August 2018 volume XXV number 6
Series III ON THE COVER In honor of this month’s exchange article (see page 14), our cover photo this month features a spawning pair of turquoise severums (Heros efasciatus). Photo by Dan Radebaugh
Vol. XXV, No. 6 August, 2018
In This Issue From the Editor G.C.A.S. 2018 Program Schedule President’s Message
GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Board Members
President Vice-President Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Corresponding Secretary
Horst Gerber Edward Vukich Jules Birnbaum Ron Wiesenfeld Vinny Ritchie
Walter Gallo Victor Hritz Leonard Ramroop
Committee Chairs
Bowl Show Breeder Award Early Arrivals F.A.A.S. Delegate Membership N.E.C. Delegate Programs Social Media A/V Coordinator MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief
Joe Gurrado Warren Feuer Al Grusell Alexander A. Priest Marsha Radebaugh Joe Gurrado Sharon Barnett Sandy Sorowitz
Dan Radebaugh
Copy Editors:
Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Advertising Manager
Our Generous Sponsors and Advertisers Cartoon Caption Contest Microplastics A Threat to Fish and Humans? by Jules Birnbaum
If Pigs Could Fly
Members At Large
Pete D’Orio Al Grusell Jason Kerner
July’s Caption Contest Winner
Alexander A. Priest Donna Sosna Sica Larry D. Whitfield
by Stephen Sica
Newly Described Heros Species Heros liberafer by Peter Dittrich
An Afternoon of Passion by Elliot Oshins
Night at the Auction Rules Fishy Friendsʼ Photos Pictures From Our Last Meeting Photos by Joe Gurrado
G.C.A.S. Member Discounts G.C.A.S. Classifieds G.C.A.S. Happenings The Undergravel Reporter Gotcha!
Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) Snail Trails
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 14 23 24 25 26 28 29 30 31 32
From the Editor by Dan Radebaugh
T
he letter ‘P’ takes an important Place in this issue. We have articles on Plastics, Pigs, Passion, and of course, lots of Photos. Jules Birnbaum addresses a subject that has been much in the news of late, namely the ubiquitous presence of microPlastics in our environment, its effects on the environment at large, and what it may in turn mean for us People. Steve Sica, in one of his wonderful Photo essays, speculates on flying Pigs in the Bahamas, Al Priest chips in with our monthly Fin Fun Puzzle, and Elliot Oshins contributes “An Afternoon of Passion.” Can’t go wrong with that. And of course we can’t forget our monthly Fishy Friends Photos, and Pictures From Our Last Meeting. Lots of P’s in this Pod. Our Exchange article this month, “Newly Described Heros Species: Heros libarafer, by Peter Dittrich, is a bit longer than we’re used to, but contains many really good photos. The article piqued my interest, partly because of the photos, and partly because back in our May issue of 2008, I presented a brief article reviewing the Heros genus. The small chart accompanying that 2008 article is presented below. Heros efasciatus
Banded severum – the fish most of us would call a severum.
Heros appendiculatus
Same fish, different name.
Heros notatus
Very similar fish, from Guyana. Probably the same species.
Heros severus
Similar in appearance, but rarer in the hobby. A mouthbrooder that includes more vegetable matter in its diet than do the others. Rio Orinoco.
Heros sp. turquoise
A “turquoise” colored fish from a different geographical region.
Heros sp. rotkeil
Red on head and “shoulders.”
A quick online search for just about any kind of severum will show that exactitude about the members of this genus has not improved much over the past ten years. Dittrich mentions that some genetic comparison has been done, but after reading his article it seems to me that there is still plenty of room for further clarification. One of the differences I noted on my recent online search is that the so-called Sp. “turqoise” severum is now more commonly referred to as a regional color
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morph of H. efasciatus. Whether there is general agreement on this point I have so far not been able to ascertain. Below is a another photo of the pair shown on this month’s cover, which gives a little better idea of the blue hue of this fish.
Dittrich’s article is a bit contentious, as you will see, but it contains useful information, and points out some of the difficulties we encounter in the classification of a species (or complex of species) occupying a vast area and differing habitats. Habitat can influence genetic ‘drift’ over time. Things like color, diet, effective care of fry, etc. may all be affected. Add to this the confusion that has ensued with the (justifiable) reclassification of nearly the entire Cichlasoma genus, and the current lack of nomenclature agreement is probably unsurprising. Perhaps Dittrich’s article will stimulate more focused effort at further clarification.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
GCAS Programs
2018
I
t 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 accompany each meeting. March 7
Tom Keegan Fish Bio 101
April 4
Judith Weinberg Starry, Starry Night Cichlids: An inter-species love affair
May 2
Artie Platt Fishroom Tools
June 6
Ask The Experts Joseph Ferdenzi, Moderator
July 11
Salvatore Silvestri Apistogramma and other dwarf cichlids
August 1
A Night at the Auction
September 5
Kevin Kelly Lighting
October 3
Gary Hater Goldfish
November 7
Rusty Wessel
TBA 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 email submissions to gcas@earthlink.net, or fax to (877) 299-0522. Copyright 2018 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 that two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. For online-only publications, copies may be sent via email to gcas@earthlink.net. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without prior express written permission. The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail or by email. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437 or email gcas@ earthlink.net. Find out more, see previous issues, or leave us a message at our Internet Home Page: http://www. greatercity.net, http://www.greatercity.org, or http://www.greatercity.com. Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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President’s Message by Horst Gerber
P
erhaps because this is August, I am reminded that one of my recent sightseeing tours was a visit to the Wilson Bentley snowflake exhibition at the Old Red Mill in Jericho, Vermont. I’m sure you’re asking yourselves what a snowflake has to do with our aquarium hobby. Well, nothing, really. But I was impressed by the extreme dedication he displayed to his hobby in his (to us these days) relatively short lifetime (1865-1931). He photographed 5,000 undamaged snowflakes, using a microscope adapted to a camera, and showed that no two snowflakes are alike. Sounds relatively simple, right? Well, consider that to find and photograph one complete, undamaged snowflake, he had to gather and look at 1,000 to 1,500 different snowflakes. You do the math. By today’s standards he was using very primitive equipment. Can you imagine what a person like that might do with today’s technology? I wonder if no two killies are alike? Now that I have been President for just over a year, I can recognize some modern-day heroes that I wouldn’t have thought of before. One of these is Joe Ferdenzi, with his 19 years of dedication to Greater City as President, as well as his continued dedication to our club and our hobby. Others I can think of are Ken Lazara, who dedicated three years to re-write killifish nomenclature, and Tony Terceira, whose fish pictures keep getting better and better! I’m sure there are many more unsung hobby heroes.
Until next month…
Horst
Bentley published many articles for magazines and journals, including Scientific American and National Geographic. In 1931 his book Snow Crystals, containing more than 2,400 images, was published by McGrawHill, but has been out of print for many years. A soft cover copy, identical in all respects, can be obtained from Dover Publications, Inc. Bentley died at the family farmhouse in 1931. Images above are from Wikipedia.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
July’s Caption Winner: Bill Amely
Fish Farmers: A Self-Portrait
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
August 2018
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August 2018
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The Modern Aquarium Cartoon 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: gcas@ earthlink.net. 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:
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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MICROPLASTICS: A THREAT TO FISH AND HUMANS? by Jules Birnbaum
Fish caught by children who live next to a hatchery on Manila Bay in the Philippines live in an ecosystem polluted by household waste, plastics, and other trash. Whether and how microplastics ingested by fish affect humans is not yet known, but scientists are looking for answers.
T
here have been several recent studies around Experiments have shown that microplastics the world on the effects of discarded plastics damage aquatic creatures, as well as birds and turtles. in the oceans, lakes, and rivers of the world, They block the digestive tracts, diminish the urge to on fish and humans. One such study was done by eat, and alter eating behavior, all of which reduces a scientist at Columbia University in New York. growth and reproductive output. Their stomachs The scientist, Debra Lee Magadini of Columbia stuffed with plastic, some species starve and die. University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, in In addition to mechanical effects, microplastics Palisades, New York, looked at the liquefied digestive can have chemical impacts, because free-floating tract of a shrimp bought at a New York fish market. pollutants that wash off the land and into our seas— The findings were concerning. The shrimp was such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic described by the scientist as “fiber city.” Inside its gut aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and heavy metals— were seven squiggles of plastic. tend to adhere to their surfaces. Scientists at the All over the world scientists are finding, under University of Toronto offered a contaminated diet to microscopes, tiny pieces of plastic fibers, fragments, medakas (rice fish) for two months. The fish suffered or microbeads, that have made their way into marine liver damage. The scientists are also examining and freshwater species, both wild and farmed. These local banded killifish and oysters. Are microplastics scientists have found these microplastics in 114 affecting the ornamental tropical fish we import? Only aquatic species, more than half of which end up on time will tell. our dinner plates (National Geographic, June 2018). In this brief review I have not included the Now they are trying to determine what that means for effects of larger plastics on wildlife that get stuck in human health. the plastic. Plastic has been showing up in oceans all Every year, 5 million to 14 million tons of over the world. What we can do is give up plastic discarded plastic flow from coastal areas into our bags, straws, and bottles, avoid plastic packaging, oceans. Sunlight, wind, waves, and heat break down recycle what we can, and not litter. the material into smaller bits that look like food to So far we still don’t know how microplastics plankton, bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters), and fish. affect humans who consume fish and other seafood 8 August 2018 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
at the dinner table. We have learned that the microplastics stay in the guts of fish and don’t move to the muscle tissue which we eat. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, in a large report on the subject, concludes that people likely consume only negligible amounts of microplastics. Teams of scientists are working on the question of how all of this plastic affects the smaller fauna, the larger creatures that eat them, and ultimately us. Magadini thinks we will know the answers in 5 to 10 years’ time. In the meantime, let’s use less plastic, and recycle the plastic we do use.
Photos from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ magazine/2018/06/plastic-planet-health-pollutionwaste-microplastics/ Microplastics ingested by a water flea that’s three millimeters long glow green. In a lab, fleas were exposed to round beads and irregularly shaped fragments in amounts higher than in nature. The irregular pieces pose a greater threat because they can clump and get stuck in the gut.
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If Pigs Could Fly Story and Photos by Stephen Sica
Pigs and tourists meet. Did you know that a female pig is a sow? A male is a boar. A “herd” of young pigs is a drift, drove, or litter. A group of older pigs is a sounder of swine, a team or passel of hogs, or a singular of boar. You can look it up; I did!
A
few years ago, I read an article in my diving magazine about a herd of wild pigs living on a deserted cay neighboring Exuma in the Bahamas. I showed the article to Donna, and she said that since we had never been to Exuma, or made a social call to a colony of wild pigs, it would be a nice place to visit someday. I agreed. So last year, we were trying to decide where to travel for Donna’s birthday and our anniversary, which are eleven days apart. We brought up the pigs and Exuma. Donna began researching the island, and discovered that Sandals had taken over a Four Seasons resort there a few years ago. We had never stayed at a Sandals, so we decided to vacation at Sandals, with our primary goal being to visit the pigs. We thought that this would be something different to do, if not downright interesting. You might say that we were in hog heaven—or at least well on our way! We arranged for Cordelia’s dog-sitters, Cynthia and Lauren, to take care of her for the five days of our trip so that we could try to have some fun without her. The Sandals offered free scuba diving, but did not quite deliver. We did go diving once on a quality boat and crew about a two minute drive from the resort. Unfortunately, after twenty minutes underwater only thirty feet down, the other male among our group of five divers (plus our divemaster) ran low on air. We had to surface and drift a few minutes while waiting for the boat to pick us up. An instructor and student had been dropped off earlier for a one hundred foot deep dive. The student was studying for an advanced 10
open water certification, whereas the average diver is just open water certified. Advanced is one level higher. One of the electives to qualify for an advanced certification is deep diving. Diving below sixty feet begins the realm of deep diving, with the maximum sport diving depth being one hundred and thirty feet. My deepest dive was one hundred and thirtyseven feet in Belize, where I developed a slight hint of nitrogen narcosis—my mind began to go fuzzy. At the time I was in an open faced cave with an overhead environment attempting to take a few photos. I tried to concentrate on only two items for a few minutes. Take one photo, then check my pressure gauge. Do not run out of air!
For a little excitement, Gary led us through a coral cave. Below, a small Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus, greeted our exit from the coral cave.
During our only dive, divemaster Gary finds a lionfish hovering in the open. The dive was abbreviated by an “air hog,” that is, a diver who requires lots of air due to either inexperience, or a large physical stature.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Back on Exuma, we signed up for a boat tour to visit the swimming pigs. Two days later a tour group of about twenty-four took a bus to a dock about three miles away. We boarded two speed boats with twin 275 and 300 horsepower outboard engines. They sped off through a series of islets and cays on the way to the island of pigs. Our handlers drove the boats at high speed to give us a thrill. After a while we motored to an islet. A swarm (or is it a herd?) of pigs bounded over a rise and headed down to the beach. Two large pigs swam toward our boats. The remainder stayed on the beach so we would come to them. I rationalized that pigs were indeed very intelligent to manipulate humans to approach them during low tide. We anchored several yards out and waded to shore. The pigs already knew that we were coming from so many encounters with humans, so why expend energy swimming to the boats?
After petting an adult pig, Donna spies this adorable piglet.
Donna demonstrates a piglet petting pose for my camera. Does Wilhelmina have any openings for new models?
A Bahamian pig wades into the water to greet Donna. She obliges with a back rub. I would conjecture that this pig weighs more than my slender spouse.
I'm sorry, but I don't happen to have a chicken dog on me. Please don't eat my camera!
A striking pose of a two-tone pig. Is she mistaking my camera for a chicken dog?
I try to meet the piglet. Can the large pig be the little one's mother?
Take it from me, there are some mighty fine pigs in this group. Tour guide in white shirt offers a chicken dog to one of his charges.
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
We spent about half an hour “playing” with the pigs. The adults were huge. There were a few adolescents and one baby. The tour guides fed them hot dogs. Does that make them cannibals? Actually, Donna asked about the meat. She was told that they
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fed the pigs chicken dogs, so they weren’t eating their relatives. The guides also fed the pigs a variety of vegetables from the resorts and filled troughs with fresh drinking water. This is done daily no matter the weather.
took photos with a GoPro camera. Donna and I just took photos. We already had enough scars from feeding animals, such as the small orange female cat, who kept insisting that I pet her last May while we were taking a walking tour of Ernest Hemingway’s Old Havana—mostly his bars and other hangouts. Did you know that Hemingway lived twenty of his sixtyone years in Cuba? I guess it gave him inspiration. We visited another island that had a steep cliff to a wall, with the sea breaking below. There was also a mini blow-hole that took delight in spraying some of our group who ventured close for photo opportunities.
Holding my GoPro camera aloft, I strike my best pose for Donna. When I asked her “who's prettier?”she diplomatically declined to respond. I hope that she thought it was me!
Humans meet iguanas on deserted beach in the Exumas. FYI, iguanas enjoy grapes as a food of choice.
A small blow hole delighted us by cascading upon tourists trying to pose next to it. Timing is everything!
On the trip back to our hotel, we anchored in seven or eight feet of water. The crew handed out snorkeling gear. Donna and I had brought our facemasks. I jumped in with my camera. We discovered a large black spot so I asked a guide about it. He said that it was a mini blue hole of forty-five feet to the bottom. This made it about fifty-three feet to the surface. I Donna is one-on-one with an iguana. Later, I asked her if she was proposing. She said that she was developing her “iguana whisperer” technique.
After we had our fill of pigs, we visited an islet overrun by iguanas. The sound of the boats was the signal for wildlife to head for the beach. It was interesting to see a hundred lizards scampering down to the beach toward us. The guides carefully fed them, and a few tourists attempted to do so but those sharp beaks kept our hands to ourselves. One tourist had a bleeding finger. She wasn’t “lady be quick!” One young woman sat on a rock and was surrounded by several iguanas, which she fed while her man friend 12
After we left the pigs, we stopped to snorkel at a shallow reef. Sergeant majors, Abudefduf saxatilis, hover above the reef in less than ten feet of water.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
took a breath and dove down, but after about twentyfive feet I realized that I no longer had the “right stuff,” and shot back to the surface. The water was murky, so I took a few murky photos as I swam around the perimeter of the blue hole. Soon we were on our way back to Sandals. After a late lunch, Donna was raring to go, while I needed to take a nap and dream about pigs.
A mini blue hole, less than ten feet from the ocean's surface, is ready for exploration. Here is a portion of its circumference. The tour guide said that it was only forty-five feet deep. If I had scuba gear, I'd head straight for the bottom. From this view, the water is an inky shade of dark blue, hiding its bottom features. I wonder if any fish are at the bottom?
We ended our excursion with a December anniversary stroll along a lovely beach before returning to Sandals. Goodbye semi-wild critters and hello lunch!
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Reprinted from the June 2016 issue (#288) of Buntbarsche Bulletin, official publication of the American Cichlid Association, Inc (ACA). To join the ACA visit the ACA website, cichlid.org, or contact Claudia Dickinson, ACA Membership Coordinator, PO Box 5078, Montauk, NY 11954, or email ivyrose@optonline.net.
Newly Described Heros species – Heros liberifer (S & S , 2015) TAECK
By Peter Dittrich
CHINDLER
Translation: Klaus Steinhaus
n January of 2014, I published an article in the German Cichlid Association bulletin (DCG Informationen) which was also published in Buntbarsche Bulletin #283. In that article (Dittrich, 2014) I questioned the identity of Heros severus. A more comprehensive article about this issue was published in the second edition of VDA-aktuell with the title “Unbestimmte Augenfleckbuntbarsche aus Venezuela und der echte Heros severus” [Undefined eyespot cichlids from Venezuela and the real Heros severus] (Dittrich, 2014a). The question about the identity of the mouthbrooding eyespot cichlid was not unfounded because, as we found out in 1994, Stawikowski published a 14-line contribution in the 26
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
A tank shot of bright-re
DATZ mag “I was all imported of the Rio ‘real’ Hero bi-parenta which wa Kullander ground a informatio article are It is no evaluation what met lander m severus. A the year be the in aquarium publicatio June 2016
ecies
2015)
: Klaus Steinhaus
A tank shot of the new Heros species, Heros liberifer. The pattern of horizontal lines of bright-red dots on the lower half of the body is one of the diagnostic features. Photo: Peter Dittrich
published man Cichlid DCG Inforpublished #283. In 4) I quesos severus. ticle about n the secll with the fleckbuntd der echte ed eyespot nd the real 014a). identity of pot cichlid use, as we owski pubion in the #288
DATZ magazine saying the following: “I was all the more surprised that an imported Heros species from the area of the Rio Orinoco was actually the ‘real’ Heros severus Heckel, 1840, a bi-parental larvophile mouthbrooder which was later confirmed by S.O. Kullander”. The scientific background and the quotability of this information in the before-mentioned article are surely insufficient. It is not given that any physical evaluation has been made, or with what methods and arguments Kullander made an assignment to H. severus. Also, the identification from the year 1994, unreliable as must be the information published in an aquarium magazine (not a scientific publication), now used as proof for June 2016
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
the scientific correctness is a comprehensible error. Had Stawikowski suspected what importance his 14line contribution 20 years ago made later, he would surely have added a few more words to Kullander’s participation and would have made a formal quote. The question of the mouthbrooding eyespot cichlid really being Heros severus has not been discussed any more since 1994 or been questioned. Due to the article “Eine Frage Herr Heckel, wer ist den Ihr Heros severus?” [A Question Mr Heckel, Who is Really Your Heros severus?], which was published in the DCG Informationen the subject became current again (Dittrich, 2014). However, my article is not the first discussing the
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288
Heros cf. notatus “Rio Negro”: males of this species have red or brown spots on Photo: Peter Dittrich the the cheeks.
Heros liberifer: males have red or brown cheek spots. Most Heros have large dots or a vermicular pattern. Photo: Peter Dittrich
identity of Heros severus. In a dissertation from 2008 the author discusses this subject and names the mouthbrooding Heros as an undescribed species (Graca, 2008). Even if this dissertation according to Staeck (2015) represents no scientific publication, it shows that my question was not without merit. Staeck and Schindler, probably due to my article in the DCG Informationen, decided to look into this classification and described a new Heros species, “Heros liberifer”. The name liberifer comes from the Latin words liberi (children) and ferre (carrying) together and refers to the reproductive behavior of this species. With this newly described species, the Genus Heros now has five valid
members: Heros severus, Heros efasciatus, Heros spurius (Heckel, 1840), Heros notatus (Jardine, 1843) and Heros liberifer (Staeck & Schindler, 2015). Interestingly Heros liberifer lives sympatricly with Heros severus. Staeck (2009) mentioned this first however, with the opinion at the time that the mouthbrooding Heros is Heros severus and that the real Heros severus as Heros sp. “Uaupés” (Römer, 2006) described was, in Staeck’s own words: “Especially worthy to mention is that by El Ninal I caught a second Heros species which was easy to differentiate in its color pattern and to recognize as in the Orinoco area but also in the upper Rio Negro, right to the area of the mouth of the Rio Uaupes, very com-
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#288
A female Heros liberifer in agressive/broodcaring mood.
Photo: Peter Dittrich
Heros liberifer pair. Male (left) has good, visible dots on the cheeks.
Photo: Peter Dittrich
June 2016 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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mon Heros severus.” Staeck & Schindler describe for Heros liberifer the following diagnostic features: Heros liberifer differs from all its congeners by a pattern of several horizontal series of bright-red dots on the lower half of the body (versus no rows of red dots), a distinct caudal spot in adult specimens (versus caudal spot usually merged with bar 2 in adult specimens) and tiny dark dots on the operculum and cheeks in adult males (versus large dots or a vermicular pattern). Just a little while ago I was able to take a photograph of a Heros that surely cannot be identified as Heros liberifer. It also has a small black spot on the caudal peduncle. That brings up the question: are we able to accept the diagnostic features used by Staeck & Schindler? This Heros shows properties of Heros severus and Heros liberifer – possibly a natural hybrid. These fish were collected in a tributary of the Rio Atabapo by my good friend Roland Rietsch. The issue of further species within the genus Heros still remains interesting. In an issue of the DCG Informationen, I introduced (Dittrich, 2015) several, at the time unidentifiable, types of the genus Heros and named them Heros sp. “[location]”. In the same article I show a photo of an eyespot 32
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Heros sp. “Atabapo” looks similar to H. severus. The half 3rd bar is shorter than the others, but merges with the 2nd bar. Photo: Peter Dittrich
Heros liberife Another diag caudal spot
Probably the real Heros severus “Casiquiare” (male), with the half 3rd bar, as Heckel described for H. severus. Photo: Jörg Albering
A distinct ca
Heros severus “Casiquiare” (female): females have no lines on the cheeks or the head area, Photo: Jörg Albering like the males do.
Buntbarsche Bulletin
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#288
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
cichlid with bapo” which er photo fo In the DCG June 2016
everus. , but
r Dittrich
Heros liberifer Heros sp. “Atabapo” Another diagnostic feature is the distinct caudal spot in adult specimens (versus Photos: Peter Dittrich caudal spot usually merged with bar 2 in adult specimens).
are”
Albering
A distinct caudal spot can be clearly seen in this picture.
ales area,
Albering #288
cichlid with the name Heros sp. “Atabapo” which was also used as the cover photo for the VDA aktuel 2/2014. In the DCG Informationen 10/2015 Modern JuneAquarium 2016 - Greater City A.S (NY)
Photo: Peter Dittrich
Staeck published an article about the identification of cichlids using color and patterns. Interestingly he shows there the same animal that I
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An Afternoon of Passion by Elliot Oshins
I
t was a Sunday afternoon in early April, and the weather was still cold. By one o’clock I still had not heard from my friend Jack. I wasn’t sure if he was going to the dance or not. At that moment the phone rang, and it was Jack. I told him I was happy to hear from him, and that I would meet him at the dance. Jack and I are still out there looking for “Miss Right.” Our local dance club was run by a group called The Free Sons. I enjoyed going there with my friends, as it was a good place to meet the opposite sex. I’ve gotten a few dates from attending their dances. The dance started at 3 P.M., and I got there fashionably late, about 3:15. I walked in and the place was hopping! I paid my 10 dollars at the door and checked my coat. The music was loud and the DJ was playing a very fast number. I was heading for the bar when I spotted a very attractive young woman. I walked over to her and introduced myself. “Hi, my name is Marvin. How about you and I show everybody here how to do the rumba?” She looked up and said, “No thanks” pretty quickly, and I moved on. I thought to myself, “Strike One.” I walked away frustrated and rejected, and when I looked back she was walking onto the dance floor with a guy about 6 feet tall wearing a blue suit with brown shoes. Go figure. I scanned the room and spotted my friend Jack. He was dancing with Doris, a girl we both knew. Then, looking around, I saw three attractive girls standing near the bar and I felt this was a good opportunity. I walked over to them and said, “Hi, my name is Marvin, but my friends call me Mickey. They have a nice turnout today, even with the rain. Do you girls come here often?” One girl, Kathy, said “Rain or shine. I would never miss a dance here.” The way she said it, I felt that she was playing games with me. Then to my surprise, the DJ put on a lindy hop, and at that moment Kathy took me by the arm onto the dance floor. The way she moved I kind of figured that she was a better dancer than I. Dancing close to her, her perfume was intoxicating, and I felt as if I was falling in love with her. I was glad when the DJ played a rumba. After the rumba we headed back to the bar. I asked Kathy what she was drinking, and she told me she would have a vodka and tonic. Kathy said that she had been to this dance before and never saw me until today. I said, “That’s strange, I would have spotted you right away. You’re one of the prettiest girls here.” She blushed while thanking me. Kathy was about 25
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
years old, and had beautiful blue eyes and red hair. What she saw in me I didn’t know. Maybe it was the vodka and tonic I bought for her. Back at the bar, Kathy’s sister was talking to a man I’d seen around but didn’t know his name. It was then that I realized that Kathy was a twin. Kathy asked me how I spent my free time when I wasn’t working. I told her that I had a very strange hobby; I was into tropical fish. Kathy wanted to know how I got into that hobby. I told her that when I was very young we had a bird and a goldfish. The bird made so much noise that I decided it was time for me to get some tropical fish. Kathy said when she was very young she also had a goldfish, and when she came home from school she would feed her fish. “So Marvin, tell me about some of your fish.” I told her that I have a very interesting fish called a Copadichromis borleyi, which are cichlids from Lake Malawi in Africa. They are mouth brooders. The female deposits her eggs on a flat rock and the male fertilizes them, after which the female takes the eggs into her mouth until they are ready to be spit out as baby fish. It’s very fascinating to watch. By this time, Jack had showed up with a young girl named Inga. She was from Sweden, and I had never seen her before. She was going to school here to get her doctorate in psychology. Then Kathy said it was getting late, and she had to leave soon. She was a nurse, and was on duty that night. She said she was sorry that she had to leave and end our little party. She bent over and kissed me, and gave me her phone number. Like Clint Eastwood said, “She made my day!” Jack told me there was a dance at the YMCA in two weeks. I told him that I would love to go, but my good friend Rudi had told me there was a fish auction in New Jersey, and that I had agreed to go with him. Jack’s friend Inga wanted to know what a fish auction was. I told her a fish auction is a place where those who are into the fish hobby in a big way go to buy or sell fish or aquarium accessories. The auction runs about five hours, which gives you an idea of how many fish people bring there to sell. They also sell a lot of fish food. I have also bought a few LED lights, which are the newest technology for tanks and are the best lights to use. LED lights are a vast improvement over old fluorescent lights that have been used in years past. The prices vary at each auction, and they can be strong
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or weak; you never know. I have bought LED lights at one auction that were high in price, and the next auction might be a lot cheaper. So you never know. At these auctions you always seem to see people you know. I find the auctions a lot of fun. The auction in New Jersey gives out raffle tickets to all the young people that accompany their parents. The auctioneer
then calls out the numbers on the raffle tickets. They give a lot of ten-gallon tanks to the younger children. I think it’s a great idea! And don’t forget to quarantine the new fish for three weeks, so that you can avoid “flush time.”
LOOKING FORWARD TO
DECEMBER By Marsha Radebaugh, Membership Chair
A
s most of you know, every December we gather as a club and celebrate the season by having a meal together and presenting awards to our members for their various achievements. A good time is generally had by all, as we usher in our 2-month Winter break, prior to starting a new membership year in March. In my capacity as Membership Chair, it has fallen on me to make the arrangements for our Annual Banquet. It isn’t complicated, but it can be challenging. For the past several years we’ve held our Banquet at the Flagship Diner, which I believe has worked well. In 2016 we were made aware that the Flagship would be closing, but not for a few years. At that time Dan and I did a search for another location, but to no avail. Alas, negotiations for the Flagship to stay open collapsed, and they closed their doors on July 22nd. Now the search begins anew, and I find that I will need assistance from the membership in this effort. We have just three short months to find another location. So I ask for your suggestions. Please email me your recommendations, and I will follow up. Here are our requirements: Private Room, capacity 60 or more Parking lot Convenient to public transportation Available the first Wednesday night in December from 7:00PM to 10:00PM If you have a place in mind that can fill these needs, Please email me at marsap@earthlink.net. I will follow up regarding specifics of menu and other details. Thank you,
Marsha 24
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Fishy Friends’ Photos B
by Greater City Aquarium Society Fishy Friends
elow are photo submissions to our “Fishy Friends” Facebook group. I’ve left the subjects unnamed, but not the photographer. If you see a shot you like, and want more info, ask the photographer about it! I’m sure he or she will be delighted to tell you!
Joe Gurrado
Ruben Lugo
Gilberto Soriano
Joe Gurrado
Ruben Lugo
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Pictures From
Our speaker Sal Silvestri (center) with a couple of familiar faces
Jason Kerner
Jules Birnbaum and Herb Walgren
Some much appreciated manufacturer donations
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Modern ModernAquarium Aquarium--Greater GreaterCity CityA.S. A.S (NY)
Our Last Meeting
Photos by Joe Gurrado
A warm welcome to our newest member:
Lita Goldberg
Bowl Show Winners:
1st place: Bill Amely
2nd place: Rich Waizman
3rd place: Rich Waizman
Our star auctioneer, Ed Vukich
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GCAS Member Discounts at Local Fish Shops
10% Discount on fish.
20% Discount on fish. 15% on all else.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on fish.
10% Discount on everything.
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10% Discount on everything except ʽon saleʼ items.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything.
GCAS Classifieds FOR SALE: African cichlids -- all sizes, as well as tanks and accessories. Call Derek (917) 854-4405 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR SALE: 45 gal Tall tank w/black stand, hood, light.
46 gal Bow brown tank w/stand, hood, light 20 gal tank w/hood, light, filter
Call 516-567-8641 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR SALE: 75 gal tank w/iron stand, canopy. Call Kris: 516-282-6677 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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GCAS Happenings
August
Last Month’s Bowl Show Winners: 1 William Amely 2 Richard Waizman 3 Richard Waizman
Piebald blue/red Betta White black giant Betta Koi Betta
Unofficial 2018 Bowl Show totals: WILLIAM AMELY
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RICHARD WAIZMAN
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CARLOTTI DeJAGER 1
A warm welcome back to renewing GCAS members Jason Gold, Andrew Jouan, and Kristofer Knowles! A special welcome to new GCAS member Lita Goldberg!
Meeting times and locations of some of the aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York City area: Greater City Aquarium Society
East Coast Guppy Association
Next Meeting: September 5, 2018 Speaker: Kevin Kelly Topic: Lighting Meets: The first Wednesday of each month (except January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Horst Gerber (718) 885-3071 Email: pilotcove43@gmail.com Website: http://www.greatercity.org
Big Apple Guppy Club
Meets: 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
Meets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399
Nassau County Aquarium Society Next Meeting: September 11, 2018 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBA Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30 PM. Molloy College, at 1000 Hempstead Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY, in the PUBLIC SQUARE BUILDING, room 209A. See website for directions. Contact: Harry W. Faustmann, (516) 804-4752. Website: http://www.ncasweb.org
NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Next Meeting: September 15, 2018 Speaker: Sal Silvestri Topic: Keeping and Breeding South American Dwarf Cichlids Meets: 12:30 PM - 3rd Saturday of the month, at Clark Public Library in Union County, just off the Parkway at exit 135 Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 Email: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com Website: http://www.njas.net/
Brooklyn Aquarium Society Next Meeting: September 14, 2018 Speaker: Justin Spall Event: Setting Up A Plant Room Meets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NY Call: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455 Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org
Long Island Aquarium Society
Norwalk Aquarium Society
Next Meeting: September 21, 2018 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBA Meets: 3rd Friday of each month (except July and August) at 8:00 PM. LIAS Meetings are held at SUNY Stony Brook's Maritime Science area. Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on the State University at Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY 11790 Email: president@liasonline.org Website: http://liasonline.org/
Next Meeting: September 20, 2018 Speaker: Kevin Carr Topic: King of the Monsters Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month except for July & December at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: Sal Silvestri Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS Email: salsilv44@yahoo.com Website: http://norwalkas.org/
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In spite of popular demand to the contrary, this humor and information column continues. As usual, it does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of the Editor, or of the Greater City Aquarium Society.
A series by “The Undergravel Reporter”
Y
ou know how hard it is to net out a particular fish from a tank to take it to a bowl show, an auction, or to quarantine it. The larger the tank, the more challenging the task. Now consider how much more difficult it is to catch a particular fish in the ocean, without harming it.
Scientists studying the deep sea have built an underwater robot that can gently scoop up delicate fish, squid, and even jellyfish, with a folding container inspired by the Japanese art of origami.1 To create a robot hardy enough to work reliably in the open ocean, yet flexible enough to scoop up fast-moving animals, the scientists wanted to simplify their design and reduce the number of moving parts. Reference: 1
With the origami design, only one motor is needed to fold five identical 3D-printed “petals” that are attached to flexible joints into a 12-sided box. The team used the new box to capture and release moon jellyfish in an aquarium and squid and Stellamedusa jellyfish in the open ocean at depths of 500 to 700 meters. In the ocean, scientists mounted the joystick-controlled arm to a remotely operated vehicle. The joystick operator used a video feed to make sure the animal didn’t get squished during the folding. That’s good news for deep-sea creatures that are too delicate or gelatinous to be caught with traditional techniques such as nets and suction samplers, the researchers report. In the future, the scientists hope to attach sensors to the device so it can serve as a mini–underwater lab that would let
researchers examine animals without having to remove them from their environment. They say their folding robot might one day even be used in space—for example, to attach solar panels to satellites. For now, the robot will help scientists investigate the deep ocean, the largest and least explored environment on Earth. Maybe later there’ll be a “home version” for aquarists?
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/watch-origami-fish-grabber-nab-deep-sea-squid
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Fin Fun Help “Shelly,� our aquatic snail, navigate this maze.
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Solution to our last puzzle:
agassizii barlowi brevis cacatuoides elizabethae gibbiceps helkeri inconspicua inornata kullanderi linkei macmasteri nijsseni norberti pulchra regani similis taeniata trifasciata 32
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Celebrating 25 Years of Modern Aquarium Series III