Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Sticklebacks hold a special place in fish-keeping history – their fascinating breeding habits are credited with inspiring the development of the aquarium hobby in Europe in the 1700s.  The Sea Stickleback (Spinachia spinachia) is one of the group’s few marine representatives, and a good candidate for one of the most fascinating [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Among the 150+ species of catfish classified in the genus Corydoras, all native to Central and South America, we find some of the most beloved of all aquarium fishes. Yet despite their willingness to breed in captivity, not many aquarists make the effort. As we will see, however, [...]

Greetings! The big news this week? MACNA!! Our team is on location in Atlantic City for this year’s main event, and Dave will be tweeting on all the cool stuff going on there. I’m sure we can also look forward to a blog recap highlighting the showstoppers.
In the news this week: more new species. I’ve [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. As fall arrives in the temperate zone, outdoor koi ponds will need some attention if all is to go well when the temperatures drop.
Basic Considerations
The metabolisms of both koi and the various bacteria that occupy the pond and filter slow down as temperatures fall. Your fish will not be as hungry [...]

Hi, everyone. Jose here. Ever wonder why some people keep certain species of fish over others? Some people like to keep Oscars and Jack Dempseys because they eat other fish, others keep African Cichlids for their colors. Some choose bloody parrots because they are “cute” (hahaha, sorry), yet others of you have angels and rams [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Today I’d like to highlight some simple ways that you can become involved in hands-on research with marine animals. Next time we’ll take a look at programs designed for people interested in fishes.
Sea Turtle Research in Costa Rica
The Caribbean Conservation Corporation, founded in 1959 by legendary turtle biologist Archie Carr, was [...]

Dave here. Did you ever hear or see a news story that sent your mind into overdrive with strange thoughts? Last weeks news story about the Cincinnati Zoo’s record setting cheetah named Sarah, who ran 100 meters in just 6.13 seconds, was one of those stories that got me to thinking. [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Although varying dramatically from one another in appearance and lifestyle, corals, jellyfishes and sea anemones are closely related. Classified within the phylum Cnidaria, both immobile forms (“polyps”) and mobile species (“medusas”) bear unique stinging organelles known as nematocysts, with which they capture prey and defend themselves (many are capable [...]

Patty here. So about once a week we get a shipment of bulk corals, anything from polyps and mushrooms to leathers and acros. Every once in a while we find something new that we don’t immediately recognize, and this week we got an interesting piece that is very unique and hasn’t been immediately recognizable as [...]

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Fishes outnumber all other vertebrates combined, with nearly 30,000 species identified so far.  No doubt, the ability to learn has assisted in this success.  In Part I of this article, I recounted my experiences with “educated” electric eels in Venezuela, and gave some other examples of fish intelligence.  I’ll continue here, [...]