The ocean sunfish is the largest bony fish in the ocean. Its Latin name, Mola mola, means “millstone” (technically, it means “Millstone millstone”), and derives from the fish’s grey color and round, flat shape. Like many marine fish, sunfish are curious creatures and well aware of the world beyond the walls of their aquarium tanks. This one actually followed my son along the glass–three times–while we were visiting. He tried to move to let other people have a chance to stand in front of the fish, but the fish wasn’t having it. My son finally stopped moving because the poor thing
Read morereef
Meet the Porcelain Crabs: Ripley, Small, and the Alien Queen
Although not actually “true crabs” (they’re crustaceans, but from the family Porcellanidae) porcelain crabs resemble “real” crabs to a degree that most people can’t actually tell the difference. Porcelain crabs have flat, round bodies–much like those of real crabs–which evolved over time to fit easily into crevices and under rocks–the creature’s preferred living quarters in the wild. You can find them living in almost every ocean (except the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans), but look carefully–the average porcelain crab has a body less than an inch in diameter. Some 277 species of porcelain crabs have been recorded, and fossils suggest the porcelain crab has been around since at
Read moreWhy Seahorses?
Most people are startled to discover that I keep seahorses. The reaction doesn’t surprise me. For most of us, seahorses inhabit a mental space somewhere between sharks and dragons–real, but almost mythological, and exotic enough that we see them in public aquariums, if at all. Even then, it’s sometimes difficult to catch a glimpse, between the crowds in front of the tank and the seahorses’ expert skills at camouflage. I’ve adored seahorses all my life, but decided to start keeping them in 2010–eighteen months after my father died. After doing “responsible things” with most of the money I inherited from him, my husband suggested
Read moreA fishy fail – and win!
I was so busy preparing to leave for the Left Coast Crime conference in Monterey (I leave tomorrow) that I completely forgot to post an aquarium blog today. In semi-redemptive news, I went to the fish store to get the water I needed for a pre-conference water change (my husband will handle the feedings while I’m gone) and discovered the store had a lovely specimen of a rare and fragile species that doesn’t usually do well in reef tanks but for which my reef is unusually well-suited. A feather star. This is our new crimson feather star, who doesn’t yet have a
Read moreLessons Learned from The Reef: Defend Your Cave
Emperor Maximus Angryfish was the first finned resident of my little reef. From Day 1, he established himself as the king of all he surveyed. As time went on, and other inhabitants joined him, Max had to accept that his territory dwindled from “everything the light touches” to “this cave, this rock, this place that I call my own.” Max accepted this lesson with varying levels of grace, depending on the moment and the interloper in question. However, Max has gradually learned to co-exist with the other tank inhabitants, provided that they respect the proper boundaries. Wherein lies a lesson
Read moreJanuary 2014 on the Reef
This year, I’m trying to keep up with the monthly reef-retrospectives, where I share some of the best images from the month before. Here’s a little of what I saw in January: Ghillie and Ceti, the seahorses, sharing dinner: Some new purple mushrooms (settling in well – despite the adventurous hermit): Max. Being Max. Emo the clownfish, hiding in a cave: And, last but not least, Red Spot the fire shrimp enjoying a rare trip into the open: Which is your favorite? I can never decide.
Read moreSee Horse, Indeed
Most people don’t realize that seahorses can change color, like chameleons (though without quite as wide a color range), or that these awkward predators survive in the wild largely through camouflage. Some seahorses like to sit in the open, but many spend their days quietly lurking in a corner of the tank. They’re masters of using geography to their advantage. We named our male seahorse “Ghillie” because, as a baby, he had protrusions (called cirri) which made him look as if he was wearing a ghillie suit. As he grew, he lost them, though smaller versions have returned since he
Read moreA Merry Christmas … On the Reef
Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the reef Every creature was swimming, with fervent belief That an afternoon feeding would surely appear, Every seahorse was on Santa’s “good list” this year. Emo the clown nestled snug in his host, An Anthelia coral grown larger than most. The fish on the reef called a Christmas-Eve truce, and made Wilson the urchin the “Christmas-tree” spruce. From the back of the tank there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the desk to see what was the matter. I flew to the tank, started looking around, To determine what made such
Read moreA Shiny New Yamaha for Christmas
Last week my husband accompanied me on my regular trip to the fish store. He likes to go from time to time, to look at the fish and the corals. A seahorse tank has strong restrictions on species compatability, so many lovely specimens will never come home with us–we have to enjoy them at the store. This trip, my husband saw a brilliant purple pseudochromis (sometimes also called a purple dottyback or a strawberry gramma) swimming around in the reef store’s tank. The fish’s brilliant color caught his eye – in part because he used to have a Yamaha FZR motorcycle
Read moreNovember on the Reef
I’ve been less than perfect about my reef posts for the last couple of weeks – but I promise we’re back on schedule now. And since it’s the first week in December, it’s time for a November retrospective on the reef: I caught Ripley the porcelain crab at the end of a successful moult, with the old shell still clinging to her legs: And the zoanthid and daisy polyp corals enjoying the evening lights: Max spent lots of time hanging out in his cave: And enforcing the “no shenanigans” rule when Emo got out of hand. Finally, near the end
Read more