. So a tightly fitting lid is

needed, with openings for air line tubes and power

cords sealed (plastic food wrap where the tubes or

cords meet the lid works for me).

The tank should have subdued lighting, and

contain multiple caves and hiding places, as this is

a “submerged” bubblnesting species. This means

that, unlike Betta splendens, a male Betta uberis is

less likely to build a nest of bubbles at the surface of

the water, and more likely to do so in a cave, or

under a thick layer of plant material.

As for plants, few plants will last very long in

the dimly lit, very acid, and very low mineral

environment most suitable to the keeping of Betta

uberis. The plants I have found to hold up best in

this environment are Java fern (Microsorum

pteropus) and most Anubias species (especially

A. hastifolia, A. coffeefolia, and A. barteri).

As I mentioned, this is a submerged

bubblenesting species. The male will construct a

“nest” of bubbles and entice a female to it. A

female displays her readiness to spawn by losing

most of the drab color she normally has and

displaying dark bars on either side of her body.

Under the nest, the male will wrap himself around

the female and squeeze. This causes the release of

both his milt and some of her eggs. The male

transfers the eggs to his nest; and this cycle is

repeated until the female has no more eggs.

It is not necessary to remove the female after

the spawning, unless she appears to be a threat to

the eggs. (Generally, a well-fed female just ignores

the bubblenest.) The male will guard and tend the

nest. Depending on the temperature, the eggs hatch

in one to three days. The newly hatched fry will

still have their yolk-sacs attached, so they should

not be fed until the yolk sac is completely absorbed

(in another three to four days). Until the fry are

free-swimming, the male will pick up and return

them to the nest. Once the fry begin to swim freely,

the male will stop guarding the nest and generally

ignore the fry, which can then be fed microworms

and newly hatched brineshrimp, as well as finely

crushed dry food.

If you want to keep an endangered C.A.R.E.S.

Preservation Program listed fish, but want to

“start small” then Betta uberis might just be the one

for you.

Six new species of fighting fish (Teleostei: Osphronemidae: Betta) from Borneo Ichthyol. Explore1

Freshwaters, Vol. 17, No. 2

http://www.carespreservation.com/priority_list.html2

http://www.bettafishbubble.com/betta-uberis/3

http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/betta-uberis/4

18 October 2012 M odern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)


My Favorite Marine Fish: The Peacock Flounder

Story and Photos by Stephen Sica

Once in a blue moon while diving, semi-pun intended, I would come upon one of my all-time favorite fish—the peacock

flounder, Bothus lunatus. This fish is better known by me as the blue peacock flounder. While my wife Donna will often scan the deep blue sea for large pelagics, I swim along the shallows, seeking the small creatures and micro photographic subjects hidden in crevices on the bottom and in the sand. Diving a Caribbean island, or even some other location, it would always please me if I could find and photograph this flounder.

I’m someone who is attracted to colorful fish, or fish that have a unique appearance, or both. It is an understatement when I say that the blue marks, spots and circles that embellish this flounder never fail to delight me! Unfortunately, every time that I’ve found

a specimen, it’s been busy blending itself into a rock, or more typically, sand or mud. I am disappointed to admit that there’d been nary a blue to be found on any peacock flounder that I had ever seen.

In the spring of 2012 we decided to treat ourselves to a pre-summer cruise. Donna researched Princess Cruises and found that one of their ships would be sailing a southern Caribbean agenda. It was scheduled to leave from San Juan at the end of April, before transitioning to the British Isles for the summer. The itinerary would take us to St. Martin/Maarten, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Bonaire and Aruba. We had previously visited these islands within the past few years by either cruise ship or air, except for Saint Lucia, that we last had set foot upon in the 1980s. Donna went to work on her computer with diligence, and was able


to arrange a diving excursion on each island. We would be diving a different island for five days in a row. I didn’t know if I still had the energy anymore. Inasmuch as we had never dived Saint Lucia, I readily acquiesced to her plans. Besides, I would be able to seek more lionfish encounters. Perhaps other adventures might even come our way.

The third day of our cruise found us swimming in about fifteen feet of water only fifty feet from a rocky shoreline at “Anse Cochon” (Bay of Pigs) North on the island of Saint Lucia. While waiting for the remaining divers to enter the water, I began swimming underwater with Donna and another diver near the rocky shoreline. After only a minute, I glanced down and gazed at the most colorful and attractive peacock flounder that I had ever seen! Although considered highly edible by many seafood connoisseurs, I would never eat one; they are just too beautiful. The typical peacock flounder is shades of tan to brown.

It can lighten or darken to match the bottom where it dwells. Of course, what distinguishes the peacock from similar flounders are the blue spots and marks on its body and fins. Other flounders’ spots are more tan or brownish.

I photographed my discovery, but it began to swim, or rather glide away, close to the bottom. I took a few additional photos as it was swimming, but when it rested on the bottom again a few yards away, I hovered above it and took more photos. Throughout this encounter, the fish retained the most vivid blue color that I have ever witnessed in this species. I assume that the fish was relying on its camouflage to

The peacock flounder does its best to avoid predators by being a “background” fish, and disappearing into its surroundings through its skill at camouflage. Occasionally, when one has been pointed out to me I would gaze along the fingertip wondering "what am I seeing?"

A flounder in its habitat. It was easy to spot because it was exhibiting its blue coloration.

I spotted another flounder during our second dive in Saint Lucia. It was blue enough to make it readily observable. I took several photos as it attempted to blend into the sand.

I approached the flounder and it began to slowly swim away settling on the bottom occasionally as I followed and photographed it.

keep me at bay, because it was swimming in the open at a leisurely pace, albeit close to the bottom. To avoid detection, flounders that I have observed in nature either just swim away, or partially bury themselves in the sand or mud, or, most likely, settle on the bottom and simply blend in to disappear.

Further up the coast, during our second dive, at a location named “The Nursery,” I


found another peacock flounder. This one was smaller, and its blue color was somewhat faded into camouflage, but it was still an attractive specimen. I was able to take a few photos before it swam away with a very slight wave-like motion. Flounder do not swim with a pronounced undulating motion; they swim smoothly and patiently.

There are numerous flounders worldwide, with at least sixteen species, including soles and tonguefishes, that are common to the general Caribbean area. Caribbean soles and tonguefishes are quite small, reaching lengths of between one to three inches. I have never seen either of these fish, perhaps because of their small size. Someday, I hope to encounter a sole, and especially a tonguefish.

As you probably know, all flatfishes begin their lives symmetrically. That is, they have bilateral, fish-shaped bodies with correctly aligned fins, and one eye on each side of their body. Within a few days after hatching, one eye migrates to be beside the other eye, on the other side of the body, while their muscles, skin, blood vessels, and bones slowly shift as well. Flounders are flat fish that lie on their sides, not their stomachs. The size of this fish is between six to fifteen inches, with a maximum length of eighteen inches. All peacock flounders that I have observed have been between six and nine inches. This fish has a slight indentation, or notch, in its “upper” head above its lips. There are numerous blue rosettes over its entire body, and abundant blue spots and short lines on its head and fins. The eyes of flounders protrude, so that it seems like they are on short stalks. The pectoral fin sits just beyond the gills, and when extended it stands erect and is noticeable. The dorsal and anal fins form a ring around most of the body. Flounders have a short but distinct tail.

These fish inhabit the shallows, from only two or three feet of water to a maximum depth of forty feet. They live near sand, coral rubble, and sea grass areas, and eat crustaceans and other small animals living in the sand. Occasionally they will add small fish to their menu. As with most animals, flounders eat whatever

is available. The peacock flounder is common in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. It is also found in Bermuda, and all the way south to Brazil. I believe that they may be even more common in the southern Caribbean.

The June 2012 issue of Aquarium Fish International contains Scott

W. Michael’s “Marine Sand-dwellers.” He states that soles are the most likely flatfish to be encountered in the marine aquarium trade. The soles pictured and mentioned in Michael’s article seem, in my opinion, to be flounders. In any event, Michael states that soles will acclimate to captivity if provided with a sandy substrate in which to bury themselves, and are initially fed live foods, such as ghost shrimp that have been acclimated to saltwater, as well as blackworms and/or bloodworms. None of these live long in salt water. Soles should not be kept with aggressive fish, because they are slow, methodical hunters, and might be picked on. More than one can be kept in the same tank, but be prepared to separate them if they fight. They are not prone to skin parasites, nor are they overly sensitive to poor water quality. Some soles exude a toxic slime that will keep aggressive fish away.

I don’t know of anyone keeping a sole or flounder in a marine aquarium. If someone has, I’m sure that it would be a good story for this publication. I’m looking forward to my next flounder encounter. While I prefer my flounder in the ocean, an occasional one on the plate is good too!

Finally, it settled in and would have been obscure except for the turquoise ringlets and marks on its body and fins.

18 October 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Tonight’s program was delivered byour President, Dan Radebaugh

Tonight’s auctioneer:Bill Amely

Jeff Bollbach withapprentice fishkeeper Kim

Bowl Show winner for 1st & 2nd place:Richard Waizman

Ed Vukich (L) with fishkeepingpal, Bill Adams

Pictures from our

18 October 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)


Jesus Alvarez

Michael Henderson

Marty Katz

LaMont Brown

Past GCAS President (1999-2000)Jeff George

last meetingPhotos by Susan Priest

A warm welcome to new members:

And, welcome to returning members:



A Small, Native American Fishby Jules Birnbaum

Heterandria formosa is a livebearer from southern Florida. It is the only member of the Heterandria

genus found in the USA (Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana). This little livebearer lives in still, brackish water and is often called the mosquito fish, not to be confused with the larger Gambusia affinis, or dwarf livebearer. H. formosa is the smallest of the Poeciliidae family, which includes guppies, mollies, platys, and swordtails.

Females are about an inch long at maturity, while the males are smaller and more streamlined. The male has a very large gonopodium (in this case size does matter). The fish is an olive or grey color with a horizontal black stripe. They are compatible with other small fish such as pencilfish and cory catfish. Freshwater shrimp and small plecos would also work well in their tank.

I acquired my fish from Rit Forcier, who had collected them just a week before, in Fort Myers, Florida. Rit suggested I keep them in higher pH water, using some crushed coral in my box filter. He also suggested adding a little salt. I use jumbo round green box filters from JEHMCO, the fishroom supply store. These filters have plenty of room for buffering material, and are easy to maintain. There is also a sponge filter that was already going when I set up the tank. Although not necessary, I left it in place.

The tank is a 20 gallon (though a 5 or 10 gallon would do fine), heavily planted with Java moss, Anubias, and Najas. There are a couple of water lilies for a more interesting look. Both filters’ water flow is kept at a moderate level; the water temperature is approximately 74 degrees, but can be as low as 68. The light is


moderate, using a fluorescent shop light hanging about 12 inches above the tank. Most tropical fish seem to breed better in moderate water flow and low light. At least this has been my own personal experience, and knowledge acquired from visiting the fishrooms of expert breeders of rare fish.

There is an inch or two of small-sized gravel to provide some interesting esthetics. I like the dwarf lilies that I purchased from our fellow Greater City member Harsha Perera, owner of the pet shop Zoo-Rama, in the Bronx. Many breeders prefer a bare-bottom tank for easy maintenance and transfer of fish to other tanks. One commercial breeder of livebearers compromises by using bare bottoms with plants in clay pots. I like live plants, and they are an important part of our hobby. Lately I’ve found some measure of success by growing crypts, Anubias, and swords in clay pots. I like more control of the planting medium and where the plants are placed to get the proper light, but that is a subject for another time.

My H. formosa are fed crushed flake food in the morning, and brine shrimp in the afternoon. They are true omnivores. Since H. formosa are very small fish, I’ve stayed away from larger food such as blood worms or black worms. I added a few Aspidoras, a small, active catfish, to

eat any excess food. It should be noted that this is a good choice of fish if you plan to be away periods of time. They will survive very nicely by nibbling on your plants.

Once a week I perform 50% water changes, using a de-chlorinator powder. I take special care to make sure the temperature of the fresh water is the same as that of the water that was removed.

As they say, “give them the right conditions, and nature will take its course.” About a week after the tank was set up, a small number of very small fry started appearing among the Najas. The fry look exactly like the parents, who do not pay any attention to them. Presently there are at least a dozen fry swimming with the parents.

I did bring a bag of 1-inch adult H. formosa to the latest GCAS auction, and I am sure the member who took them home will also have success with them and bring a bag or two to our auction in the future. Keep your eyes open for these Native Americans.


*** Announcing ***

2nd Annual Tropical

Fish Auction!

Join us at the Polish American Club, 9 1st Street in Windsor Locks, CT on Sunday, Oct. 21st

for our 2nd annual tropical fish auction.

Door Prizes 50/50 Cash Raffle

Free Admission Refreshments

Good people….Good fish….Good fun!

Auction starts at 12:00 noon. Doors open at 9:30 AM for viewing and registering lots. Bring your fish and new or “gently used” aquarium equipment for a 50/50 split (non-

members) or 70/30 split for members. Donations are great too!

From I91 South From I91 North

At ex it 42, take ramp r i ght t oward W ind sor Lock s

0.2 mi Turn left onto Lawnacre Rd 0.2 mi Keep straight onto CT-159 North / S Main St

0.5 mi Turn left onto South St 0.2 mi Turn right onto 1ST St

169 ft Arrive at 9 1ST St, Windsor Locks, CT 06096

At exit 42, take ramp right for CT-159 toward Windsor Locks 0.5 mi Turn left onto CT-159 / S Main St

0.2 mi Turn left onto South St 0.2 mi Turn right onto 1ST St

169 ft Arrive at 9 1ST St, Windsor Locks, CT 06096

Visit www.necichlids.com for more information


Keeping and BreedingTheraps wesseli

by Dan Radebaugh

Named in honor of Rusty Wessel, who discovered them back in 1991, Theraps wesseli is a medium sized cichlid, native to

the Rio Papaloteca basin of northern Honduras. Rusty describes1 their habitat as being pristine mountain streams, with clear, “fast-moving water with a current of approximately three feet per second, a pH of 7.8 and a water temperature of approximately 25°C (77°F). Surprisingly, the water is relatively soft. The bottom consists of sand, rocky rubble and large boulders with a maximum depth of only 2.4-3.0 m (8 to 10 feet). The banks are lined by a lush green vegetation. Many consider this the area one of the most beautiful in all of Honduras.”

When Rusty came and spoke to us here at Greater City a couple of years ago, he brought a couple of bags of these fish with him, and I bought one of them at that night’s auction. The bag contained six or seven fry of approximately 1.5 inches. After quarantine, I put them in a minimally planted 40-long aquarium which at the time was housing a couple of male dwarf pike cichlids, their mates having died of some peculiar disease for which I was unable to find a cure. I added some additional cover and hiding places, and everyone seemed to settle in nicely, the only other occupants being some snails and a small pleco, (purchased as Ancistrus Sp. LDA 003, but I’m less than confident of that identification). The tank is on the lower level of a metal stand that also supports a 75-gallon on the top level. I’ve found that very often fish behave nervously in a lower-level position; possibly their “wading bird” alarms go off as we approach the tank, and they dive for cover. These fish showed some of that behavior, though not excessively, and they didn’t act as though they felt crowded, so that’s where they’ve remained, though with mixed results, as you will see. By the way, within a month there were no more living snails in the tank, so if you have a tank full of unwanted snails…

One of my favorite sources for cichlid profiles is Cichlid-Forum.com, so I went there to see what I’d gotten myself into. As a bonus, along with the standard profile is a brief article by Rusty Wessel, from

which I quoted above. The profile itself states that the fish is mildly aggressive, an omnivore with a maximum size of eight inches, prefers water temperature of 76-80°, pH 7.6, with neutral hardness. Under gender differences, they state that the fish is monomorphic. While my experience with these fish is limited, I would have to disagree about the

monomorphism. While as youngsters they all look pretty much alike (they attain their adult coloration by about one inch), my observation has been that the 8-inch length quoted above is only attained by the males, the females reaching only about 75% of males’ size. The male body shape differs slightly from that of the female, as well. Of course my sample size is so far only seven adult fish.

Temperament: mildly aggressive? This gets a little interesting. When I put them in the 40-long (a four-foot tank), they seemed to like the hiding places, but freely cruised around in the open as well. I have never witnessed an overt act of aggression by these fish. Nevertheless, within a few days I found one of the dwarf pikes dead; the other followed within another two weeks. Then everything was fine for over a year. They clearly didn’t like the pleco much, but couldn’t do anything about him, as he seemed unimpressed by their ill will.

As they all continued to grow, a few became noticeably larger and longer-bodied than the rest. These seemed to rate some social deference from the others, with the largest fish receiving the most deference. Then one day I noticed that one of the smaller fish had taken on the classic female spawning colors—a startlingly beautiful black, white, and gray, while the larger four fish took on a darker gray base coloration, with more intense coloration in general.

Female T. Wesseli with a few fry.


The other two (smaller) individuals did not change from their normal coloration. I assumed these two to be females, and I still believe this to be so.

After returning from work one afternoon, while doing the evening feeding I discovered that in this tank a massacre had occurred. Three of the four males were dead, in addition to one of the females—all showing physical injuries. After removing the victims, I put the remaining normally colored female in another tank containing two severums and a uaru. Taking this outbreak of violence as a sign of impending spawning, I waited a week or so, but nothing further happened, so I decided to try to move things along. The pH of the water from my faucets is typically neutral; that in my tanks usually is 6.6 to 6.8. I added some crushed coral to the media trays in my (Penguin) HOB filter, which pushed the pH up to about 7.3. I also remembered reading somewhere that with these fish, refilling with slightly warmer water during water changes will sometimes trigger spawning, so I did that with the next couple of water changes.

I observed no spawning activity, but noticed that each fish had chosen a cave, and was mostly staying in it or by it except at feeding time. Then one afternoon at feeding time I saw the female herding some fry around the mouth of her cave. They seemed to me to be few in number, but unusually large—certainly larger than newly free-swimming severum, chocolate cichlid, or H. carpintis fry. But small in number. They stayed in or near the cave for several days before beginning to explore the tank, escorted by the female. The male stayed in or near his own cave. As time passed and the fry grew, so, mysteriously, did their numbers. It seemed that every day there were more, until they were seemingly everywhere. The female did all the escort duty; the male stayed as well out of the way

as he could. I don’t know, but I wonder if he wasn’t looking after some of the wrigglers (maybe even some of the eggs) while holed up in his cave.

T. wesseli, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, is native to fast-moving, clear mountain streams. They appreciate water movement, and the fry, even while very small, take turbulent water very much in stride. Having more than once retrieved fry from the interior of canister filters, for the first few weeks after their appearance I put a home-made “pre-filter” over the Penguin’s intake. After observing how

these fry handled water changes (I refill using a hose), I’m not certain that precaution was necessary, though I’ll probably do so again should the occasion arise. Better safe than sorry.

In addition to whatever infusoria they gleaned from the planted tank, I started them off on finely powdered food like Cyclop-Eeze® (and others), graduating them to larger bite sizes as they grew. They are not fussy eaters. In general, T. wesseli seems to be more attracted to sinking food than to floating, though this could be partly due to habituation; the fry will go for the floating food, but the parents continued to prefer it to sink. The fish I got from Rusty may well have been exposed mostly to sinking food, and have continued to prefer that. We’ll see how these little ones’ preferences develop as they grow.

Sadly, though I still have not actually witnessed overt aggression from these fish, I awoke a couple of weeks ago to find the female badly beaten and dead. This of course was very frustrating. Perhaps results would have been different in a larger tank, but how much larger would be necessary? It’s hard to imagine a that a 55-gallon tank, or even a 75, would make much of a difference, as the tank length is the same. I recommend using a divider, if not a six-foot tank, until we have more accounts of successful (and unsuccessful) spawning methods and results. These are beautiful and interesting fish, and they don’t appear to have a large native range, so the more knowledge we have of their spawning and other social behavior, the better.

The female that I put in the 75-gallon tank got along fine with her larger South American tankmates until I sold her at a Greater City auction a couple of months ago. I still have the male and a large number of fry, and I’ll have to start finding homes for the kiddies soon. The male still avoids much contact with the fry, but he is very careful not to eat or hurt them during feeding time.

Photos by Marsha Radebaugh1 http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/theraps_wesseli.php

Male T. wesseli. Photo is a bit dark, but note the slightly different spawning colors, as well as the head and body shape.


Rewilding North AmericaDave Foreman

Island Press, 2004

a Series On Books For The Hobbyistby SuSAN PRIEST

Extinction of species is nothing new. It hasbeen going on for a very, VERY long time. Mr. Foreman begins by taking us on a

journey back to the beginning of extinctions. Thefive great extinction episodes of the past 540,000years, as revealed by fossil records, are brieflydescribed.

Most species last forfrom one million to tenm i l l i o n y e a r s . “Extinction, or evolutioninto daughter species, isthe fate of all species.” This constitutes so-called“normal” extinction. BUT, scientists have calculated that the current rateof extinction is occurring from one thousand to tenthousand times morerapidly than normal. The planet earth ise x p e r i e n c i n g a n“extinction crisis!” Thecause of this crisis canbe traced directly to “theeating, manufacturing,traveling, warring,c o n s u m i n g , a n dbreeding by six billionhuman beings.”

This book isorganized into threesections. They are: PartI, Bad News, Part II,Good News, and PartIII, Taking Action. (Ourauthor suggests that ifyou start to feel suicidalduring Part I, youshouldn’t feel any guiltabout jumping ahead.) Iwill briefly discussexcerpts from eachsection.

The Bad News isd i v i d e d i n t o s i xchapters. Two of themreveal the “EcologicalWounds of North America.” A clear choice for you,the readers of Modern Aquarium, is the section onNorth American freshwater ecosystems. “For allsorts of freshwater animals, the United States is the

center of diversity, but no other group of organismshas suffered more from development, or benefittedless from environmental laws than our freshwaterfauna.” 123 species of freshwater mollusks,crayfishes, amphibians and fishes have becomeextinct since 1900. Conservative estimates are that217 of 1,021 species (or 21.3%) of NorthAmerican freshwater fishes will be extinct by theyear 2100.

Hang onto your mental health, because weare about to jump ahead. “The good news is this:Just as modern biological and historical researchhas shown us clearly the ecological wounds of amass extinction, so it can teach us how we mightbecome ecological doctors and heal thosewounds.” Of the five chapters in Part II, the main

focus of Mr. Foreman isthe se l ec t ing anddesigning of protectedareas.

I think I just heardsomeone mumbling thatthis is not enough goodnews, so let’s see what

else we can come up with. A proper formula forthe rewilding of North America includes “mapping

biodiversity hot-spots,and then establishingthe largest road-lessboundaries aroundthem that we can.”Long, narrow areas aremuch less efficient thanwide rounded areas.The eastern UnitedStates has preciouslittle space which hasnot been taken up bystrip malls, banks, andgas stations. Hope forsuccess with theseinitiatives lies west ofthe Mississippi River,where there is stillenough “wilderness” towork with.

The single mostimportant considerationis that these areasshould be as roadlessas possible. Roads arean open invitation top o a c h e r s , t imbe rthieves, and many otherpeople who are note n v i r o n m e n t a l l y

minded. It is too bad that we didn’t start thinkingabout these issues a century ago when “horselesscarriages” were just starting to roll off theassembly lines!


26 October 2012 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)

Kingfish Services.net(http://www.kingfi shservices.net/)

Good for theHobby – Organizations – Industry

Ray “Kingfi sh” LucasCelebrating 23 years in the business

(1989-2012) of participating at your events.

One area of emphasis by the author is theneed for the presence of carnivores such aswolves, pumas, jaguars and eagles. “Ecosystemintegrity is often dependant on the functionalpresence of large carnivores.” They are naturalregulators of populations of prey species, as wellas of the balance between large and small seededplants. Even though I was able to grasp theserelationships, I thought that they could have beenexplained in a little more detail.

So far we have had the Bad News, which wasreported to us in page after page of startlingstatistics (of which I only gave you a very smallsampling), and the Good News, which doesn’tappear to be all that good. It would seem to methat our author has thoroughly prepared us toTAKE ACTION (Part III).

We could all have saved ourselves a lot ofpain and confusion if we had begun reading onpage 202, which is the first page of chapter 14. Iwon’t put you to sleep by typing in the title of thischapter. What I will do is take you hopscotchingfrom one paragraph to another.

Reintroduction of beavers. Putting a halt to predator and pest controls. Combating erosion. Prohibition of big tree logging. Removal of abandoned and unnecessary

livestock fencing. Identifying and removing barriers to wildlife

movement. Removal of destructive and unnecessary

dams. Protecting large roadless areas, small roadless

areas, and creating new roadless areas.

These are just a few examples to get youthinking. Many of them are interconnected. Manyare common sense and easily accomplished. Somecall for simply doing “nothing” instead of“something.” The reasons for and results of thesesuggested initiatives are explained. Some of themhave already been proven to be effective, andothers are proposals.

Following the text is a section of “Notes”which is basically a list of footnotes and referencesfor each individual chapter. There is also a verycomprehensive index. A perusal of its entries willmake you wonder to yourself “did I miss thatpage?”

Human humility and restraint. In the end,this is what Mr. Foreman says is called for. Canwe safely base our “Hope For The Future” (thetitle of the final chapter), on such frail qualities asthese?



Member Classifieds

EQUIPMENT:

Lifeguard AquaStep UV Light Hang-On -- 25 Watt $30Reaction 4 Model DFU with built-in UV for up to 150 gallon cannister filter $40Vortex Diatom Filter -- Model D1 $30Marineland BioWheel Pro Hang-on filter -- rated up to 400 GPH $25Pro Clear Skimmer -- Rated to 150 gallons $40Call Warren: 631-563-1404------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fish:

Salvini cichlid fry -- Various sizes 3/$5Call Herb 718-225-9648 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WANTED:

For Restoration Project: Does anyone have some pieces of bubble-edge glass? Perhaps from a broken or old tank? Need three pieces -- Will pay! Please contact Steve: [email protected].

Our Generous MembersEach month a blue sheet is located on our auction table where those members who donate items to the auction can indicate their donations if they wish to do so. Due to the immense generosity of those who donate, we have no shortage of items to be auctioned. A warm thank you to the following members and others who so generously contributed, making last month’s auction the bountiful success that it was:

Bill AmelySharon BarnettJules BirnbaumJeff BollbachCarlotti de Jager

Joe GraffagninoMichael MachtAl & Sue PriestDan PuleoDan & Marsha Radebaugh


GCAS Happenings October

Here are meeting times and locations of some aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York area:

GreATer CITy AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: November 7, 2012Speaker: Joseph FerdenziTopic: GCAS 90th!Meets: Meets the first Wednesday of the month (except

January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437Email: [email protected]: http://www.greatercity.org

BIG APPLE GuPPy CLuBMeets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July,

and August) at 7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538

BrOOkLyn AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: October 12, 2012 Speaker: NoneEvent: Giant Fall AuctionMeets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NYCall: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org

LOnG ISLAnd AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: October 19, 2012Speaker: TBA Topic: TBD Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on theState University at

Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - [email protected]: http://liasonline.org/

eAST COAST GuPPy ASSOCIATIOnMeets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399

nASSAu COunTy AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: October 9, 2012Speaker: TBATopic: TBDMeets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August)

at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave -

Rockville Centre, NYContact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766Website: http://www.ncasweb.org

nOrTH JerSey AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: October 18, 2012Speaker: Rosario LaCorte Topic: TetrasMeets at: The Lyndhurst Elks Club, 251 Park Avenue, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392Email: [email protected]: http://www.njas.net/

nOrwALk AquArIuM SOCIeTyNext Meeting: October 18, 2012Speaker: TBA Topic: TBDMeets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month at:

Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CTContact: John Chapkovich (203) 734-7833Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NASEmail: [email protected]: http://norwalkas.org/

A wArm welcome bAck to renewing gcAS memberS lAmont brown, Jeff george, michAel henderSon, And eddie weSt!

A SpeciAl welcome to new memberS JeSuS AlvArez And mArty kAtz!

Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners:1 RichaRd Waizman male betta

2 RichaRd Waizman Female betta

UnoFFicial 2012 boWl ShoW totalS to date:RichaRd Waizman 17 RobeRt hamje 10 jeRRy o'FaRRell 10 William amely 8RUben lUgo 5 caRlotti dejageR 3


In spite of popular demand to thecontrary, this humor and informationcolumn continues. As usual, it doesnOT necessarily represent theopinions of the editor, or of theGreater City Aquarium Society.

Lynda Taylor (left) and Cindy Wilkinson aretrying to find the owner of 'Lucky,' a Midascichlid that mysteriously fell from their friend'scedar tree.

A series by The Undergravel Reporter

Canadian resident Jan Bailey of Vancouver,British Columbia, saw a ratherunusual-looking

reddish orange fish, alittle more than nineinches long, dive out ofa tree in her backyard. Employees at a local petstore identified the fishas a Midas cichlid, anaquarium fish native toSouth and CentralAmerica and usuallyk e p t i n i n d o o raquariums.1

Cindy Wilkinson,Bailey’s friend andfellow fish rescuer, hastheorized, “Maybesomeone was cleaningout its tank and left itoutside for a minute.” Another friend, LyndaTaylor, who owns a koi pond, thinks the fish mayhave been put in an outdoor pond for the summerand snatched up for lunch by a passing eagle thatdropped it.

In any event, the fish, which has been named“Lucky,” is now in Taylor's possession in its own30-gallon tank with pH-balanced water, plants, anda bubbler to aerate his environment. But this is justa temporary home. Bailey, Taylor, and Wilkinsonhope to reunite the mystery fish with itsstill-missing owner.

While fish falling from the sky may beunusual, it is not unheard of. In 2010, hundreds oflive spangled perch, Leiopotherapon unicolor, fellout of the sky over the town of Lajamanu inAustralia.2 Meteorologists attributed this to atornado having sucked up the fish from rivershundreds of miles away. (This landlocked town is326 miles from the nearest river.)

The “climbing perch,” Anabas testudineus, isso commonly named because, near the end of the18th century, a specimen was found in a tree fivefeet off the ground.3 While more than likely thefish got there by being dropped by a bird or otheranimal, finding a live fish five feet off the groundin a tree could understandably cause someone tothink that the fish climbed up under its own power.

As an anabantoid, Anabas testudineus, has anaccessory organ that allows it to use oxygendirectly from the air and survive for extended

periods outside water(as long as its bodydoes not dry out). Inaddition, spines on itsbody give it sufficienttraction to allow it totravel on land, on mudfrom one pool of waterto another. Whetherthis fish can actuallyclimb trees is doubtful.

We all know thatfish can jump, but it’spretty doubtful that anyfish can climb a tree. However, if you everhear: “it’s raining fish,”that could actually betrue. And, if you keepMidas cichlids, you

might want to reinforce their tank’s cover — just incase!

1 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/mystery-fish-falls-from-tree_n_1757337.html?utm_hp_ ref=animals-in-the-news2 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1254812/Hundreds-fish-fall-sky-remote-Australian-town-Lajamanu.html3 http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/anabas-testudineus/



Fin FunIt’s October, season for apples, colorful (and falling) leaves, and, at the end of the month, visits from“ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggedy beasties -- and things that go bump in the night” holdingHalloween goodie bags. Some aquatic animals have been given common names that are truly “Halloween-ish.” See how many of these “ghoulish” common names you can match up with their correct scientificname.

Common Name Scientific NameGreen Terror Anoplogaster cornuta

Vampire Pleco Channa micropeltesBloodfin Tetra Apteronotus albifronsAssassin Snail Mobula mobular

Dracula Fish Leporacanthicus galaxiasBlack Ghost Knifefish Danionella dracula

Devil Stinger Fish Chauliodus sloaniGoblin Fish Aphyocharax anisitsi

Fangtooth Fish Anarhichas lupusDevil Fish Aequidens rivulatus

Giant Snakehead Inimicus didactylusViperfish Glyptauchen panduratus

Atlantic Wolffish Clea helena

Solution to last month’s Puzzle: See the Seahorse?


modern aquarium october 2012

Documents

delegate alexander

modern aquarium greater

issue of modern aquarium

betta uberisby alexander

abundant betta

members of greater city

endangered little betta

content of modern aquarium