That Fish Blog – Aquarium Advice and Information

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Marine aquarists and divers are well-aware of the mucous “sleeping bags” produced by Parrotfishes and certain Wrasses each night.  It was assumed that these cocoon-like structures discouraged eels, crabs and other nocturnal predators – perhaps the mucous hid the sleeper’s scent, or was bad-tasting or toxic.  A study at Australia’s Queensland University, however, has revealed that the mucous cocoon’s main purpose may be to deter external blood-sucking parasites – the first known example of such a phenomenon.

A Good Reason to Hide

Writing in the November 17, 2010 issue of the journal Royal Society Biology Letters, researchers have established that sleeping Parrotfishes suffer numerous parasite attacks when deprived of their mucous cocoons (I couldn’t determine how they removed the cocoons without waking the fish!).  Parrotfishes with intact cocoons sleep peacefully through the night, and were rarely bitten. Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Many of the 2,700 scientists involved in the Global Census of Marine Life are meeting this month (October 7-10, 2010) in London to discuss the information they have gathered over the past 10 years.  In what is surely one of the largest scientific collaborations ever undertaken, researchers studied creatures ranging from microorganisms to whales in habitats stretching from pole to pole and shoreline to ocean abyss. 

Grand Ecosystems and Grand Studies

It is impossible to overstate the importance of the world’s marine habitats and the billions of organisms that make their homes in them – from providing one half the world’s oxygen and much of humanity’s food to influencing climate the world over, their influence cannot be escaped.  Read More »

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  I find it quite easy to imagine a Lungfish-like creature pulling itself from an ancient sea, setting off on land and, in the process, changing the course of life on earth.  Indeed, paleontologists believe that a fish very much like today’s Australian Lungfish (Neoceratodus fosteri) pulled off just such a feat during the Devonian Period, some 160 million years ago, and in doing so set the stage for the evolution of all terrestrial vertebrates that followed (talk about “leaving your mark”!).  Read More »

It is back to school time for most of America’s children. Backpacks, bright yellow buses, and droves of children gathered on street corners to be carted off to fall classes. Our children gather in schools to learn. Meanwhile, around the globe, millions of fish gather in schools for other reasons. Not big brick building schools, but large, synchronized groups – a fascinating behavior known as “schooling.”   Read More »

We have combined two of our most popular events; our annual Customer Appreciation Sale, and our NCPARS/TFP frag swap into one weekend. We may be crazy, but that is the way we like it around here. The event weekend is October 2nd and 3rd, the frag swap will be held on saturday October 2nd from 11-5 here in the store, with the same setup as our two past winter frag events.

The Customer Appreciation event is free, and access to all the manufacturers and event sales are open to everyone. The Frag Swap is admission only, $5 dollars for NCPARS members, $10 for non members. All proceeds benefit NCPARS (North Central Pennsylvania Aquarium and Reef Society), a local non-profit aquarium club. There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of frags available inside the swap, and all TFP livestock will be 25% off the entire weekend. For more information and to pre-register for the event visit NCPARS, and check out some of the amazing frags available. You can pre-arrange trades, or browse at the event. pre-registration is not required, you can pay at the event if you just want to show up.

Come on out and join the fun, it is going to be huge!!!!!