Wild Discovery: A Grafted Yellow Acropora caroliniana
While diving in central Indonesia, I was lucky enough to come upon one of the nicest Acropora carolinana I have ever found. This particular yellow strain is a classic Bali Maricultured Acropora coral that regularly finds its way into reef shops. But this particular specimen was different.
Thyroid Hormones Dictate Clownfish Early Life
A new open-access publication highlights the influence of thyroid hormones on the early life stage and settlement of clownfish larvae.
Are Banggai Cardinals Depleted in the Wild?
A new proposed draft rule to prevent the US import and export of the Banggai Cardinal (Pterapogon kauderni) under the Endangered Species Act, would do vastly more harm than good. The need for these proposed changes is based on a false premise. Meanwhile, these rules would vastly complicate the aquarium trade in this species and significantly stifle the robust commercial aquaculture of the species that currently produces the vast majority of fish seen in the aquarium trade.
Is your Acropora tenuis really A tenuis?
A new paper focuses on Acropopra tenuis, and ultimately resurrects five coral taxon and described two additional new species of Acropora.
Endolithic Algae in Stony Corals!
Far from being devoid of life, the skeleton of a coral harbors a wide array of algae, endolithic fungi, heterotrophic bacteria, and other boring eukaryotes, often forming distinct bands of color visible to the bare eye. Some functions of these endolithic microorganisms are critical in coral health, such as nutrient cycling and metabolite transfer, but they are poorly known, particularly by aquarists.
