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T HE REEF & MARINE AQUARIUM MAGAZ INE

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Fish arrive from collection points two to three times faster

Much faster = much healthier

Healthier animals = successful and happy aquarium

What doesSSCmean for me?

Short Supply Chain(SSC) means:

Ask your retailer for

Quality Marine SSC sh.

Visitwww.qualitymarine.com for more information

The Softest Ride from Reef to Retail

Scan formore info.

Fish arrive from collection points two to three times faster

Much faster = much healthier

Healthier animals = successful and happy aquarium

What doesSSCmean for me?

Short Supply Chain(SSC) means:

Ask your retailer for

Quality Marine SSC sh.

Visitwww.qualitymarine.com for more information

The Softest Ride from Reef to Retail

Scan formore info.

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2 LETTER FROM EUROPEby Daniel Knop 5 EDITORS PAGEby James M. Lawrence 6 LETTERS 8 REEF NEWS20 RARITIES by Scott W. Michael

TwoBoxyBeauties(genus Ostracion)

30 INTERVIEW: Dr.WilliamWalsh

FEATURE ARTICLES42 DRAGONETS by Daniel Knop

48 THE SYSTEMATICS OF THE DRAGONETS (CALLIONYMIDAE) by Inken Krause54 RETHINKING DRAGONETS Amodernguidetoselecting,feeding,andbreeding theMandarinshesandScootersby Matt Pedersen

60 ONE FISH, TWO FISH, RED MANDARINFISH? DecodingthegeneticsoftheRedMandarinsh by Adeljean L.F.C. Ho

62 LESSONS FROM THE HUMBLE SCOOTER BLENNYLookingforbreedingbreakthroughs

inpelagic-spawningspeciesby Matthew L. Wittenrich

64 BLUE LIGHT

Anditsimportanceforthecolorsofstonycorals by Cecilia DAngelo and Jrg Wiedenmann

78 NOTES FROM THE UNDERSAND Deepsandbedsby Ronald L. Shimek, Ph.D.

96 CHAETOMORPHA by Daniel Knop

102 A MOSQUITO NET FOR FISHES Theaquariumhobbymeetsscience by Dieter Brockmann, Ph.D.

AQUARIUM PORTRAIT107 BELGIAN PRALINES

TheaquariumofTheovandenBerg by Inken Krause

DEPARTMENTS115 SPECIES SPOTLIGHT:TheSpinyDevilshby Daniel Knop121 REEFKEEPING 101:

Threadalgaeeveryreefkeepersnightmareby Daniel Knop

126 CORALEXICON:Technicaltermsthatappearinthisissue130 ADVANCED AQUATICS:

ProjectSECOREstalksthespawningstonycorals by J. Charles Delbeek

134 ADVERTISER INDEX

136 REEF LIFE:by Denise Nielsen Tackett and Larry P. Tackett

V O L U M E 8 N U M B E R 6

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CORAL, The Reef & Marine Aquarium Magazine,(ISSN:1556-5769) is published bimonthly in January,March, May, July, September, and November by Reefto Rainforest Media, LLC, 140 Webster Road, PO Box490, Shelburne, VT 05482. Periodicals postage paid atShelburne, VT, and at additional entry oces. Subscriptionrates: U.S., $37 for one year. Canada, $49 for one year.Outside U.S. and Canada, $57 for one year.

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COVER:Mandarinsh (Synchiropus splendidus),photo by D. Knop.

BACKGROUND:Stichodactyla spp.,photo by Morgan Mok.

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5/1412 CORAL

I

notes from DANIEL KNOP

was a bit taken aback recently when I came

across a recipe for Rainbow Vegetables with

Mandarinsh.

Granted, anyone who has spent much time

in the Philippines has certainly become used to

the fact that essentially all living things are re-

garded as edibleor at least an overwhelming

majority of them.

But the idea of consuming Rainbow Veg-

etables with Mandarinsh awakened a desire

for simpler food that perhaps wouldnt otherwisehave been very high on my list.

The recipe specied that the Mandarinsh

should be lleted, cut into small pieces, and heat-

ed with oil in a wok before nally adding the veg-

etables. How unappetizing! The vegetables recom-

mended included carrots, shiitake mushrooms,

and celery; spices and nely chopped ginger were

also called for. Sound bizarre? As we have been

working on this issue featuring Mandarinshes and

dragonets, I thought so.

So I headed off to the Internet to try to shed a little

light on the matter. I searched specically for recipesfor cooking Mandarinsh, and to my surprise I found a

number of them. Continuing to shake my head, I came

to the conclusion that there must be a whole lot of peo-

ple out there with very strange tastes in food. There were

also recipes for cooking lionsh, and even a book on thesubject.

But back to the Mandarinsh recipes: they all dif-

fered somewhat from one another, but none of them

showed a picture of our attractive little

reef shesjust illustrations of appe-

tizing dishes with colorful bits of veg-

etable and sh of some sort. I delved

somewhat deeper into the subject and

soon came up with an explanation:

There is, in fact, an edible mandarin-

sh, Siniperca chuatsi, a freshwater sh

found in China that is also known asthe Chinese Perch. And it isnt related

to our gorgeous Green Mandarinsh,

Synchiropus splendidus, not even close.

Its in the family Serranidae, which in-

cludes the sea basses and groupers, and

is considerably meatier than any drag-

onet in the aquarium trade.

Happy Reading!

LETTER

Mandarinfsh, Bian Shoumin, Qing Dynasty, China.

KORALLEeditor Daniel Knop

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thrIVE

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CORALs freshwater sibling is on the way

ne of the bedrock principles of this maga-

zine is a belief that our mission is to serve

readers interested in marine aquariums

and coral reefs. We have left freshwater

and brackish subjects to others and have

very determinedly never mixed them within

the same set of covers.

That said, scratch a marine aquarist and you will

often nd someone who started out with a freshwater

tank or even someone still drawn to non-saltwater spe-

cies. Who among us does not admire a beautiful tankful

of Discus, and who has not marveled at the lush plantedaquaria and zen-like moods achieved by modern day

freshwater aquascapers?

As it happens, CORAL has a younger sister publica-

tion that is considered one of the worlds nest fresh-

water magazines, although heretofore only available in

German. It comes from Matthias Schmidt and his Natur

und Tier-Verlag publishing house in Mnster, where our

partner magazine KORALLE is also produced.

AMAZONAS is now in its seventh year of publication

in Germany, and beginning with the January/February

2012 issue, it will also be available in English, published

by the same team that brings you CORAL.We are very much looking forward to working with

Hans-Georg Evers, below, the high-energy, highly re-

spected founding editor ofAMAZONAS. A world traveler

to tropical source countries where freshwater aquarium

species are found in the wild, Hans combines an intense

curiosity about the natural world, about new and exotic

species, and the hands-on husbandry skills needed to

keep and breed shes and invertebrates in home aquaria.

This is not an effort to sell you another subscription,

but rather to keep the loyal CORAL readers, sponsors,and aquarium retailers aware of what we are doing. There

is, you should be assured, no intention of diluting the

message ofCORAL, but rather attempting to ll a void in

the English-language magazine marketplace, where we

believe a periodical dedicated to freshwater content can

nd a following of serious enthusiasts.

Does the world need another aquarium magazine?

We think it needs this one, passionately devoted to fresh-

water subjects in the same way that CORAL stays stead-

fastly focused on all things marine. For anyone in the

CORAL audience wishing to know more aboutAMAZO-

NAS, check out www.amazonasmagazine.com. We willbe posting sample content and news about the launch.

There is, of course, the old joke about two rival

aquarists, one freshwater and one marine, exchanging

good natured barbs: Salt Creep, says one. Freshwa-

ter Dip, responds the other. Keeping things marine and

fresh separate editorially still makes a great deal of sense

to us, but we believe that there is no reason that both

cant exist under the same roof.AMAZONAS is coming,

and we invite any interested CORAL readers and partners

to welcome it.

James M. Lawrence

Shelburne, Vermont

AMAZONAS, the new magazine of Freshwater Aquariums &

Tropical Discovery, edited by Hans-Georg Evers, below left.

O

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correspondence from our readers

P O S H F I S H B O W L S

An open letter to Animal Planet and responsible aquarists

As an aquarium lover who doesnt consider aquariums as

mere decorative objects, the Tanked show on Animal

Planet television has left me deeply concerned.

There are two approaches to the interest in aquari-

ums. For some people (notably, the customers depicted

in this show), aquariums are a

mere object of decoration, noth-

ing else.

For others, myself included,an aquarium is a fascinating

small piece of the natural world,

more or less accurate, but still full

of living things. As such, I think

it serves several purposes, not just

the pleasure of its owner. Its an

educational tool; for instance, for

many people who cant afford a

trip to tropical zones its the only

opportunity to get in touch with

the amazing biodiversity one can

nd there.The aquarium hobby does

raise complex issues involving

ethics and the economies of de-

veloping countries, for which, ac-

cording to the FAO, the aquarium

trade can be highly benecial.

Also, the purpose for which marine organisms are col-

lected and transported to an aquarium is (in my opin-

ion) an important aspect. Most of us agree that harvest-

ing an animal for food cant be seen as unethical. If the

purpose is learning? Well, there will be opinions on that.

But what about decoration? Keep reading.According to at least one published study, the stress

levels of shes living in a properly set up aquarium can

actually be lower than in the natural world. This makes

sense, given that an aquarist doesnt normally stock an

aquarium with predators and prey, and the sh is living

in a healthy enough environment with plenty of food.

However, this collides with at least some of the

decorative systems shown in Tanked, such as the in-

famous New York City phone booth tank. Fishes need

an environment with a certain complexity to express

their natural behaviors. Reef shes need rock with plen-

ty of crevices and corals. Other shes need a sufcient

amount of sand to burrow, and often they need it to

search for food, having special adaptations.

None of these prerequisites are covered in examples

such as the phone booth tank. Hence its fair to assume

that the shes will be stressed. Worse, the tank is clearly

overstocked.

What do I imagine when I watch the show? Well,

for me it is depicting people with money who nd

aquariums cool and who, being

wealthy enough, have no prob-

lem at all with replenishing their

dead stock monthly.Now compare: is there a dif-

ference between collecting an an-

imal to be cramped into a poorly

designed tank, and, hence, to

have a shorter lifespan subject to

heavy stress, and putting it into

a tank in which it will have a

reasonable life expectancy, living

in an environment close enough

to the real thing that the animal

wont notice the difference?

And here is the problem.There is mounting pressure on

the aquarium trade to be respon-

sible and sustainable. And depict-

ing the hobby in that way, show-

ing the decorative aquarium

furniture of wealthy people, full

of disposable sh, the program is damaging the reputa-

tion of all us in the hobby. And its giving unfair ammu-

nition to our detractors.

If Animal Planet pretends to be a channel about edu-

cation and the natural world, a reality show about posh

sh bowls is not the best approach. At the same time, Iam sure that a properly done program could be much

more interesting than the current approach.

Borja Marcos

Algorta, Vizcaya

Spain

Editor: Other opinions on this subject are invited on the

CORAL Web Site: http://www.coralmagazine-us.com/

content/animal-planet

Readers are invited to write the Editor:

Editors@CoralMagazine-US.com

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20

11

A

q

u

Atic

Life

LLc

Bri ngin g t he oceAn to you, wh erever you mAy Be.

a q u a t i c l i f e . c o m

roLL up this mAgAzineAnd hoLd it to your eAr.

7/30/2019 Coral - Dec, 2012

13/14110 CORAL

or the frst time that chemicals on the suraces o seaweed

could harm coral. To assess the scope o the coral-seaweed

interaction, the researchers ollowed up their initial study

by investigating interactions between eight dierent spe-

cies o seaweed and three species o coral growing in the

waters o the Fiji Islands. In 79 percent o the interactionsstudied, the seaweed chemicals harmed the coral.

The most potent toxins were two loliotide derivatives

rom the red alga Galaxaura lamentosa and two acety-

lated diterpenes rom the green alga Chlorodesmis fasti-

giata. Both loliotides and diterpenes are terpenes, a large

class o organic compounds produced by many types o

plants and some insects, including toxin-bearing butter-

ies and termites.

Though some corals were more resis-

tant than others, what we have shown is thatthese seaweeds are generally bad or corals,

said Hay, who has been studying coral rees

or more than 30 years. At some level, these

seaweed molecules can defnitely kill the cor-

als. But at other levels, what they are probably

doing is cutting o the options or rees to re-

cover by making these rees unreceptive to newly arriving

coral larvae. It is difcult or juvenile corals to colonize

and grow through a chemically toxic layer o seaweed.

In the 2010 study, the researchers determined that

seaweed harmed coral only when their suraces touched.

That meant the harmul compounds were likely hydro-phobic chemicals that dissolved in oil rather than water.

To identiy the specifc harmul compounds, the re-

searchers produced extracts rom the suraces o the two

most harmul seaweeds. Using a technique called bio-

assay-guided ractionation, they categorized compounds

in the seaweed extracts according to the degree to which

they could be dissolved in oil versus water, or by size. M.E.

HAY.

OPPOSITEPAGE:D.B.

RASHE

R.

Researcher Douglas Rasher tending a rack of

experimental coral fragments on a reef in Fiji. After

exposure to dierent macroalgae species, almost 80

percent of coral colonies were damaged or killed.

Take care of yourphosphate problem with PhosBan, the granular

ferrichydroxide filtermediumrecommended by Julian Sprung. Keep

phosphate levels low for MONTHS, not just days, for a cleanaquarium

and enhanced growthof corals. OurPhosBanReactors aredesigned

with the upflow principle for the most efficientuse of PhosBan or other

chemical filter media.PhosBanPhosphate Adsorption Media

and thePhosBan Reactors. PROBLEMSOLVED.

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They then placed gels containing the extracted com-

pounds into contact with the most sensitive coral, Acro-

pora. The coral samples had been placed into metal racks

located on healthy coral reefs near Votua Village in the

Fiji Islands. Similar gels not containing the extracts were

used as controls, and produced no effect on the coral.In the future, the researchers hope to learn more

about the compounds and how they evolved in seaweed.

Contact between seaweed and coral would have been

limited on pristine reefs, so Hay and Rasher believe the

molecules may have evolved as part of a defense against

microbes or herbivorous sh.

We hope that this information will inform the Fi-

jians to help them make decisions about sheries man-

agement that could help protect the reefs, said Rasher.

We hope to give them scientically guided management

tools for maintaining healthy reefs, or for restoring de-

graded reefs suffering from local human disturbance.

Our study shows that regardless of what factors aredriving coral decline, once algae become established,

they can suppress the recovery of coral.

REFERENCES

Rasher, D.B., E.P. Stout, S. Engel, J. Kubanek, and M.E. Hay. 2011.Macroalgal terpenes function as allelopathic agents against reef

corals. PNAS. 10.1073/pnas.1108628108

D.

KNOP

Far left: Porites

colony showing the

eect of contact

with Lobophora

variegata, an

encrusting fan-leaf

macroalga (arrow).

Left: clump of Turtle

Grass, Chlorodesmisfastigata, on a Fiji

reef. Note absence of

corals immediately

adjacent to it.

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15/14112 CORAL

Invasion o the Pearly RazorfshA sh from American and Caribbean waters has been

newly discovered by the European aquarium trade

and is reportedly creating a stir worldwide. The Pearly

Razorsh,Xyrichtys novacula, has classic razorsh anat-

omy, and the species is notable for the bright red col-

oration seen in some adults, although many specimens

are plain cream or greenish in color.The species may be a new and expensive rarity in

the aquarium trade, but it was described by Linneaus

in 1758. Its natural distribution is the Western Atlan-

tic and extends from North Carolina and the Gulf of

Mexico, in the Caribbean to South America, and as far

as the coast of West Africa. According to Scott Michael,

Pearly Razorsh demand a large aquari-

umat least 240 gallons (900 L)and

a deep (5 inches [13 cm]) sand bed for

burrowing. Its considerable adult size of

up to 15 inches (38 cm) must be taken

into account. Large specimens can be-come aggressive and will consume small

tankmatesshes, crustaceans, and

shelled mollusks. The pair pictured here

were purchased by a sh enthusiast from

Thailand who found them at Reef Corner,

a Belgian aquarium shop, so hopefully

they will want for nothing.

Inken Krause

White pox happens:Acropora-killing disease traced

to human pathogenA research team from Rollins College inFlorida and the University of Georgia has

identied human sewage as the source

of the coral-killing pathogen that causes

white pox disease in Caribbean Elkhorn

Coral,Acropora palmata.

Once the most common coral in the

Caribbean, Elkhorn Coral was listed for

protection under the United States En-

dangered Species Act in 2006, largely due

to white pox disease.

Kathryn P. Sutherland, associateprofessor of biology at Rollins College,

and her research collaborators, associate

professor of environmental health sci-

ence Erin K. Lipp and professor of ecol-

ogy James W. Porter of the University of

Georgia, have known since 2002 that the

bacterium that kills coral is the same spe-

cies that is found in humans.

When we identied Serratia marc-

escens as the cause of white pox, we could

only speculate that human waste was the

source of the pathogen because the bac- D.

SCHAUER

early Razorfsh,Xyrichtys novacula

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JAMESW.

PORTER

Healthy Elkhorn Coral,Acropora palmata, on Molasses Reef in the Florida Keys.

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terium is also found in the waste of

other animals, Sutherland said.

In order to determine a source for

the pathogen, the research team col-

lected and analyzed human samples

from the wastewater treatment facil-

ity in Key West and samples from sev-

eral other animals, such as Key Deer

and seagulls. While Serratia marcescens

was found in these other animals, ge-

netic analyses showed that only thestrain from human sewage matched

the strain found in white poxdiseased

corals on the reef. The nal piece of

the investigative puzzle was to show

that this unique strain was pathogenic

to corals.

With funding from Floridas Mote

Marine Laboratorys Protect Our

Reefs grant program, Sutherland,

Lipp, and Porter conducted challenge

experiments by inoculating fragments

of coral with the strain found in bothhumans and corals to see if it would

cause disease. The experiments were

carried out in a laboratory in closed

seawater tanks to eliminate any risk of

infecting wild populations of corals.

The strain caused disease in Elk-

horn Coral in ve days, so we now have

denitive evidence that humans are a

source of the pathogen that causes this

devastating disease of corals, Suther-

land said.

We are killing the goose thatlays the golden egg, and weve got the

smoking gun to prove it. These bacte-

ria do not come from the ocean, they

come from us, said Porter.

Serratia marcescens is also a patho-

gen of humans, causing respiratory,

wound, and urinary tract infections,

meningitis, and pneumonia. Human

diseases caused by this bacterium are

most often associated with hospital-

acquired infections in newborn infants

and immune-compromised adults. JAMESW.

PORTER

White pox investigators Kathryn Sutherland

(left) and Hunter Noren studying diseases

of Elkhorn Coral at the Mote Marine

Laboratory on Summerland Key, Florida.

Their analyses revealed that the bacterium

that causes white pox disease in corals has

jumped from land to sea and from humans

to these invertebrates.

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JAMESW.

PORTER

This research reveals a new disease pathway, from humans to wildlife,

which is the opposite (reverse zoonosis) of the traditional wildlife-to-hu-man disease transmission model. The movement of pathogens from wildlife

to humans is well documentedexamples are avian u and HIVbut the

movement of disease-causing microbes from humans to marine invertebrates

has never been shown before. This is the rst time that a human disease has

been shown to cause population declines of a marine invertebrate.

Bacteria from humans kill coralsthats the bad news, said Porter. But

the good news is that this problem is not like hurricanes, which we cant con-

trol. We can solve this one with advanced wastewater treatment facilities. The

entire Florida Keys is in the process of upgrading local wastewater treatment

plants, which will eliminate this source of the bacterium.

The Rollins College and University of Georgia collaborative research

group is currently funded by a $2.2 million grant from the National Sci-ence Foundation to investigate the ecology of white pox disease in the Florida

Keys. The ve-year study will focus on mechanisms of transmission of the

coral pathogen and the factors that drive the emergence and maintenance of

white pox outbreaks, including water quality, climate variability, and patterns

of human population density. We are concerned that disease incidence or

severity may increase with rising temperatures, Lipp said, reinforcing the

importance of protecting near-shore water quality in a changing climate.

REFERENCES

Sutherland, K.P., S. Shaban, J.L. Joyner, J.W. Porter, and E.K. Lipp. 2011. HumanPathogen Shown to Cause Disease in the Threatened Elkhorn Coral Acropora palmata.

PLoS ONE 6(8): e23468. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0023468

Elkhorn Coral showing efects o white pox inection that causes bleaching and, oten,

death o the colony.

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19/14116 CORAL

T

.FELIS,

MARUM

Corals from the desert

One might think that the middle o a fercely arid des-

ert would be the last place to look or corals, but an in-

ternational team o marine scientists recently let thesea behind in a search or ossil stony coral skeletons.

Together with his Jordanian colleague, Dr. Saber

Al-Rousan, marine geologist Dr. Thomas Felis o the

Center or Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM)

in Bremen, Germany, made a 12-day expedition into

the Jordanian desert. The Gul o Aqaba

is the northeastern arm o the Red Sea

that separates the Arabian Peninsula

rom the Sinai Peninsula. The biodi-

versity o its tropical coral rees today

makes this area o the sea a paradise ordive travelers, but corals were growing

here hundreds o thousands o years

beore the invention o SCUBA. Due

to geological activity, part o these rees

were uplited above the surace o the

sea and are now partially covered by the

desert sands. Probably the northern-

most uplited ree terraces in the world

are ound at Aqaba.

The two scientists obtained a total

o more than 43 eet (13 m) o cores,

containing 28 dierent ossil corals,near the Gul o Aqaba. These coral

cores may provide inormation on the

climate in this region o the Red Sea in

times past.

Like trees, corals also orm annual

growth rings. The environmental con-

ditions o past eras are stored in these

so-called density bands, and one meter

o coral core permits us to look at 100

years o coral growth rom the past. The

cores rom the Jordanian desert cover

time windows ranging rom a ew de-cades to a ew centuries within the last

6,000 years, as well as within the last

period o warming around 122,000

years ago.

Thomas Felis says that he is very

surprised at the excellent state o pres-

ervation o these ancient corals, which

over the coming years will provide

unique inormation about the climatic

history o the Near East.

The coral cores are now stored at

MARUM, where Felis is studying them

Marine geologists drill cores of fossilized coral in the Jordanian

desert, with each meter of material representing 100 years or

more of growth and dating back centuries and millenia.

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further. X-rays make the individual density bands visible

for determining age, and geochemical research provides

details of changes in temperature and sa-

linity in this region of the Red Sea.

Albert Gerdes, MARUM (IDW)

U.S. residents say Hawaiis coralreef ecosystems worth $33.57

billion per year

A peer-reviewed study commissioned by

NOAA shows that the American people

assign an estimated total annual eco-

nomic value of $33.57 billion to the coral

reefs of the main Hawaiian Islands.

The study shows that people from

across the United States treasure Hawaiis

coral reefs, even though many never

get to visit them, said Jane Lubchenco,Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for

oceans and atmosphere and NOAA ad-

ministrator. It illustrates the economic

value of coral reefs to all Americans, and

how important it is to conserve these eco-

systems for future generations.

We are pleased that research is be-

ing done to look at the value of Hawaiis

coral reefs, but before we consider any

potential applications of the study we

will consult closely with local communi-

ties, said William J. Aila, Jr., chairpersonof the Hawaii Department of Land and

Natural Resources.

The study employed a scientically de-

veloped national Internet survey of more

than 3,200 householdsa representative

sample of all U.S. residents, not just those

from Hawaii or coastal regions. From

June through October 2009, the survey

allowed the public to assess the value

of the coral reef ecosystems around the

main Hawaiian Islands and their prefer-

ences for their protection and restoration.

In this study, total economic value

includes so-called passive use val-

ues, such as the willingness to pay

to protect the coral reef ecosystem

for future generations, as well as

direct use values, such as snorkel-

ing over a coral reef or consuming

sh supported by coral reef eco-systems.

A panel of independent uni-

versity and private scientists, from

both Hawaii and the continental

U.S., provided facts to the survey

design team about the Hawaiian

coral reef ecosystems and estimates of how they would

change in response to two possible management options.

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N

OAA

The descriptions, including illustrations, o improvements to coral ecosys-

tems gave survey respondents a clear understanding o what they were being

asked to value and see the changes to the ecosystems that would result rom

the protection measures.

To estimate the underlying value the public places on coral ree ecosys-

tems, the study team presented survey participants with two specifc mea-

sures to protect and restore coral ree ecosystems. One measure aimed to re-

duce deleterious eects o fshing on coral ecosystems, and the other ocusedon repairing rees damaged by ships.

The main Hawaiian Islands consist o eight volcanic islands that range in

age rom active lava ows on the east side o the Big Island to seven-million-

year-old Kauai. Despite their economic signifcance, rees near urbanized ar-

eas, such as Honolulu, Wailuku, and Kahului, have experienced increasing

stress rom ever-increasing population and other pressures.

Young Stout Moray Eel, Gymnothorax eurostus, in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback

Whale National Marine Sanctuary, of the coast o Maui.

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Two Boxy Beauties

GenusOstracion

The amily Ostraciidae has many fashy members that

have attracted the attention o ichthyologists, underwa-

ter photographers, and aquarists or decades. Not only

are they unusual and somewhat comical in appearance,

many are also boldy hued and patterned. But or anyone

that is really into boxshes (a.k.a. trunkshes), there are

two species that inspire special joy and awe: Whitleys

Boxsh (Ostracion whitleyi) and its more common cous-

in, the Solor Boxsh (O. solorensis).

Both o these boxy beauties hail rom the PacicOcean, although O. solorensis is more

widely distributed. It ranges rom Indo-

nesia and Papua New Guinea, south to

Christmas Island and the northern Great

Barrier Ree. Whitleys Boxsh is only

ound in more eastern Oceania, having

been reported rom the Hawaiian Islands,

Johnston Atoll, the Marquesas, and the

Society and Tuamotu Islands. (It is report-

ed to be common only in the Marquesas.)

Both species preer clear, seaward rees,

but O. solorensis tends to be most com-

mon in areas with lush coral growth and/or on walls

with caves and overhangs.Most boxshes are haremica male guards a terri-

tory that includes the home ranges o one to several e-

males. The spawning oO. whitleyi has been observed,

occuring at dusk. The male will approach the emale and

position his snout against her back. He will occasion-

ally bump her with his snout as the pair ascends 37

eet (12 meters) above the substrate, where they release

their pelagic gametes. The eggs are large (the long axis is

about 1.7 mm) and contain oil droplets or buoyancy.

Both species are sexually dichromatic, like many

other members o the genus Ostracion. Most would say

that the males are more colorul, but the emales o both

Ostracion solorensis male

by SCOTT W. MICHAEL

Ostracion

solorensis

female

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species are quite attractive. Male O. whitleyi are mainly

deep blue, with black-edged white stripes on the upper

and lower sides and numerous white spots on the dor-

sum. The female is golden brown on the upper sides and

back, with white spots (the larger the female, the smaller

and more numerous the spots) and a broad white stripe

along the side of the body. The male Solor Boxsh is blue

on the sides and belly with lighter, dark-edged spots and

lines all over the body and caudal peduncle. The dorsum

is dark with tiny white spots. The female O. solorensis is

dark brown with a network of reticulate white lines on

the body and white spots on the back. The color of bothanimals will fade in captivity if they are kept in subopti-

mal conditions or not fed a varied diet, or if the animal

is sick. Whitleys Boxsh is a larger animal, reaching a

maximum length of about 6 inches (15 cm), while O.

solorensis attains about 4 inches (11 cm).

FEED ING AND THE B OX FISH AQUARIUM

All boxshes have relatively small mouths but thick lips

and jaws, armed with a single row of conical to inci-

siform teeth that are well suited for rasping food from

the substrate. Both O. whitleyi and O. solorensis feed on

a variety of invertebrates and algae. They are especially

fond of didemnid tunicates and

sponges. Fortunately, they can usu-

ally be switched to the common pre-

pared frozen foods, nely chopped

seafood, and frozen mysid shrimp in

the home aquarium. On occasion,

an adult specimen refuses aquarium

fare and you may have to introduceinvertebrate-encrusted live rock to

induce a feeding response. I have

had males engage in these initial

fasts more than females. More often

than not, with time both species will

become very tame and will even take

food from your ngers.

While these shes actively move

over the reef seeking food, they do

not swim rapidly and they often

hover near reef crevices and under

overhangs and caves. So, when providing an aquascapefor your boxshes home, be sure you provide them with

swimming space, but also create adequate shelter sites.

These sh cannot slip into a crack or narrow crevice

they will need a cave or a hollow between the rockwork

and the back of the tank that they can retreat into if they

feel threatened. I have had boxsh get stuck between

aquarium dcor and the aquarium glass or between

pieces of live rock, although neither of the two species

discussed here have done this. I have also seen them get

stranded atop or behind aquarium equipment. Therefore,

take this into consideration when aquascaping the box-

sh aquarium. (This is more of a problem when keepingthose species that inhabit open sand ats and grass beds,

like the Longhorn Cowsh, Lactoria cornuta).

COMPATIB ILITY I SSUES

When it comes to getting along with other shes, these

boxshes are pretty neighborly. They do best when

housed with other peaceful sh tankmates, like anth-

ias, grammas, chromis, asher wrasses, gobies, and re-

shes. Do not keep your boxsh with overly aggressive

tankmates, like morays, big dottybacks (Ogilbyina spp.),

large angelshes (Holacanthus spp.), bellicose damsels

(Abudefduf, Microspathodon, and Stegastes spp.), malevo-lent wrasses (Cheilinus and Coris spp.), more pugnacious

surgeonshes (Acanthurus leucosternon,A. lineatus,A. so-

hal), or triggershes. Because boxshes are rather slow

and ungainly, they are easy targets for these reef rufans.

However, because they are so different in shape and be-

havior, the tank bullies sometimes just ignore them. Cer-

tain shes that may not cause problems for most piscine

neighbors could cause problems with your boxsh. For

example, shes that aggressively parasite-pick, such as

cleaner wrasses (Labroides spp.) and the Longn Banner-

sh (Heniochus acuminatus), may incessantly nip at and

chase a boxsh, causing skin damage or even eliciting

Ostracion whitleyi young female

Ostracion whitleyi male

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26/141

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the nuclear option (more on this later). Lawnmower

Blennies (Salarias fasciatus) have also been observed to

dash o the bottom and nip the ventrums o passing

boxfshes. Bottom line: when selecting tankmates it is

imperative that you remove any potential boxfsh stress-

ors, or your Ostracion may employ its ultimate deense.

While cleaner fshes are not a good idea in the box-

fsh tank, shrimps that clean are usually not a problem.

These boxfshes will pose to be inspected and picked atby cleaner shrimps. When O. whitelyi hovers and solicits

shrimp grooming, it spreads its fns and its color darkens

(possibly to make external parasites more conspicuous).

I you want to keep two conspecifcs together, add

a male and a emale. Males o the same species or even

a male O. whitleyi and a male O. solorensis are likely to

quarrel. Females may fght as well, but are less likely to

do so than their male counterparts. Within the pair,

male O. whitleyi are dominant over their emale part-

ners. She will give way to him and even avoid him much

o the time. There is still debate as to whether boxfshes

are gonochoristic (do not change sex) or protogynoushermaphrodites (changing sex rom emale to male).

It is possible to keep these boxfshes with certain cor-

als. For example, they tend to ignore many o the ich-

thyotoxic sot corals (e.g., Sinularia spp.). But I have seen

them pick at the polyps o leather corals (Sarcophyton

sp.), and they might start nibbling on Anthelia, Xenia,

stony corals, zoanthids, corallimorpharians, an worms,

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tridacnid clam mantles, and echinoderm tube eet. How-

ever, they are less likely to eed on anthozoan tankmates

i they are well ed.

THE NUCLEAR OPTION

And now the downside o keeping these two boxfsh

beauties. The Ostraciidae release a toxic suractant that

acts to dissuade predators rom eating them, althoughthey are still eaten by sharks and jacks. While this toxin

may increase their chances o survival in the wild, it can

reduce their longevity (as well as that o other animals in

the tank with them) in captivity. The chemical cocktail

o ostracitoxin, which includes pahutoxin and boxin, is

sometimes exuded when the fsh is stressed. When se-

creted into the aquarium water, the toxin o the Blue

Boxfsh (Ostracion meleagris) can kill other ree fshes

at concentrations as low as 10 parts per million. This is

scary when you consider that a single adult Blue Boxfsh

can contain as much as 50 to 100 mg o crude toxin!

The potency o the boxfsh toxins varies rom one speciesto the next. Here is the bad news: the chemical deenses

oO. whitleyi are reported to be even more potent than

those oO. meleagris. (No inormation is available on

the potency oO. solorensis toxins.) Although they are

less susceptible to their own chemical secretions than

other fsh species, boxfshes are oten killed when they

nuke an aquarium.

So how likely is this to happen in your boxfsh tank?

While it is not a common event i the aquarist takes spe-

cial care to reduce boxfsh stress, the Ostracion spp. do

occasionally turn lethal on their neighbors. Once in a

while a tank is poisoned i a boxfsh dies in it. Thereore,

i you have an ailing boxfsh, it is best to move it to an

isolated hospital tank. I you are interested in keeping

an Ostracion, but are not willing to put other animals in

harms way, why not set up a species tank or your box-fsh? A tank o 75 gallons will make a suitable home or

either species; you may want a slightly larger tank100

gallons or morei you want to keep a pair on their own.

There is also one other problem with these fshes.

They are prone to parasite inections like Cryptocaryono-

sis (a.k.a. ich or white spot disease). Keeping them in a

tank with proper UV sterilization is one way to reduce

the chances o such skin inections.

While there are inherent risks to keeping these spe-

cies in the home aquarium, with special care it is pos-

sible to house either o these two beautiul boxfshes in

your living-room ocean or many years!

R E F E R E N C E S :

Kalmanzon, E. and E. Zlotkin. 2000. An ichthyotoxic protein inthe defensive skin secretion of the Red Sea trunksh Ostracioncubicus. Mar Biol136: 4716.

Sancho, G. 1998. Factors regulating the height of spawningascents in trunk shes (Ostraciidae).J Fish Biol53 (Suppl.sA):94103.

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CORAL: The recent passage of Hawaii County Council Resolu-

tion 130 seeking to ban the marine aquarium trade statewide

in Hawaii seems to go against a resolution passed by the same

county council last year, in which the council endorsed the man-

agement tools and approaches currently being enacted. The ob-

vious question is: what has changed in the intervening year tomake the council move from supporting shery management

tools to promoting something as extreme as a statewide ban?

Dr. William Walsh: Nothing undamental has changed since

last yearwe are still waiting or the deputy attorney general to fnish reviewing the rules. The

fshery hasnt changed much, and there have been no catastrophic occurrences out on the

rees. We have completed a number o recent analyses, including population estimates and

harvesting levels o most o the proposed White List species (species approved or collection

or the aquarium trade). We now have estimates, or example, o aquarium catch as a percent-

age o population in open areas with depths o 3060 eet and 10100 eet. These analyses

urther strengthen our management eorts. I guess the bottom line is, we understand more

about the aquarium fshery now than we did last year.

In early October 2011, the county council on the Big Islandof Hawaii called for a complete ban on aquarium livestock collection in the

50th state, sending shock waves reverberating through the marine aquarium

trade. The vote was 6 to 2 in favor of Resolution 130, an action championed by

Maui-based anti-aquarium activists Robert Wintner (a.k.a. Snorkel Bob) and

Rene Umberger. This same council previously voted to support state-man-aged aquarium collection, and the reversal ew in the face of overwhelming

scientic data. With emotions and politics running at an all-time high, one

man has continued to use science and common sense to weigh in on the

aquarium debate in West Hawaii, and his data is cited by both sides in favor

of their respective positions. In an eort to refocus the debate on the existing

facts instead of relying on anecdote and emotion, CORAL sat down with state

aquatic biologist Dr. William Walsh of the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resourc-

es (DAR), who for years has been studying the reefsand sheries of West Hawaii and who believes the

marine aquarium trade can be managed as a sus-

tainable shery.

The resolution [to

ban aquarium-

sh collection]

strikes directly

at the heart of

the work done

by the West

Hawaii Fisheries

Council and the

local community

regarding

management

of their marine

resources.

RET TALBOT talks with DR.WILLIAM WALSH

7/30/2019 Coral - Dec, 2012

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CORAL: And nothing in the data suggests a complete ban is necessary at this time?

Walsh: No. Not at all. The data supports that were moving in the direction o a well-managed

fshery here in West Hawaii.

CORAL: So if the data is not there to support a complete ban, what are the proponents of the

resolution referring to when they claim that the aquatic life of the reefs of Hawaii are being dev-

astated by the collection of reef sh and other aquatic life?

Walsh: We have a pretty good idea o what is going on out on the rees o West Hawaii, and I

can tell you with a great deal o certainty that the aquatic lie o the rees is not being devas-

tated by collection. That statement is simply not true.

CORAL: Resolution 130 states that scientic research proves that collection of reef shes dimin-

ishes the number of sh reaching reproductive age, thereby reducing the number of adult sh

contributing to the genetic pool. When I interviewed council member Brenda Ford, who authored

Resolution 130, she told me she was using your data. Does the above statement from 130 reectyour data?

Walsh: Fishing removes fsh rom their environment, thats a act, and our data reects that

act. Having said that, there is no undamental reason why aquarium fshing cannot be sus-

tainably managed.

CORAL: Am I correct in understanding that County Council Resolution 130 advocates for all of the

scientic studies done by your department and others to essentially be nullied?

Walsh: Yes. The resolution strikes directly at the heart o the work done by the West Hawaii

Fisheries Council and the local community regarding management o their marine resources.

Its been a long and difcult road to reach the point where issues and problems can be delib-

William Walsh,

Ph.D., known

aectionately as

Dr. Bill, is a Kona-

based state aquatic

biologist.

A

LLIMAGES:RETTALBOT

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erated and addressed here in West Hawaii rather than

just in Honolulu (the state capitol). This resolution at-

tempts to cast all of that aside.

CORAL: Lets talk about the numbers. From 1976 to 2011,

the number of aquarium permits issued by the state has

increased from a handful to 73, correct?

Walsh: Yes. The low point was from 1981 to 1986, whenthe number of collectors ranged from 3 to 11 as a result

of the recession. In 2010, we had 73, the highest num-

ber of collectors ever, even though were presently in a

recession.

CORAL: And over that period of time, the annual aquarium

catch has generally increased as well?

Walsh: Yes. We saw a peak in 2006, and since then the

catch has fallen off slightly, likely due to the recession.

It was back up again somewhat in 2010.

CORAL: What year did the Yellow Tang catch really begin

to increase dramatically, or has it always been the majority

of the catch?

Walsh: The Yellow Tang catch has been increasing fairly

steadily since 1985, with slight downturns every so of-

ten. In the early years the catch was more varied and not

so dominated by Yellow Tang as it has been in the past

few decades. In 2010 over 430,000 animals were collect-

ed on West Hawaii reefs, and Yellow Tang comprised

81 percent of the catch. From 1999, when we began the

West Hawaii Aquarium Project (WHAP), to 2010 the

number of collected Yellow Tang went from 165,254 to

311,480an increase of about 88 percent.

CORAL: During this same time, from 1999 to 2010, the Yel-

low Tang population has actually increased, according to

a recent article in FishLife, which states that Yellow Tang

populations have increased 35 percent on the Kona Coast

since 2000.

Walsh: From 1999 to 2010 the Yellow Tang population

of mostly immature sh in the 3060-foot depth range

in West Hawaii increased from an estimated 2,236,858

to 2,573,909, an increase of 337,050 or slightly more

than 15 percent. Keep in mind this only represents a

portion of the population. There are Yellow Tang deeper

than 60 feet, and of course the bulk of the larger breed-

ing population is in shallower waters and is not targeted

to any extent by aquarium collectors. We dont have as

long a data set for these adult Yellow Tang, but since

theyre basically not targeted for food or by aquarium

collectors, undoubtedly their populations have increasedover that time period. Thus the 15 percent likely under-

estimates the West Hawaii Yellow Tang population in-

crease since 1999. Obviously, within protected areas the

increase has been much greater. In this same time frame

the number of collected Yellow Tangs has increased 88

percent. So while Yellow Tang take has increased along

the coast over the past decade, the total abundance of

Yellow Tangs has also increased.

CORAL: Averaged over the last three years, the data shows

68-percent less abundance of Yellow Tang in open areas

[shed by aquarium collectors] compared to shery man-

A proposed White List of species eligible for collection does not include

the Moorish Idol,Zanclus cornutus, and prohibits the taking of a number of

butteryshes, including Chaetodon ornatissimus, center right.

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agement areas or FRAs. Does that concern you?

Walsh: Yes, it does. Wed like to get that number lower.

Thats what management is for. A good part of the large

disparity between the FRAs and the open areas is due to

the fact that Yellow Tang abundance has increased so

much in the FRAsits up 71 percent since 1999while

decreasing by 19 percent in the open areas. But overallon West Hawaii reefs, the Yellow Tang population has

increased by 15 percent in the 30- to 60-foot depths.

CORAL: From the data you shared with me, it seems the

Achilles Tang, Acanthurus achilles, really would benet

from additional management. Whats your take on the

current status of that species?

Walsh: The Achilles Tang is denitely a species of con-

cern for us. Long-term surveys and WHAP data indicate

a declining population in West Hawaii. Its not only an

important species to the aquarium shery, its also a val-ued food sh. Were currently proposing an aquarium

bag limit for Achilles Tang, but efforts to implement a

similar limit for food shers were derailed.

CORAL: The Achilles Tang, the Chev-

ron Tang, and the Kole Tang are all

targeted in the aquarium shery and

the recreational shery, right?

Walsh: Yes, although the Chevron

Tang generally is not considered a

prime food sh.

CORAL: How does the aquarium sh-

ery compare to the recreational sh-

ery and other commercial sheries in

West Hawaii?

Walsh: NOAA estimates the recre-

ational shing catch based on sher

surveys. This is the most credible

data available. For West Hawaii,

the total combined commercial and

recreational reef sh catch is slight-ly greater than the total aquarium

catch for 20092011.

CORAL: Isnt the commercial reef sh

catch in West Hawaii quite small?

Walsh: Yes, it is. In 2010, the com-

mercial catch was under 50,000

reef sh caught, compared to an

estimated recreational catch of over

400,000 reef sh.

CORAL: And in 2010, the recreational

reef sh catch exceeded the aquari-

um catch?

Walsh: Yes, and if you exclude the

Yellow Tang catch, the total com-

mercial and recreational reef sh

catch is 5.7 times higher than the

aquarium catch. Interestingly, on

Maui the total commercial and rec-

reational reef sh catch is 41 times

higher than the aquarium catch

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even including Yellow Tang. Thats thought-provoking.

CORAL: It seems the anti-trade proponents would also be concerned about the

completely unregulated recreational shery. Is there much pressure to better

manage recreational sheries in Hawaii?

Walsh: Its not completely unregulatedthere are some minimum sizes and

a few bag limits and closed seasonsbut very few. Unfortunately, theredoesnt seem to be much public awareness or interest in the extent of the

non-aquarium reef sh take. Thats a real concern, and its problematic.

CORAL: Several shes targeted by aquarium shers are of concern to you be-

cause their numbers are showing declines over time. What about those species?

Walsh: Almost all of the species for which we have indications of declining

populations, for whatever cause, such as Bandit Angelsh, Hawaiian Turkey-

sh [Pterois sphex], Flame Angels, and a number of butteryshes, will be

fully protected under the proposed rules. There will be no more collecting

of these and most other species. There are a few species that will still be col-

lected for which we have reason for concern. In some cases their populationsare decreasing in all areas, even protected areas. These species will continue

to be monitored, and additional management actions can be recommended

when the West Hawaii Regional Fisheries Management Area is reviewed

every ve years. Its called adaptive management.

CORAL: According to your data, one endemic speciesthe Saddle Wrasse, Tha-

lassoma duperreyseems to be in decline but not as a direct result of the ma-

rine aquarium trade. Whats going on with the Saddle Wrasse?

Walsh: To be honest, we dont really know, but we do know the decline is

not the direct result of aquarium collection. The West Hawaii population

of Saddle Wrasses has dropped by over 650,000 sh since 1999 in 30- to60-foot depths. Thats a lot of missing sh. Did they move into shallower

or deeper water? Did they die of some strange disease? We dont know. But

the average aquarium take over the last ve years has been only 669 sh

per yearliterally a drop in the bucket here. Fundamentally were coming

to realize that the coral reef community is complex and dynamic, and even

without human inuence, species abundances wax and wane.

CORAL: Of the management tools coming online early next year, there has

been a lot of discussion about the White List, to which you alluded a moment

ago. Will you briey describe how you arrived at the 40 species on the White List

[that collectors will be allowed to harvest]?

Walsh: It was a long and collaborative process. We initially started work-

ing on a Black List of species not allowed to be collected. Working with the

West Hawaii Fisheries Council Species of Special Concern Subcommittee,

we started by looking at shes showing signicant declines over time. Crite-

ria for considering a species to be of special concern were rarity, endemism,

population declines, important ecosystem function, charisma, poor survival

in captivity, and low shery value.

CORAL: I assume the lists were fairly wide-ranging in their recommendations.

Walsh: Yes. Thats when we began to move from a Black List to a White List.

After substantial consideration it was felt that the development of a Black List

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was a futile attempt, since there were so many lists, opinions, and proposed

species. Additionally, enforcement would be problematic with so many spe-

cies potentially prohibited. Ultimately an alternative approach was takena

White List of species that can be collected was recommended and approved.

CORAL:And there are additional rules for the top three species collected for

the aquarium trade: the Yellow, Kole, and Achilles Tangs?

Walsh: Thats right. Fishers will be allowed to take no more than ve Yellow

Tang per day larger than 4.5 inches or smaller than 2 inches. Within that

slot, sh between 2 and 4.5 inches, there is no bag limit. For Kole, the bag

limit on sh larger than 4 inchesthe breeding populationwill be no more

than ve sh per day, and for Achilles Tang, there will be a 10-sh-per-day

limit. Its a good start.

CORAL: Some opponents o the trade have expressed concern that a White List

will only put more pressure on the fshes on the list. What do you say to this?

Walsh: The White List encompasses close to 99 percent of the value of all

aquarium sh presently collected in West Hawaii. Whats on the list basi-cally includes the bulk of whats caught and what constitutes almost the

entire value of the shery. At existing levels of collection, why would there be

any expectation of increased take of the species already being taken?

CORAL: There has been a lot o talk about limited entry, whereby the number

o aquarium fshers who can acquire a permit would be restricted in some way.

From my interviews with many fshers, I know that limited entry is not very pop-

ularalthough a ew see it as a good idea. Whats your take on limited entry?

Walsh: Well, its certainly popular if youre one of the ones in the shery.

As Ive said before, I think limited entry is a very important component in

managing this shery in a sustainable manner.

CORAL: In the traditional language o fsheries management, is the marine

aquarium fshery in West Hawaii sustainable?

Walsh: Greenpeace has what I feel is a useful denition of a sustainable

shery: In simple terms, a sustainable shery is one whose practices can

be maintained indenitely without reducing the targeted species ability to

maintain its population at healthy levels, and without adversely impacting

other species within the ecosystemincluding humansby removing their

food source, accidentally killing them, or damaging their physical environ-

ment. Given that most marine species in West Hawaii will soon (hope-

fully) be fully protected from aquarium collecting, that most of the speciesthat can be collected are taken at low levels relative to total population size,

that the adult populations of the most heavily collected species are not tar-

geted by collectorsor really by anyone, in the case of Yellow Tangand

that destructive collecting practices are not widespread, I believe it can be

maintained as a sustainable shery if we take an adaptive approach and

implement necessary management actions as required. If we cant manage

such a well-studied shery, what hope is there for the sustainability of our

other sheries here in Hawaii?

ON THE INTERNET

An extended version o this interview is available at: http://www.coralmagazine-us.

com/content/interview-should-aquarium-collection-be-banned-hawaii

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T

K

Mandarinfsh (Synchiropus splendidus)

42 CORAL

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Dragonets

43CORAL

M

.WITTENRICH,

PH.D.

byDaniel Knop

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The mandarin was a clever man in ancient China,

a worthy and wise scholar and powerul leader who spent years studying poetry,

literature, and the writings o Conucius. So it remains somewhat unclear why

Synchiropus splendidus, the most popular dragonet in the aquarium hobby, has

come to be known worldwide as the Mandarinfsh. It is sometimes said that the

name relates to the robe o the mandarinillustrations o this garment show it as

a owing piece o colorul drapery with wide sleeves.

In my opinion the fsh more closely resembles the cheongsam, the womens

dress that became ashionable among Chinese women o elevated social status in

the 1920s. Nowadays this garment is also widespread in numerous other Asian

countries, or example the Philippines and Indonesia, where it is oten very color-

ul and sometimes gaudily patterned. Regardless o how it came by its name, given

its splendid attire it is no wonder that the Mandarinfsh is, in my opinion, not

only the most attractive o the dragonets, but also one o the most ascinating o

all ree-aquarium creatures.

This fsh moves through the water in a graceul manner, swimming around

with virtually no perceptible movements o its body or fns. The two anlike pelvic

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D.

SCHAUER

Starry Dragonets,

Synchiropusstellatus,

engaged in an elegant

courtship dance.

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Male Scooter Dragonet,

Syncchiropus ocellatus, displaying

his eyespotted dorsal fn.

ns propel it though the open water and also allow it to hover in one spot. With-

out the beating of these continuously undulating ns, all dragonets sink to the

bottom, as the swim bladder that makes other shes weightless in water is small

in these species.

The spotted body color seen in the majority of members of the dragonet family(Callionymidae), for example S. stellatus or S. ocellatus, is probably an adaptation

to their bottom-dwelling way of life, as it breaks up their body outline and allows

them to merge perfectly with the substrate. But two species, S. splendidus (the

Mandarinsh) and S. picturatus (the Psychedelic Fish), are so striking and gaudy

that one cannot help but wonder why they are so brightly colored.

Dragonets are bottom-dwelling shes and protect themselves from predators

using a foul-tasting mucous secretion. Perhaps this is the reason for the re-

works of the color pattern seen on the bodies ofS. splendidus and S. picturatus.

Many creatures use striking body color to warn predators that they are poisonous

or noxious-tasting, examples being some nudibranchs (Nudibranchia) and vari-ous sh species. Protecting yourself from a predator with a foul-tasting or poison-

E

.THALER

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ous substance makes sense only i it actually prevents the predator rom eating

you. I the poison takes eect and kills the predator ater you have been eaten, this

will create selective pressure on the predator speciesonly those individuals that

avoid the relevant prey animal will survive and breed. Deterrent substances can

thus evolve only i they oer the prey fsh itsel an increasing selective advantageby preventing it rom being eaten so that it can breed and pass on its genes. And

in the animal kingdom this is oten achieved by the combination o a chemical

deterrent and a visible signal, such as striking and contrast-rich coloration.

This raises the question o whether Mandarinfshes are poisonous. This is o-

ten asserted in the aquarium literature, although it has apparently never been

unequivocally proven. They are certainly not poisonous or humans, but they re-

portedly have a toxic eect on other ree-dwellersor example, when numerous

Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis caeruleus) were transported in the same bag as a

Mandarinfsh, shortly ater the dragonet died all the damselfshes were dead as

well. In another case, a newly imported Mandarinfsh was placed in a dealers tankcontaining three Volitans Lionfshes (Pterois volitans). The dragonet died, and the

three lionfshes also died soon aterwards. A third example demonstrates a similar

eect: In a ree aquarium decorated with Yugoslavian holey rock, a vertical pil-

lar o rock toppled sideways against the aquarium glass during the night. A Man-

darinfsh must have been right next to this area o the glass at precisely the wrong

moment, as next morning the fsh was ound dead between the rock and the glass.

But all the other fshes in the aquarium were dead too!

These are only anecdotal observations. In none o these cases was a laboratory

study perormed to indicate the actual presence o a toxin. Plus, i Mandarinfshes

had a marked toxic eect there ought to be more evidence o this, based on con-

crete instances, or example rom aquarists on Internet orums, rather than merely

descriptions o personal experiences. Other causes could have been responsible or

the deaths, such as a lack o oxygen in the above-mentioned transportation bag

that killed frst the Mandarinfsh and then the Chromis. The toppling rock could

have exposed an anaerobic zone in the substrate, leading to a dramatic pH collapse

that eventually cost all the fshes their lives.

Like other fshes, the Mandarinfsh does secrete mucus, which acts primarily

as a carrier or chemical substances. And there must at least be chemicals present

that make it taste bad. It is apparently relatively rare or this fsh to be eaten, so

under normal circumstances these chemicals dont get into the bodies o other

creatures. But i a Mandarinfsh dies in the aquarium, it is conceivable that these

substances may get into the water and be taken up by other fshes in some way.

The eect they have on those fshes would vary depending on the fshes reaction

to the chemicals, as well as the volume o water and the size o the aquarium and

its equipment.

The notion that Mandarinfshes are toxic cant be completely ruled out, and

this gives the contemplation o this deceptively beautiul fsh an interestingfrisson

o excitement and mystery.

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The Mandarinsh needntworry about competition. With its

gleaming metallic coloration, which

clothes it like an expensive silk kimono,

it will forever remain the darling of fish

enthusiasts. Nevertheless, its 129 rela-

tives are also worth a mention, even

though they dont all compare with it

at least where color is concerned.

The Green Mandarinfsh (Synchiropus

splendidus) and its brightly colored and con-

trast-rich relative, the Spotted Mandarin or

Psychedelic Fish (S. picturatus), are without

a doubt the best-known dragonetsmainlybecause beauty equals popularity among

aquarists, divers, and photographers alike.

But i you limit your experience o this en-

tire fsh amily, with its immense diversity

o species, to these colorul eccentrics you

will be missing a lot. Certainly, Mandarin-

fshes are unrivaled in their splendid col-

oration. But the majority o other species

boast equally intriguing body orms.

T HE FAM ILY CALLIO NYM IDAE

At present, the dragonet amily (order Per-ciormes, perch-like fshes) contains 130

species in 18 genera. This is a considerable

number, given that the vast majority o

these species are concentrated in the tropi-

cal waters o the Indo-Pacifc and only a

ew live elsewherein the Caribbean and

the Mediterranean. Most dragonets have

a very similar external appearance and

ecology, so even unamiliar species can be

quite readily identifed as members o this

fsh amily.

Practically without exception, theyare dainty but elongate bottom-dwellers, usu-

ally with a length o 24 inches (510 cm), al-

though there are a ew exceptions, such as the

Finger Dragonet, Dactylopus dactylopus, or Cal-

lionymus species, which attain a body length o

At right, top: Young Mandarinfsh male, identifable

by the greatly prolonged frst dorsal-fn ray. Below:

Female Mandarinfshes lack the prolonged frst dorsal-

fn ray. This individual is stressed, as can be seen rom

the increased production o skin mucus with particles

o sediment sticking to it. An aggressive wrasse in the

aquarium was the cause.

The systematics o the

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I.

KRAUSE

up to 12 inches (30 cm). All dragonets feed on benthic

invertebrates and, depending on the genus, live in more

or less close association with coral reefs or adjacent san-

dy zones. All species have evolved numerous anatomical

peculiarities as adaptations to a particular ecology and

habitat, giving them their typical appearance.

ANATOMY

Although many dragonets look fabulously attractive, this

too is simply a matter of form following function. The

extraordinarily large, roundish, widely separated ventral

ns are used as props while the sh searches for food,

usually while oating only millimeters above the sub-

strate. Often (at least in the genus Synchiropus) it is al-

most exclusively the rotating pectoral ns that are used

for propulsion, making possible highly accurate naviga-

tion and the precise targeting of small crustaceans and

worms. The small, funnel-shaped mouth is also a per-

fectly adapted instrument for this purposeit is mobile

and permits targeted suck and snap feeding similar

to that of syngnathids. But unlike the latter, dragonets

dont move their entire bodies with a jerk while feeding.

Because they move only their mouths, additional prey

items lurking in the vicinity are not frightened away.

dragonets(Callionymidae)

byInken Krause

Male Mandarinsh

(Synchiropus splendidus)

on a stony coral (Turbinaria

reniformis).

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T

OP:I.KRAUSE;BOTTOM:E.

THALER

The large eyes, positioned high up laterally on the

relatively large head and able to move in all directions,

betray a careul hunter whose strategy involves not speed

but precision. In the majority o dragonets the gills are

sited on the upper part o the head and not laterally as in

most fshes. In addition they are very small, perhaps an

adaptation to the act that eeding and hovering above

a sandy substrate requently stirs up sediment, which is

then less likely to be inhaled. Unlike

the majority o perciorms, dragonets

have no scales o any kind. Instead, the

smooth skin is coated with mucus. This

makes it difcult or predators to grab

hold; presumably it also tastes bad and

may even be slightly poisonous. Thus

these generally small, dainty, and slow-moving dragonets are not completely

deenseless.

Many dragonets exhibit sexual di-

morphism in the anterior o the two

dorsal fns, which is appreciably larger

in males than in emales. In the genus

Synchiropus, at least, this applies to all

species to a greater or lesser extent. In

some species (or example, S. splendi-

dus) the males fn is high and elon-

gated, while in others (or example S.

ocellatus, S. stellatus) the surace areais wide and sail-like. This sexability is

very useul when it comes to aquarium-

keeping, as males are intolerant o one another and

shouldnt be kept together.

ET YM O LO GY

The collective name dragonets (dragonnets in French),

used or the entire amily Callionymidae, seems very ap-

propriate; it means little dragons and probably relates

to the large dorsal-fn sail and bright coloration.

The Mediterranean species Calli-

onymus lyra (Latin lyra = lyre or lute)is probably responsible or the German

name Leierfsche (lyrefshes) or the

entire dragonet amily. But how this

astonishingly large (12-inch, 30 cm)

dragonet came to receive its scientifc

species name is difcult to understand.

Perhaps the amily-typical triangular

body orm was the inspiration or the

name, as it bears a vague resemblance to

the shape o the ancient stringed instru-

ment. It is, however, easier to see howC.

lyra gave its name to the German collec-tive name or all its relativesprobably

because its ready availability compared

to tropical coral fshes meant it could

be maintained in the aquarium long be-

ore the boom in the marine aquarium

hobby (Debelius & Kuiter, 2006).

G E N E R A A N D S P E C I E S

The amily Callionymidae contains a

huge wealth o species, but the majority

o these fshes are unremarkable, little

studied, and o no importance in the

Pair o Mandarinfshes

(Synchiropus splendidus),

emale below.

Male Psychedelic Fish

(Synchiropus picturatus). The

prolonged dorsal-fn ray is

clearly visible.

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D

.SCHAUER

aquarium trade. In addition to the Synchiropus species it

is mainly the genera Dactylopus and Callionymus that are

worth mentioning, but anyone who is interested in all

the other members o the amily, with their sometimesunpronounceable names, will fnd a

complete overview on pages 545.

Sy nchiropus

The systematics o this genus, which

contains the well-known and popu-

lar Mandarinfshes, have been sub-

ject to some conusion in recent

years. In some works, Synchiropus

splendidus and S. picturatus have

been assigned to the new genus

Pterosynchiropus, but this appearsto be incorrect. Taxonomic disputes

are difcult or the layman to un-

derstand, so or the time being I am

relying on the online databank Fish-

base, which continues to assign both

species to the genus Synchiropus.

Similar circumspection is required

regarding the assignment o a num-

ber o other Synchiropus species (S.

marmoratus, or example) to the ge-

nus Neosynchiropus in the literature.

The genus itsel may be valid, but at

present it probably contains only a single species, namely

N. bacescui.

There is no doubt, however, that Synchiropus is the

only dragonet genus o commercial relevance or the

Pair of Starry Dragonets,

Synchiropusstellatus,

displaying male in front.

Female Synchiropus stellatus,

example of the red color morph.

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T

OP:E.

THALER;BOTTOM:D.

KNOP

aquarium hobby. As well as the usual Mandarinshes,

the Ocellated Dragonet (S. ocellatus) and the Starry

Dragonet (S. stellatus) are also frequently imported. Atrst glance their pallid, reddish-brownish marbling may

make them look like ugly ducklings compared to their

colorful relatives. But appearances can be deceptive:

males of both species have a very large rst dorsal n;

not the elongated rays seen in S. splendidus, for example,

but a kind of sail or ag that can be extended for

display or when the sh is threatened and is a spectacu-

lar sight to see.

Ocellated and Starry Dragonets are overall very simi-

lar in external appearance, and because their distribu-

tion regions intersect it isnt always easy to tell themapart in the trade. S. ocellatus tends to exhibit brown-

gray shades, while S. stellatus exhibits a greater percent-

age of red. The Marbled Dragonet (S. marmoratus) is also

imported for the aquarium hobby, but only rarely. It is

rather similar to S. stellatus, but is usually mottled with

red patches. It is easily confused with other dragonets,

and some experts say that shes sold as S. marmoratus

are often Starry Dragonets.

The Ocellated or Scooter Dragonet,Synchiropus ocellatus. This photo of a

male in the wild clearly shows how the

color of the sh matches the substrate.

Male Synchiropus stellatus of the red color morph.

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T

OP:E.

THALER;BOTTOM:D.

KNOP

Dactylopus

This genus contains only two

valid species, the Fingered Drag-

onet (Dactylopus dactylopus)

and the Orange-Black Dragon-

et, Dactylopus kuiteri. Fishbase

lists 10 species that have carried

the Dactylopus name, but eighto these have been reassigned to

various other genera. Be that as

it may, Dactylopus dactylopus,

whose taxonomic status is not

disputed, is a very interesting

dragonet that attains a length

o up to 12 inches (30 cm) and

is noted or its unusual way o

lie. Except during courtship, it

buries itsel in the sandy bottom

and remains there completely

motionless, especially whendanger threatens. The common

name, Fingered Dragonet, re-

lates to the fnger-like ventral-fn rays, which serve as

aids to locomotion (Thaler, 2008).

Callionymus

With 100 species, this genus contains more than hal

o all the dragonet species currently known. Callionymus

species not only occur in tropical seas, but also inhabit

the northeastern Atlantic, the Black Sea, and the Medi-

terranean, and include, or example, the Common Drag-

onet (Callionymus lyra) mentioned at the start o thisarticle. As or the other species, divers in particular will

perhaps be most amiliar with C. flamentosus, which is

native to the Red Sea and can be seen over sandy ex-

panses there. But, like practically all species outside the

genus Synchiropus, these dragonets play no role at all in

the aquarium hobby.

The Lancer Dragonet, Callionymus bairdi, o the West-

ern Atlantic and Caribbean Sea, is gaining some atten-

tion, as Matthew L. Wittenrich, Ph.D., and his colleagues

have recently succeeded in its captive