Unusual Fish-Discoveries

UNUSUAL FISH AND NEW DISCOVERIES

Hundreds Of New Marine Species Discovered
(AP) Marine scientists say they have discovered hundreds of new animal species on reefs in Australian waters, including brilliant soft corals and tiny crustaceans.

A total of 274 species of fish, ancient corals, mollusks, crustaceans and sponges new to science were found in icy waters up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) deep among extinct volcanoes, they said. The scientists mapped undersea mountains up to 500 meters high and canyons larger than the Grand Canyon for the first time, the government's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) said.
The creatures were found during expeditions run by the Australian chapter of CReefs, a global census of coral reefs that is one of several projects of the Census of Marine Life, an international effort to catalog all life in the oceans.

Among the creatures discovered were about 130 soft corals - also known as octocorals, for the eight tentacles that fringe each polyp - that have never been described in scientific literature, and scores of other crustaceans that have never been catalogued, including tiny shrimp-like animals with claws longer than their bodies.

(AP Photo/Gary Cranitch)



Conjoined Nile tilapia fish

(Click Pictures to enlarge)


These conjoined Nile tilapia fish swim in a Bangkok aquarium. They are eight months old and share a part of their stomachs. The bigger fish tends to protect the smaller one from harm, while the smaller one looks for food at the bottom of the aquarium.



Nile tilapia can reach a maximum of two feet in length and can weigh up to nine pounds. Originally from waters stretching from Africa to the Cape Horn, the fish was introduced to freshwater irrigation systems so as to fight algae growth but has now become a pest.
The Nile Tilapia fish is a common freshwater species found in tropical rivers, canals, lakes and ponds but these two were found in a Bangkok aquarium.


Fish That Glow Red

(Click Picture to enlarge)
This is a striking photo of a triplefin reef fluorescing red. According to new research, many reef animals glow red but that capacity is usually overlooked scientists because most of that wavelength of sunlight is absorbed out as you go more than 10 meters down into the ocean. As a result, most animals from that zone see blue light and green light best. But University of Tübingen evolution ecologist Nico Michiels and his colleagues suggest that the red-glowing fish carry an untold biological story about the spectrum of the sea. From Science News:
Michiels noticed the red fluorescence in 2007 while diving with a mask that filtered out all but red wavelengths for another project. As he descended, the sun's available red light dwindled quickly, leaving him in virtual darkness. Then he was startled to see the red fluorescent eyes of a fish, the red fin of another …. Since then, he and collaborators have found that 32 reef fishes sampled from 16 genera give off a red fluorescent glow. Substances on their bodies capture light at other wavelengths and release the energy as red light.

Most of the red-fluorescing fish are small and likely to have mates or neighbors close by, so red glows would make good short-range signals for courtship or other local business, Michiels suggests. The idea that seawater has rendered red ineffective "is a kind of dogma we are attacking," he says. "I would hope that the whole light ecology of reefs is reconsidered."

Sources:
Fish Glowing Red

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Zebra Fish for Human Cancer Research

A Transparent Zebra Fish is created to give a clearer idea of how cancer spreads

FROM:
Science News; Transparent Zebrafish Help Researchers Track Breast Cancer

"What if doctors could peer through a patient's skin and see a cancer tumor growing? They'd be able to study how tumor cells migrate: how they look, how they interact with the blood system to find nourishment to grow and spread through the body.

Zebrafish are genetically similar to humans and are good models for human biology and disease. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have created a zebrafish that is transparent throughout its life. The new fish allows scientists to directly view its internal organs, and observe processes like tumor metastasis and blood production after bone-marrow transplant in a living organism".

VEGF secreting human tumor cells inducing angiogenesis within the Zebrafish body wall. Tumor cells are shown in red (DsRed), fish blood vessels are shown in green (GFP). (Credit: UCSD School of Medicine)



This is really neat in my opinion that a popular and easy to keep tropical freshwater fish is being used to help people in such a way.
Something I was not aware of is that Zebra Fish were chosen for their strong genetic similarities to human beings. Each internal organ of the fish and its bones can be seen clearly throughout its life. Through these studies, observations have shown already that the spread of cancer cells are not random – they home in on a particular area.

Zebra Fish were the first fish I got in a 5 gallon aquarium I received for Christmas in 1967. This tank was quite basic with a "bubbler" corner filter, which were quite simple but do not compare to even the most basic sponge filter. The aquarium lighting was basic clear incandescent bulbs and the heater was an automatic HOB Metaframe Heater.

Blog inspired and sponsored by Thomas Butler

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Celestial Pearl Danio, Galaxy Rasboras

Newly Discovered Fish Facing Extinction - March 13, 2007
Release from: United Press International
HOPONG: An aquarium species discovered in Southeast Asia in August is facing possible extinction because of intense demand for the colorful fish.

 

Updated 2/7/14:


The celestial pearl danio -- Celestichthys margaritatus -- was discovered by a commercial aquarium fish dealer near the town of Hopong in Myanmar, formerly Burma, along the China and Thailand borders.
When this fish first appeared on the Internet forums, many thought that this fish was the result of an ardent Photoshopper. This fish caught the fish keeping world by storm with many people clamouring to get their hands on this elusive fish.

Measuring less than an inch, the fish is deep blue with pearly pink or golden iridescent spots, National Geographic News reported. It lives in heavily vegetated ponds in that remote northern area.



Initially the danio's location was kept secret, but other commercial dealers soon learned of the fish, Tyson Roberts, an ichthyologist told National Geographic. Within a few months one Thai company alone had exported about 15,000 of the fish, Roberts said. Since then, exportation is estimated to have reached 10 times that amount, mainly to Japan, North America, and Europe.

Roberts also said that captive breeding may be the only way for the aquarium hobbyist to ensure a supply of the species in the future, since it is reportedly already nearly fished out in the area where it was discovered. He detailed the discovery in last week's issue of the journal "Raffles Bulletin of Zoology".
Picture above from: The Celestial Danio, a highly anticipated species description by Tyson Roberts

Comment:
According to National Geographic, this original post was greatly exaggerated. Here is a quote from National Geographic News
“CORRECTION: The original title of this March 7, 2007, article— "Aquarium Fish Threatened With Extinction Just Months After Discovery"— exaggerated the threat to the fish, says ichthyologist Tyson Roberts, who is extensively quoted. The availability of the fish to aquarium suppliers at the discovery site is rapidly dwindling, but as mentioned later in the article, the species most likely doesn't face a threat to its survival because other populations of the fish probably exist in areas inaccessible to fishers, he says."

This is not to say captive breeding programs should not be started and used as a primary source for these fish for the aquarium trade.
I had an earlier post about this here:
Galaxy Rasbora under threat.
I have read more as more information has become available, and found my own comments to be premature and even the name of this fish (along with better male pics) has gone through changes.

Here is a little more information about these beautiful fish:

• Scientific Name: Celestichthys margaritatus (previous scientific name: Microrasbora Galaxy)
• Temperature: 24 C (75 F)
• GH: 9 dGH (about 150 ppm)
• Size: about 1 inch; 1.5 – 3 cm (female often only 1.5 cm)
• Location: Myanmar

Breeding
Although the primary focus of Fish as Pets posts/articles is “Aquatic News” (unlike Aquarium Answers which is more focused on researched information), I will provide some breeding information gleaned from others and Danios/Rasoboras in general.

Most sources agree that Celestial Pearl Danios are not at all hard to breed and compare to other Rasboras/Danios in breeding behavior.
Feeding frozen or FD bloodworms to the adults diet daily will keep them in spawning condition.
Product Source: Premium Freeze Dried Blood Worms

The CPD (Galaxy Rasboras) should be separated from other fish and it should be noted that they will eat their own eggs. They spend every moment of their awake time hunting through spawning “mops” to eat the eggs and newly hatched fry.
Best is to utilize a method that screens the adults from the breeding mop/moss at the bottom of the aquarium or better is to separate the adults immediately into separate “rearing tank” with a Sponge Filter for filtration.

Product Source: ATI Premium Hydro Sponge Aquarium Filters

Further Information: Aquarium Filtration, Types of Filters, Troubleshooting

It should also be noted that CPD spawn regularly, so chances are even if you miss the spawning one time, you might catch the spawning the next time it happens.
Young Celestial pearl danios will also eat new hatches, so the small juveniles must be moved out prior to adding new eggs.
New hatches will grow from about 15 mm to about 60 mm in 4 weeks. Fry prefer to stay in bushy tall plants near the surface for the first few weeks of life.

Please also see this article from a member of Everything Aquatic:
CELESTIAL PEARL DANIO



Here is an interesting video of celestial pearl danios spawing in an aquarium:


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Prescription drugs flushed may harm fish

"Prescription drugs flushed down the toilet may harm fish, experts say"

Despite what people have been told for years, unused and expired prescription drugs should not be disposed of in the toilet, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"Medications that are flushed down the toilet or thrown straight into the garbage can and do find their way into our nation’s waterways every day,” Sam D. Hamilton, Southeastern Regional Director, said in a statement released today.

“Those drugs are present in water that supports many species of fish and other wildlife.

"We are concerned about reports of fish abnormalities possibly caused by improperly disposed prescription medications.”

The service has joined with the American Pharmacists Association in a partnership to educate the public about what they can do “to clean up our waters and help prevent fish, and people, from inadvertent exposure to prescription medication," he said.



Comment:

Although you should NEVER flush any medications or chemicals down the toilet, this article is somewhat alarmist. First of all most antibiotics break down rapidly and will not last long water (most not longer than 48 hours). Second, ALL sewage must be treated before being dumped into our water ways, so this should never make it into aquatic habitats if someone is doing their job. This said, dumping any waste into the gutter or storm drains should never be practiced.

For more information about Aquarium Medications, please follow this link:
AQUARIUM MEDICATIONS, treatments, how they work, and which ones to use and not to use.

Or for GOOD information about Aquarium Lighting which is a fast evolving subject sadly with copious amounts of misinformation: