December 2015 volume XXII number 10
Series III ON THE COVER Our cover photo this month is Cichla occellaris. According to Rosario LaCorte, it is “a difficult fish to collect with seine. They are explosive in their ability to take to flight and jump over a net to escape capture. They are now in Florida, and are a favorite of anglers. They grow quite large, and are delicious to eat. There are several Cichla species and they have a wide range.” See Chapter 20 of Rosarioʼs autobiography, on page 27. Photo by Rosario LaCorte GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS
President Vice-President Treasurer Assistant Treasurer Corresponding Secretary Recording Secretary
Dan Radebaugh Edward Vukich Jules Birnbaum Ron Wiesenfeld Vinnie Ritchie
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Pete D’Orio Ben Haus Jason Kerner
Al Grusell Emma Haus Leonard Ramroop
COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Bowl Show Leonard Ramroop Breeder Award Warren Feuer Mark Soberman Early Arrivals Al Grusell F.A.A.S. Delegate Alexander A. Priest Membership Marsha Radebaugh N.E.C. Delegate Joe Gurrado Programs Social Media Sharon Barnett Technology Coordinator Warren Feuer MODERN AQUARIUM Editor in Chief Copy Editors Exchange Editors Advertising Manager
Dan Radebaugh Sharon Barnett Susan Priest Alexander A. Priest Stephen Sica Donna Sosna Sica Dan Puleo
Vol. XXII, No. 10 December, 2015
In This Issue From the Editor G.C.A.S. 2016 Program Schedule President’s Message Angel & Betta by Lauren Ramroop
November’s Caption Contest Winner Cartoon Caption Contest Pictures From Our Last Meeting by Susan Priest
Our Generous Sponsors and Advertisers A Visit to the Florida Aquarium by Dan Radebaugh
Wet Leaves Adventure Aquarium, by Peter Stadelmann by Susan Priest
Can You Spot the Changes? by Horst Gerber
Fishy Friendsʼ Photos G.C.A.S. Past Award Winners G.C.A.S. 2015 Awards G.C.A.S. Breeders Award Program G.C.A.S. Breeders Award Totals G.C.A.S. Author Award Program An Aquaristʼs Journey Chapter 20 by Rosario LaCorte
G.C.A.S. Classifieds G.C.A.S. Member Discounts The Opossum Wintering Over ʻAt Our Houseʼ by Dick Blasé
G.C.A.S. Happenings The Undergravel Reporter Thereʼs a Chill in the Air
Fin Fun (Puzzle Page) Festive Fish
2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 13 15 17 18 19 20 21 23 27 33 34 35 38 39 40
From the Editor by Dan Radebaugh s you might guess from the photo at the right, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa plays a prominent role in this issue. Marsha and I got away to Tampa for a few days, and brought back some photos of the Aquarium. Not just of fish, either. In fact, youʼll find a few non-fish items on the menu this month. The fishkeepers, for example. This being the final issue of the year, we tally up breeders points, bowl show prizes, and author contributions to Modern Aquarium. In a way, this issue is a tribute to our fishkeeper members. And if you think this magazine is the work of just a few people, take a look on page 25 at the list of everyone who contributed during this past year. It’s a club magazine, by and for our members. If you haven’t contributed anything yet, consider it. Each of us has some unique experiences and knowledge. Make us all better fishkeepers by sharing! Speaking of non-fish related subjects, and as a souvenir of the extraordinary winter we endured last year, I have included an article from Aquatic News, the e-newsletter of the Pioneer Valley Water Garden and Koi Club. It’s a little different, and it does recall the flavor of last winter. In her Wet Leaves column, Sue Priest reviews Adventure Aquarium, by Peter Stadelmann. This book looks well worth checking out, even if children (someone’s, somewhere?) are only your excuse for buying it. Rosario LaCorte wraps up his South American adventures in Chapter 20 of An Aquarist’s Journey. I know I've enjoyed tagging along. I hope you have too. As usual, The Undergravel Reporter gives us something unusual to think about, and the issue ends with the brain-teasing Fin Fun puzzle.
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Share your experience with us! Write about your successes! Maybe even mention some of your failures—sometimes those are more instructive than the successes. If you’re a little unsure about the state of your writing technique, don’t worry—that’s why editors exist. If you don’t share what you know, who will? While I'm on this subject, I'll welcome our newest contributor to Modern Aquarium, Lauren Ramroop. See page 4! If you have an article, photo, or drawing that you’d like to submit for inclusion in Modern Aquarium, it’s easy to do! You may email it to gcas@ earthlink.net, fax it to me at (877) 299-0522, or just hand it to me at a meeting. However you get it to me I’ll be delighted to receive it!
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
GCAS Programs
I
2016
t is our great fortune to have another admirable cast of speakers who have so graciously accepted our invitation to join us throughout the coming season, bringing us their extensive knowledge and experiences. You certainly won’t wish to miss a moment of our prominent guests, not to mention the friends, fish, warmth, and camaraderie that accompanies each meeting. March 2
Matthew Wickey from Tetra/ Spectrum Brands Fish Nutrition
April 6
Thomas Keegan Ponds
May 4
Tom Allison Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc.
June 1
TBA TBA
July 6
TBA TBA
August 3
Silent Auction
September 7
TBA TBA
October 5
TBA TBA
November 2
TBA TBA
December 7
Holiday Party!
Articles submitted for consideration in Modern Aquarium (ISSN 2150-0940) must be received no later than the 10th day of the month prior to the month of publication. Please email submissions to gcas@earthlink.net, or fax to (877) 299-0522. Copyright 2015 by the Greater City Aquarium Society Inc., a not-for-profit New York State corporation. All rights reserved. Not-for-profit aquarium societies are hereby granted permission to reproduce articles and illustrations from this publication, unless the article indicates that the copyrights have been retained by the author, and provided reprints indicate source, and that two copies of the publication are sent to the Exchange Editor of this magazine. For online-only publications, copies may be sent via email to donnste@ aol.com. Any other reproduction or commercial use of the material in this publication is prohibited without prior express written permission. The Greater City Aquarium Society meets every month, except January and February. Members receive notice of meetings in the mail. For more information, contact: Dan Radebaugh (718) 458-8437 or email gcas@earthlink. net. Find out more, see previous issues, or leave us a message at our Internet Home Page: http://www.greatercity. org or http://www.greatercity.com. Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
December 2015
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President’s Message by Dan Radebaugh elcome to our annual Holiday & Awards Banquet! To me, these are always a pleasure, giving us an opportunity to just hang out and talk, as well as to review our accomplishments and challenges during the past year. Many of these accomplishments are recorded in the pages of this month’s Modern Aquarium. A couple of these accomplishments can be found right in the masthead, where you will see two new names. Vinnie Ritchie has taken over the post of Corresponding Secretary. Vinnie has recently been very successful in obtaining sponsorship items for our raffles, drawings, and auctions. This is a very important task for any club, and we thank Vinnie for volunteering his efforts on Greater City’s behalf. Another new name on the masthead is that of Dan Puleo, who will be taking over as Advertising Manager for Modern Aquarium. In this role Dan will continue to make contacts with fish shops in the area, in a mutually beneficial arrangement whereby we members learn more about the shops we might want to patronize, and where we may receive discounts on certain purchases.
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This is an Awards party, and my thanks and congratulations go out to all of this year's participants and winners, including the Breedersʼ Award competition, the Modern Aquarium Author Awards program, and the Bowl Show competition. A large part of our purpose as a club is to spread knowledge about successful fishkeeping, and our successful breeders and authors are a great source of knowledge and expertise. By seeing who is on these lists of high performers, you might get an idea about who might have an answer to a specific fishkeeping question. This of course works both ways. If you’re successful at breeding fish, get involved with the program! If you have knowledge about keeping and/ or breeding a certain genus or species, put together an article about it. We’re all here to learn. By the time you read this the party will be mostly over, so here's wishing each of you a great holiday season. See you next year!
Angel & Betta
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
November’s Caption Winner: Al Priest
Remember, the brass ring, not the brass hook!
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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The Modern Aquarium Cartoon Caption Contest Modern Aquarium has featured cartoons before. This time though, you, the members of Greater City get to choose the caption! Just think of a good caption, then mail, email, or phone the Editor with your caption (phone: 347-866-1107, fax: 877-299-0522, email: gcas@ earthlink.net. Your caption needs to reach the Editor by the third Wednesday of this month. We'll also hand out copies of this page at the meeting, which you can turn in to Marsha before leaving. Winning captions will earn ten points in our Author Awards program, qualifying you for participation in our special �Authors Only� raffle at our Holiday Party and Banquet. Put on your thinking caps!
Your Caption: Your Name:
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Pictures From Our Last Meeting
Photos by Susan Priest
Bowl Show Winners:
He who must not be named!
1st Place: Rich Waizman
2nd & 3rd Place: Mario Bengcion
Plant donations from Florida Aquatics
Ed Vukich, our hard working auctioneer
Door Prize Winners:
Jacob Coleman
18Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Modern
Artie Friedman
December2015 2015 December
Ron Wiesenfeld
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
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Aquarium Pharmaceuticals
Ocean Nutrition America
Aquarium Technology Inc.
Oceanic
Aqueon
Omega Sea
Brine Shrimp Direct
Pisces Pro
Carib Sea
Red Sea
Cobalt Aquatics
Rena
Coralife
Rolf C. Hagen
Ecological Laboratories
San Francisco Bay Brand
Florida Aquatic Nurseries
Seachem
HBH Pet Products
Zilla
Jehmco
Zoo Med Laboratories Inc.
Jungle Labs
Cameo Pet Shop
Kent Marine
Coral Aquarium
Kingfish Services.net
Monster Aquarium, Inc.
Marineland
World Class Aquarium
Microbe Lift
Zoo Rama Aquarium
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
A Visit to the Florida Aquarium by Dan Radebaugh couple of months ago Marsha and I made a short trip to Tampa, where most of my family still lives. I don’t get back there too often any more, and the trips tend to be short. Of course for the past few years I can say that about pretty much all the trips we’ve taken, so it isn’t really an indictment of Tampa. It just seems that it’s harder to get away. A few years back we had gone by to see the Florida Aquarium (What else?). On that visit, though we did give the Aquarium a quick look-over, most of our time was devoted to a “dolphin cruise” around Tampa Bay. If you find yourself there and with some time on your hands, it was a relaxing and informative tour around the bay and the spoil islands. Yes, we did see some dolphins, as well as Derek Jeter’s place, which was under construction at the time. This time though, we spent our time in the Aquarium itself. While not a huge facility, it isn’t as
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small as it at first seems, and they’ve done quite a good job of making both their collection and its presentation relevant to the Gulf coast habitat. That habitat is of course under tremendous pressure from the enormous human population growth during the past hundred years. Much of what might be called “nature” has of course been lost, but there are remnants, and I am encouraged by some of what I see there. Much like what is being done here in the New York City area, efforts are afoot to clean up Tampa Bay and make it once again able to support the aquatic and other wildlife that were once taken for granted. The general area where the Aquarium is located is clearly in transition, but it now seems to be a positive transition, fueled, I am told, by the “millennial” generation, who want what they want when they want it. Very encouraging!
One of the crabby neighbors
The welcoming commitee
Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) Presentation of a small screech owl Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
December 2015
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Not just fish here, nor just from the Gulf coast
Note alligator gar near top center
Diamondbaqck terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) (I think)
Gag grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis)
Toadfish -- Not sure which species Florida (spiny) lobsters
Hermit crabs
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Other crabs December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Some of the bigger guys in the collection
Leafy sea dragon (Phycodurus eques)
Southern stingray (Dasyatis americana)
Jellyfish exhibits everywhere.
are
rightly
popular
at
aquaria
Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) can live in fresh, brackish, or salt water, but are sensitive to cold. Formerly an important commercial fish, their population began to plummet in the 1950s due to overfishing and coastal development leading to habitat loss.
Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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Geckos
Fulvous whistling duck (Dendrocygna bicolor)
Garden eels
Sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus variegatus)
Photos by Dan and Marsha Radebaugh Seahorses
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
for a six year old, but a twelve year old might enjoy this project. A twenty gallon tank is recommended by the author as a starter. The several different combinations of fishes suggested for children are dominated by tetras, danios, and a Series On Books For The Hobbyist corydoras, which I liked the sound of. (These by SUSAN PRIEST seem to be hardier choices than the ew and far between, this has been my livebearers most often touted for beginners.) The author places a heavy emphasis on experience when seeking out fishkeeping aquatic plants, specifically as a source of books written specifically for children. Even back in the old days of book store oxygen in the aquarium. Java ferns and small Anubias species shopping the would seem to be o f f e r i n g s particular consisted of Adventure Aquarium favorites of his. storybooks, but no by Peter Stadelmann The list of practical guide Publisher: Barrons Educational Series 1998 items which books. A twentyshouldn’t go into first century an aquarium internet search includes plants from outside, fresh coconut will turn up a plethora of coloring books. It’s not the fault of the booksellers. There are shells, and painted toys. Important advice almost no authors writing in this genre. Note which is repeated more than once is not to get that I said almost. I have found an author, as soap onto anything which will go into the fish well as his book, that are worth reading as well tank. Refreshing to this reviewer of many as reviewing, so read on. books on the This book is subject of described by the fishkeeping was author as “an ideathe description of and-advice manual armored catfishes written for (corys) as the children and “health police,” parents.” There is because they clean no specific up any uneaten recommendation as food (and not t o a g e because they eat appropriateness, but detritus, which in my mind’s eye, a they don’t!) child must be There is, of thought of as a course, instruction beginner. as to caring for an Therefore, a parent aquarium. This is with fishkeeping another area where experience would “parent knows be a major asset in best.” Among the navigating which of topics covered are the described filter care, techniques their changing of water, child would be able and setting up a to accomplish. For example, a substrate consisting of a layer of schedule for regularly occurring jobs. gravel topped by a layer of soil topped by a Instructions for emergency first aid in the second layer of gravel might be too advanced event of deficient water quality, which
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includes signs and symptoms as well as solutions, would seem to be required reading for every fishkeeper. Near the back of the book there is a list of “Useful Terms,” (i.e., a glossary). Some of the terms are more useful to children than others. An example of a useful term would be “School-many fish swimming together form a school in which they find protection from predators.” An example of a not-so-useful term would be “Watt-a measure of current used by a piece of electrical equipment.” (In my many fishkeeping adventures, I have never encountered a watt!) Although the color photos by a variety of different photographers (including Horst Linke of Labyrinth Fish World fame) were excellent, I found that I especially enjoyed the many drawings by Peter Fischer. The combination of these two art forms gives a very pleasing dimension to the total presentation. Even this over-grown child couldn’t resist making a “home made tin can magnifying glass” (page 56). This book is truly a treat for children of all ages! Author’s Note You have all heard the old saying “do as I say, not as I do.” Well, in my case, don’t do as I say or as I do, because it won’t get you anywhere! I’ll try to keep my tale of woe as brief as possible. A few months back I offered the advice to be as specific as you can in your request when you are doing an internet search for a book about the tropical fish hobby. When I took my own advice, and then made a purchase, I had high hopes, but the result was a great disappointment. The book which arrived had absolutely nothing to recommend it, and I could not in good conscience waste your time (or mine) by reviewing it. After a couple of months went by, I decided to try again. I went googling in search of on-line book shops which sold only books about aquariums and/or fishkeeping. I actually did find a few. However, I once again feel that it would be irresponsible of me to name them or recommend them. Here is a brief summary of the results of my search.
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Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)
The first one I visited offered a title and a purchase price, but no author’s name or date of publication. If there was a photo of the cover (which was not always the case), you might be able to discover the name of the author. The shipping costs are “to be calculated at checkout.”(?) The next one did include the names of the authors. It had excellent chapter-bychapter descriptions of the contents, as well as brief reviews by prior readers. There were still no publication dates. Under the heading “freshwater aquarium books,” there were a meager fifteen titles to choose from. Don’t get your hopes up when I tell you that the last one I visited was actually the best of the three. It had an alphabetically arranged list of thirty categories, starting with (freshwater) angelfishes, and ending with water chemistry. None of these took me anywhere I wanted to go. (With only two or three choices in most categories, and with publication dates in the 1970s and 80s, “new” didn’t seem so new!) Anyway, I kept poking around, and when I clicked on “published by all other publishers, miscellaneous,” (which was not part of the list of categories), there was a respectable selection. However, there was no coherent organization. For each book described, varying elements of the desired information were available. The shipping costs were reasonable, but due to the inconsistencies, there was no way to make an informed choice. The picture I have just painted is of a dismal state of affairs. What’s a book lover to do? Even though I do most of my recreational reading (fiction) on a Kindle, when it comes to an aquarium book, I want to hold it in my hands, turn the pages (backward as well as forward), and be able to look at the photos, and I want all of that before I purchase it! As a song that was popular many moons ago once opined, “you can’t always get what you want!”
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Can You Spot the Changes? by Horst Gerber
H
ow observant are you? The images below are from the cover of Network, our predecessor to Modern Aquarium (Series III) back in the 1990s. Below are two versions of the December 1992 cover. The original is on the left, and a copy with a few subtle differences is on the right. How many changes can you spot?
Answers: Season Greetings ĘťSĘź tail missing Filter tube shorter Julia: a missing Butterfly fish: Tail shorter Bottom row of fish: Rasbora reversed Tree trunk: Longer bottom limb Right front: new plant Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
December 2015
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•Freshwater Fish •Saltwater Fish •Live Corals •Fancy Goldfish •Live Plants •Food & Supplies for All Pets •Extensive Selection of Holistic Dog & Cat Foods Open Monday-Friday 10 am – 8 pm Saturday 10 am – 7 pm & Sunday 12 pm – 6 pm ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED
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7184293934
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Fishy Friends’ Photos H
by Greater City Aquarium Society Fishy Friends ere is another installment of our newest ongoing column. These are photo submissions to our “Fishy Friends” Facebook group. I’ve left the species unnamed, but not the photographer. If you see a shot you like, and want more info, ask the photographer about it! I’m sure he or she will be delighted!
Joe Gurrado
Ruben Lugo
Andrew Jouan
Joe Gurrado
Wallace Tao
Wallace Tao Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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JOSEPH FERDENZI ROLL OF HONOR Gene Baiocco Joe Bugeia Mary Ann Bugeia Dan Carson Claudia Dickinson
Charles Elzer Joe Ferdenzi Warren Feuer Herb Fogal Paul Hahnel
Ben Haus Emma Haus Jack Oliva Al Priest
DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR 1981-83 Ginny & Charlie Eckstein 1983-85 Rich Sorensen 1985-86 Yezid Guttierez 1986-87 Joe Ferdenzi 1987-88 Patricia Piccione 1988-89 Joe Ferdenzi 1989-90 Francis Lee 1990-91 Eddie Szablewicz 1991-92 Dominic Isla 1992-93 Steve Sagona 1993-94 Joe Ferdenzi 1994-95 Steve Sagona
Susan Priest Herman Rabenau Marcia Repanes Nick Repanes Don Sanford
1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-'00 2000-01 2001-02 2002-05 2006 2007, '08, '09, '10 2011, 2012 2013 2014
Mark Soberman Dan Radebaugh Marsha Radebaugh
Tom Miglio Mark Soberman Jeff George Tom Miglio Mark Soberman Alexander Priest Anton Vukich Warren Feuer Jeffrey Bollbach Joseph Graffagnino Leslie Dick Mark Soberman
GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR (Since 1990-91 1990-91 Diane & Harold Gottlieb 2002-03 1991-92 Doug Curtin & Don Curtin 2003-04 1992-93 Warren Feuer 2004-05 1994-95 Steve Sagona 2006 1995-96 Alexander & Susan Priest 2007 1996-97 Joe Ferdenzi 2008 1997-98 Claudia Dickinson 2009 1998-99 Vincent & Rosie Sileo 2010 1999-00 Pete DʼOrio 2011 2000-01 Bernard Harrigan 2012 2001-02 Joe Ferdenzi 2013 2001-02 Jason Kerner 2014
Carlotti De Jager Jack Traub Claudia Dickinson Anton Vukich Ed Vukich Al Grusell Dan Radebaugh Pete DʼOrio Jeffrey Bollbach Jules Birnbaum Dan Puleo Leonard Ramroop
WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPIONS (Since 1983-84) 1983-84 Tom Lawless 1984-85 Tom Lawless 1985-86 Joe Ferdenzi 1986-87 Joe Ferdenzi 1987-88 (tie) Mark Soberman and Mary Ann & Joe Bugeia 1988-89 Jason Ryan 1989-90 Eddie Szablewicz 1991-92 Steve Sagona 1992-93 Steve Sagona
1993-94 1994-95 1995-96 1996-97 1997-98 1998-99 1999-2000 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03
Steve Sagona Carlotti De Jager Mary Eve Brill Steve Sagona Steve Sagona Tom Miglio Tom Miglio Pat Coushaine William Amely Evelyn Eagan
2003-04 2004-05 2006-07 2008 2009 2010 2011-12 2013 2014
William Amely Evelyn Eagan Ed Vukich William Amely Mario Bengcion Alexander A. Priest Richard Waizman Jerry O’Farrell Ruben Lugo
GCAS PRESIDENTS (Post 1945 — number in parenthesis = consecutive terms) 1946-49 1950-51 1952-53 1954-55 1956-57 1958 1959-64 1965 1966-68 18
Elliott Whiteway (4) Robert Greene (2) Robert Maybeck (2) Leonard Meyer (2) Sam Estro (2) Leonard Meyer (2+1) Gene Baiocco (6) Andrew Fazio (1) Charles Elzer (2)
1968-70 1970-72 1972-73 1973-75 1975-76 1976-77 1977-78 1978-79 1979-81
Walter Hubel (2) Dave Williams (2) Dan Carson (1) Herb Fogal (2) Richard Hoey (1) Ted Tura (1) Gene Baiocco (6+1) Louis Kromm (1) Don Sanford (2) December 2015
1981-84 1984-86 1986-97 1997-99 1999-00 2000-08 2009-15
Brian Kelly (3) Jack Oliva (2) Joe Ferdenzi (11) Vincent Sileo (2) Jeff George (1) Joe Ferdenzi (11+8) Dan Radebaugh (7)
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Greater City Aquarium Society
2015 Awards
To be awarded December 2, 2015
GENE BAIOCCO AQUARIST OF THE YEAR AWARD ALEXANDER & SUSAN PRIEST
DON SANFORD BREEDER OF THE YEAR AWARD ARTIE PLATT
WALTER HUBEL BOWL SHOW CHAMPION RICHARD WAIZMAN
AUTHOR AWARD PROGRAM (AAP) AWARDS Only authors making contributions printed during 2015, or who received AAP points as a result of NEC and/or FAAS publication awards announced in 2015, and whose AAP levels changed are listed below. Bill Amely Joe Ferdenzi Horst Gerber Joseph Gurrado Steven Hinshaw Andrew Jouan
Writer Grand Master Laureate Essayist Writer Essayist Author
Denver Lettman Rich Levy Ruben Lugo Elliot Oshins Michael Vulis Larry Whitfield
Writer Writer Correspondent Laureate Correspondent Author
Susan Priest is Author of the Year for 2015!
BREEDERS AWARD PROGRAM (BAP) AWARDS Breeders who achieved significant plateaus this year are: .
Artie Platt .
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Breeder
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GCAS BREEDER AWARD PROGRAM 2015 NAME
JEFF BOLLBACH
SPECIES BRED
Points
CERT # PSEUDOMUGIL CYANODORSALIS 1923
5
Number of species: 1
1st - GCAS
CARES
9/2/2015
U
Total Points
DATE
5
WARREN FEUER 1897
HYPANCISTRIS SP "L270"
30
Number of species: 1 JOSEPH GRAFFAGNINO 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1917 1922 1926
CORYDORAS SP. (NOT IDENTIFIED) PUNDAMILIA sp. "Red Flank: (Nansio Bay) EPIPLATYS TOGOLENSIS AULONOCARA MAYLANDI GIRARDINUS FALCATUS KROBIA GUINENSIS "XINGU ORANGE" HERICHTHYS CARPINTIS GOODEA ATRIPINNIS ATRIPINNIS GAMBUSIA AFFINIS BRACHYRHAPHIS ROSENI
3/4/2015
U
Total Points
30
3/4/2015
15 25
Ì
3/4/2015
20
U
3/4/2015
25
U
4/1/2015
15
U
4/1/2015
20
U
5/5/2015 5/5/2015
10 20
Ì
6/3/2015
5
9/2/2015
5
11/4/2014
Number of species: 11
Total Points
15
ARTIE PLATT 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1918 1919 1920 1921
PTEROPHYLLUM SCALARE PSEUDOMUGIL CYANODORSALIS PSEUDOCRENILABRUS PHLLANDER DISPERSUS PROTOMELAS TAENIOLATUS PROTOMELAS SPILONOTUS MICROGEOPHAGUS RAMIREZI CICHLASOMA (HYPOSOPHRYS) NICARAGUENSIS HERICHTHYS CARPENTIS GEOPHAGUS STEINDACHNERI HAPLOCHROMIS (CYRTOCARA) MOORI AULONOCARA STUARTGRANTI (NTEKETE) AMECA SPLENDENS AEQUIDENS PULCHER LAETACARA CURVICEPS XIPHOPHORUS EVELYNAE PUNDAMILIA NYEREREI Number of species: 16
10
HYPANCISTRUS SP. "L004" APISTOGRAMMA CACATUOIDES Number of species:
30 15
15
6/3/2015 6/3/2015
U
10
6/3/2015
10 20
6/3/2015 6/3/2015
U
10
6/3/2015
10
6/3/2015
10
6/3/2015
15
6/3/2015
10 20
6/3/2015 6/3/2015
U
20
Ì
6/3/2015
10
9/2/2015
10
9/2/2015
5
9/2/2015
25
Ì
Total Points
9/2/2015
210
EDWARD VUKICH 1924 1925
2
11/4/2015 11/4/2015
U
Total Points
45
U indicates first recorded breeding of the species in the GCAS Breeders Award Program Ì indicates a species at risk that is listed in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program
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GCAS Breeder Award Totals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39
NAME POINTS # BRED JEFF BOLLBACH 1,690 123 JOSEPH GRAFFAGNINO 1,400 98 JOSEPH FERDENZI 980 65 MARK SOBERMAN 945 51 ANTON VUKICH 910 70 TOM MIGLIO 865 66 WARREN FEUER 880 58 EDWARD VUKICH 735 56 STEVE SAGONA 655 47 JOHN STORA 540 47 JOSE ARANDA 505 47 JOHN IANNONE 485 45 THE ECKSTEINS 455 39 CARLOTTI DE JAGER 440 33 CLAUDIA DICKINSON 435 27 RICHARD SORENSEN 420 33 FRANCIS LEE 390 28 GERALD GORYCKI 370 41 CHARLEY SABATINO 360 20 THE REPANES 355 27 JACK OLIVA 345 42 HAROLD KETTERER 335 30 AL PRIEST 330 8 THE LOMBARDIS 325 32 GREGORY WUEST 310 30 DON SANFORD 310 25 TED KURDZIEL 295 24 TONY FERRARO 275 23 THE BUGEIAS 270 31 DOMINIC ISLA 235 20 STEPHAN ZANDER 230 14 ARTIE PLATT 210 16 YEZID GUTIERREZ 206 20 PHILIP INGENITO 205 13 ROD DU CASSE 190 14 THE DONATONES 175 18 JOHN MORAN 170 11 LOUIS KROMM 170 16 JEFF GEORGE 165 17
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 December 2015
NAME POINTS # BRED LESLIE DICK 160 8 DICK MOORE 160 5 JEAN BRAUDE 155 12 BARRY LYNCH 150 18 SHARON MIRABELLA 135 10 THADDEUS TURA 135 9 JOE CUCINIELLO 135 9 JORGE RODRIGUEZ 135 9 HARRY EVANS 125 11 KEN BRUST 120 15 FRANK GANNON 120 16 JERRY SCHULTZ 120 11 THE KELLYS 115 12 GEORGE MAROTI 115 8 JOE MANCUSI 115 8 HERB FOGAL 100 13 JERRY MAYER 95 7 JOE FLANAGAN 95 12 DENNIS EGIELSKI 95 4 BRIAN KELLY 90 6 PETE D'ORIO 90 9 ROBERT MC KEAND 85 5 EDWARD SZABLEWICZ 85 7 NOEL RODRIGUEZ 85 7 BOB KUHLKE 80 7 LEONARD RAMROOP 80 11 BRADLEY PLOTKIN 80 6 JOHN LEE 75 5 DOUGLAS CURTIN 75 12 JOSE PEREZ 75 6 TOM BOHME 75 7 BOB RADAMACHER 70 9 DONALD CURTIN 70 10 PAT PICCIONE 70 7 SARA MONHEIT 65 6 CHARLES KUHNE 60 8 JOEL FORGIONE 60 4 BOB DU BOIS 55 5 HORST GERBER 55 4 21
79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108
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NAME POINTS # BRED MIKE CASSANO 50 5 WARREN BURKE 45 7 BRUCE WEILER 45 3 WILLIAM BRANDOFINO 45 4 CHARLES SHATAKA 40 5 CHARLES BENEFATTI 40 7 DAN RADEBAUGH 40 3 BRIAN STERN 35 4 ARTHUR MAYER 35 3 BARRY CENTER 35 3 THE MARTINS 35 5 VINNIE RITCHIE 35 3 AL PHANEUF 35 5 BRUCE WELLER 30 3 MICHAEL VILLANO 30 4 ROGER BEAULIEU 30 2 THE STEGMANS 30 3 ROB ALTONEN 30 2 GENE BAIOCCO 30 4 STANLEY WEGLARZ 25 4 VINCENT BABINO 25 2 EMMA JORDAN HAUS 20 3 DANNY SHEPARD 20 3 GUNTER HORSTMANN 20 3 STEVEN MILLER 20 1 PETER SCHLEISMAN 20 2 ARNOLD FREED 20 4 STUART KRICHEVSKY 20 3 JOE ARONNE 15 2 IGNACIO ARENCIBIA 15 1
December 2015
109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138
NAME POINTS # BRED THE FERNANDEZES 15 1 WILLIAM SADERA 15 1 DAN GAWIAK 15 2 KATHY BUSBY 10 1 ABE COOPER 10 2 BILL ARONNE 10 1 RICH LEVY 15 2 DIANNE SPELLMAN 10 1 JOHN MC CAFFERY 10 2 JERROLD MEYER 10 1 HORST MIEHLBRAD 10 1 FRANK FALLON 10 1 WALTER ROSTOWSKI 10 2 JASON KERNER 10 1 JAY LIEBOWITZ 5 2 ADAM KLEINROCK 5 1 EDYTH MONSOUR 5 1 KATHY FERNANDEZ 5 1 THE QUINNS 5 1 WILLIAM STALZER 5 2 JAMES BROOKS 5 1 RICHARD WALSH 5 1 BILL SMITH 5 1 DANNY CIRNIGLIAR 5 1 GEROLD COCH 5 1 BOB FUCHS 0 1 PETER SAGINARIO 0 5 DEAN ABRUMSON 0 1 VINCENT MASCOLA 0 3 JOHN HILL 0 1
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
e are always very pleased to welcome new names to our member/author list, and you will see some new names once again this year. One of the things that has distinguished Modern Aquarium over the years has been the number of our members who contribute to the magazine, and I'm very glad to see this tradition continue. Several of our authors have moved up the ladder in our Author Award points rankings: Congratulations are in order to Andrew Jouan and Larry Whitfield, who achieved Author status, Ruben Lugo and Michael Vulis, who moved up to Correspondent, Bill Amely, Joe Gurrado, Denver Lettman, and Rich Levy, all of whom moved up to Writer. Elliot Oshins is now a Laureate, and Joe Ferdenzi has gained the distinction of Grand Master Laureate! Special congratulations go to our Author of the Year for 2015, Susan Priest! Our sincere thanks and congratulations go to all of our contributors. We hope to hear more from each of you in 2016!
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Overview of the Author Award Program The GCAS AAP awards points for contributions to Modern Aquarium. Persons acquiring a specified number of points will receive additional recognition in the form of a certificate for having reached designated Accomplishment Levels. (See “Accomplishment Levels.”) Each person making a qualifying contribution to Modern Aquarium receives points, as well as chances for a Prize Drawing at the Annual Holiday Party. Eligibility Any member of Greater City who makes a contribution to Modern Aquarium is automatically a participant. Points Five points will be awarded for an original article of 500 words or less. Ten points will be awarded for an original article of 501 words and over. Five points will be awarded for an original photograph, drawing, or illustration submitted with, and as part of, an original article. If more than two photographs, drawings, or illustrations are submitted with a related article, only two will be given points (this is in addition to the points awarded the article, based on its size). Ten points will be awarded for an original color photograph that is used on the front cover. Photographs must be the work of the member submitting them, and must not have been previously published, or submitted Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
for publication, in any commercial or amateur publication. Two or more related photographs or illustrations submitted with captions, and occupying one or more pages, will be counted as two photos (10 points) and as an article over 500 words (10 points), for a total of 20 points. An example would be a photo spread with captions. An original article on a fish in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program will receive double points (i.e., 10 points for an article of 500 words or less, and 20 points for an article of 501 words or more). Photos and drawings of a C.A.R.E.S. eligible species will also receive double points. Five points will be awarded for an original puzzle which is used on the “Fin Fun” page of Modern Aquarium. Ten points will be awarded to the winner of our Cartoon Caption Contest. Points are awarded only once for an article, drawing, puzzle, or photograph. No points are awarded for subsequent reprints, regardless of whether the original article was awarded points previously in the AAP. To be eligible for AAP points, a contribution must first have been submitted to Modern Aquarium. However, if an article previously published in Modern Aquarium is significantly revised by its author (as a result of new information or developments), and if such a revision is first submitted to Modern Aquarium, it will be treated as a new article. Points are awarded in the year the article is printed. Editorials and President’s Messages are excluded. An article deemed unacceptable by the Editorial Staff of Modern Aquarium for reasons of appropriateness of topic, suitability, or possible violations of copyright or libel laws, will be ineligible for participation in the GCAS AAP. Decisions of the Staff are final. Points credited to an author may not be carried over or credited to subsequent calendar years for the purposes of raffle prize chances or “Author Of The Year” designation. Bonus Points If, in the year following its publication in Modern Aquarium, an article is given a 1st, 2nd or 3rd place award by the North East Council of Aquarium Societies (“NEC”) or by the Federation of American Aquarium Societies (“FAAS”), an additional 10 points will be awarded if the author is a GCAS member in the year the NEC or FAAS award is announced. This applies only to articles (not to drawings, columns, cartoons or photos). These bonus points are credited in the year that the award is announced, not the year for which it is awarded.
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Prize Drawing For every 5 AAP points earned in a calendar year, the recipient is given one chance in our “Authors/ Contributors Only” raffle. Author of the Year The person with the most points in a calendar year receives a certificate as “Author Of The Year” for that year. This is our most prestigious award, and the winner truly exemplifies the high value which they place on the contribution of experience and knowledge to the aquarium hobby at large. Accomplishment Levels For the accomplishment levels specified below, points are cumulative over the life of the AAP program. 1 Points are doubled for each article on a fish in the C.A.R.E.S. Preservation Program. 2 Points are doubled for each photo or drawing of a C.A.R.E.S. fish used on the cover. 3 Bonus points are awarded to participants for awards (other than Honorable Mention) received from the
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Federation of American Aquarium Societies (FAAS) Publication Awards, and The Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies (NEC) Article Awards, in the year these awards are announced, not in the year for which they are awarded. 4 Modern Aquarium staff members are ineligible for the Raffle. Family members of staff ARE eligible. Author Award Program Report A Status Report - Points Awarded March to December 2015 Author.......................................................25 to 45 pts Correspondent.........................................50 to 95 pts Writer...................................................100 to 145 pts Essayist.................................................150 to 195 pts Journalist..............................................200 to 295 pts Columnist.............................................300 to 495 pts Laureate................................................500 to 745 pts Senior Laureate....................................750 to 995 pts Master Laureate ............................1,000 to 1,495 pts Grand Master Laureate................1,500 to 1,995 pts Sr. Grand Master Laureate.........2,000 to 10,000 pts Editor Emeritus over 10,000 pts
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Following are the total AAP points for all GCAS members as of December 2015. If you have questions, or feel that there are errors, please contact Dan Radebaugh. Shunmugan Al Tamer Altan Bill Amely Sharon Barnett Fred Bellise Mario Bengcion Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
40 5 105 30 10 15
Steve Berman Jules Birnbaum Tom Bohme Victoria Bohme. Jeffrey Bollbach Roger Brewster
December 2015
25 645 15 25 90 10 25
Tommy Chang Donald Curtin. Doug Curtin Carlotti De Jager Wallace Deng Les Deutsch Leslie Dick. Brad Dickinson Claudia Dickinson Al DiSpigna Pete O’Orio Rod Du Casse Evelyn Eagan Frank Fallon Harry Faustmann Anita Ferdenzi Francesca Ferdenzi Joseph Ferdenzi Marisa Ferdenzi Alison Feuer Warren Feuer Michael Foran Artie Friedman. Peter Foster Mike Gallo Jeff George Horst Gerber Steve Giacobello Joseph Graffagnino Steve Gruebel Al Grusell Joseph Gurrado Bernard Harrigan Steven Hinshaw Andrew Jouan Jason Kerner Charlie Kuhne Denver Lettman
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105 10 90 30 80 5 35 20 3,195 5 5 5 25 65 50 15 5 1,510 20 5 305 25 15 10 10 165 150 15 270 10 25 140 1,800 165 25 140 10 115
Rich Levy Bill Luckett Ruben Lugo Beth Macht John Malinowski Desiree Martin Tom Miglio Jackleen Minassi-Haftvani Temes Mo Jerry O’Farrell Elliot Oshins Jim Peterson Margaret Peterson Artie Platt Alexander A. Priest Susan Priest Dan Puleo Dan Radebaugh Marsha Radebaugh Jannette Ramirez. Leonard Ramroop Mark Rubanow Charley Sabatino Donna Sosna Sica Stephen Sica Vincent Sileo Danielle Soberman Ilyssa Soberman Robin Soberman Mark Soberman Gilberto Soriano Jack Traub Undergravel Reporter Anton Vukich Ed Vukich Michael Vulis Ron Webb Larry Whitfield Greg Wuest
December 2015
105 10 65 10 5 45 25 20 5 205 580 5 10 20 3,710 3,375 135 660 295 220 30 5 170 10 1,980 50 5 15 10 75 5 20 1,490 5 80 50 10 30 25
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
AN AQUARISTʼS JOURNEY Story and Photos (unless noted) by Rosario LaCorte
Chapter 20 n the second of May, our whole group went to suitable for the home aquarium. This area, rich in flora an area that was completely new to me. It was and fauna, was without a doubt the most beautiful we a large lake, with hundreds of butterflies flying had seen in the entire vicinity of Aruana. about and taking up salts from the moist leaf litter that On May 4 we returned to a region called Fazenda surrounded the lake. Sweeping a seine across a large Lagoa de Estrada, where we had already collected section of the lake, we captured small numbers of a several times. This area too was rich in small fauna. single species, Bryconops caudomaculatus. This was We saw Cheirodon, Metynnis, Hemigrammus, and a common capture, and we had no interest in collecting Hyphessobrycon, to name only a few. Plant life, them. both terrestrial and aquatic, was Our results being poor, Luis abundant. We also saw many decided to go to another area, called butterflies, dragonflies of many Mutuca. Luis’ knowledge of the colors, and attractive damsel flies. area was just amazing. We turned Not far from where we off onto a dirt road and drove into did most of our collecting were a large area of cane, which was some clear pools where we did about eight to ten feet high. Luis not collect. On the other side of then unerringly cut a swath through the road from these was a single the cane, arriving at a large pond pool, not very large and extremely with crystal-clear water. There muddy. It looked like a herd of was an outlet to our left, where cattle had crossed through and the water traveled over an area thoroughly roiled the bottom. We of Echinodorus martii growing had been by there a few times, and under and above the water line. each time I had suggested we stop, Every specimen was magnificent. but Luis would say, “Rosario, Flowering plants were abundant, there is nothing there.” I asked as were some small trees which him if he had ever tried collecting sported sharp needles all the way there, and he replied, “No,” so I up the trunk. We had to be very was not satisfied with not trying, careful not to touch them, as they though except for some patches of could deliver a nasty cut. grass around the edges it did look The author holding Echinodorus martii The very attractive Wimple rather barren. piranha (Catoprion mento) inhabited the pond. Their The next day I would begin my long trek back fins were larger and more elongated than specimens to Goiania, then on to New York and home, so finally caught in more rapidly flowing water. There was an Luis yielded to my insistence, and the muddy little abundance of fish species, many very attractive and pool became our last collection area on the trip. We
O
Trees with spines sticking out from their trunks
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Part of the savannah. The water is crystal clear and the bottom laden with Echinodorus martii. Note the swiftness of the current. December 2015
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Dragonfly
Echinodorus growing above ground in the moist environment.
One of the now rare butterflies known as the 88 butterfly. According to one of my Brazilian friends, Dalton Nielson, an expert of Brazilian butterflies, this species is becoming rare in the wild.
Butterflies sucking up mineral salts.
stopped and I jumped down from the Jeep. Luis opted to remain with the vehicle and await the results of my probe. As I entered the water I noticed that it was extremely warm. Of course, the muddy, discolored water absorbed the sun’s heat, creating a much warmer temperature than was found in the clear pools across the road. I could not get an accurate reading at the surface, but just below the surface I got a reading of 80°. Making a quick probe, I jumped with glee as I viewed a very handsome cyprinodont. I had never seen it before, and knew that it had to be an undescribed species, and probably a new genus. The males sported a luminous, metallic-blue humeral spot, with an overall wine-red body color. The dorsal had a bright red edging. The females were heavily spotted with black. We secured quite a few specimens, so as to assure reproduction once I returned home with them. I was elated, as this was the last collection we would make, and I doubted that I would ever have the opportunity to return to Brazil in future years. After capturing the first specimens I shouted to Luis to come and see. “Luis, have you ever seen this fish?” “Yes, but only small specimens.” I was surprised that with his years of living in Aruana, and being a professional collector, his knowledge of this fish’s existence was practically non-existent. Was it
limited to this one pond? I couldn’t imagine that to be the case, as the pond didn’t give the appearance of a stable, long-term habitat. The entire episode was exciting. We had passed that pool many times, and Luis always smiled as we went by, knowing that I was itching to explore it. I guess this time he took pity on me, knowing that I would be leaving the next day. What a joy it was to come up with a winner on a fish we almost didn’t find. That evening we enjoyed ourselves, laughing and talking about the time we had spent together, and the success of our trip. The following day we returned to Goiania. Maria Elena accompanied us, as she had a business in Goiania. I stayed at the home of Luis’ son Sergio and his wife Adrianne. They were very generous, caring for us during our stay there. I had another day or so before my flight to Rio and then the long flight back to New York. Maria Elena and her and Luis’ friends, as well as Vilmar, one of Luis’ former partners, all had a get-together at her home to wish us well on our trip home. I asked Roger Couto to call my friend Dr. Naercio Menezes in São Paulo to tell him about the new cyprinodont that we had found in Aruana. Naercio was happy to hear from me, and suggested that it would wise not to release the fish, as a month or so earlier Wilson Costa had found the fish and was in the process
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
of describing it. Naercio was Costa’s professor in his doctoral studies. I promised Naercio not to release the fish until the description was validated. I kept my word and did not release them. At that time, Len Mackowiak was the New Species Chairman at the AKA. Lenny was without a doubt the most active Chairman the AKA had ever had. I had enough of these fish now to start releasing them, and Len wanted some to distribute in the worst way, but I had made a promise, and I felt that was more important than monetary gain. The fish was eventually described by Costa, and called Pituna poranga. To this day Lenny will sometimes kid me for my reluctance to release any fish that was not described. The following day I had to spend some time at the shipping center, from where my friend Roger Couto would take us to the airport. While there, I decided to purchase going-away gifts for Maria Elena and Ester for being so helpful to Victor and me during our stay. They were both surprised and delighted by their gifts. Vic was not going to return with me; he was going to fly to Manaus to meet with some of the exporters he dealt with for his business, Crystal Aquarium. Roger took me to the airport for my departure to Rio. Since his parents lived in Rio, he made arrangements with them to meet me at the airport, which they did. They
were very friendly, and as it turned out, very helpful (Roger’s father was a retired brigadier general). When Luis’ son Sergio packed up my fish collection, he should have used boxes that did not state their contents. Instead, the four boxes were labeled “Tropical Fish.” “Uh-oh,” I thought, “I smell trouble.” Sure enough, one of the customs agents tried to shake me down. The general intervened, and saved me from having the entire shipment confiscated. I wasn’t concerned about my entry into the U.S., since I had the required clearance papers. Finally, all went well. I thanked the general for his help, and soon found myself in the air, finally on my way home. Arriving at home, the collection was put away with no losses, making this a very successful expedition. A few weeks later I got a hurried call from Roger Couto telling me that Luis Costa was in legal trouble. SUDEPE (much like our Department of the Interior), had received a complaint from Gilberto Campello Brasil, accusing him of conducting illegal collection of fishes, in particular, the cyprinodonts we collected in Aruana. Gilberto singled me out as a hobbyist from the United States who was taking fish out of the country, especially rare and endangered species, for profit. It seems that one of Luis’ competitors, also residing in Aruana, had alerted Gilberto to my presence.
We found this beautiful cyprinodont in the muddy pool. Costa descibed it as Pituna poranga, but it was later discovered to be synonymous with Pituna compacta (Myers 1927).
From left to right: Ester, Rosario, Esterʼs husband Ary, and their son.
Catoprion mento, one of the species collected in the savannah habitat. Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Roger Couto, one of my good Brazilian friends. It was Rogerʼs father, a retired brigadier general, who met me at the airport in Rio and helped me avoid a shakedown by a inspector seeking money, even though I had valid papers from the N.Y. Museum of Natural History.
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Roger was very upset about the situation, as was it have been jealousy that we had found several new Luis, who feared he would lose his collector’s license species? and be put out of business. Roger told me they would The law in Brazil was that for any newly send copies of Gilberto’s accusatory document, as described species, specimens had to be taken to the well as copies of Luis’ defense of his position. Several Museu Zoologia in São Paulo, to become part of their days later I received both documents. They were of vast collection, housed for present and future scientific course in Portuguese, but I had enough knowledge study. I always followed this rule. To this day I send of the language that I could follow it. Gilberto had any photographs of Brazilian fishes to Dr. Stanley accused me of removing rare and endangered species Weitzman, who in turn forwards them to Brazil, so for profit. Luis’ response was magnificent, and an that they can be catalogued. attorney could not have defended my integrity any These days one risks arrest for collecting fishes, better. He described how I had been of great help and many Brazilian ichthyologists are none too happy to him in solving problems with several areas of his with the restrictions on fish collection. Many people business, all having to do with the technical aspects from many countries have contributed a great deal to of collecting and preserving his livestock. He also the knowledge we now have of the fishes of Brazil. mentioned that besides my interest in fish, I had spent Now fish collecting and exporting have been restricted a great deal of time photographing plants, butterflies, to a few major port cities. The export of cardinal and dragonflies. The presiding judge ruled that Luis’ tetras, for example, has continued for decades, with by position was valid, and cleared him of all charges. now millions of fish exported, and yet their population The whole episode was upsetting to me, as I had is not threatened. been corresponding with Gilberto for many years, and Brazil has one of the greatest diversity of fish each time I had visited São Paulo I had called him with species in the world, and because of the now heavy the hope of doing some collecting together. On the restrictions we may never have the opportunity to trip I had made with the Weitzmans back in 1977 I see some of the many beautiful species that are still had written him prior to my departure to arrange a getundiscovered. together. We had dinner with his aunt and his father, During my many years of association with and the whole evening was enjoyable. Every time I freshwater fish species, I have been fortunate to meet traveled to São Paulo I made a point to call and say and form lifetime friendships with many wonderful hello. people. One of these friends is Vic Hritz, the owner of However, Gilberto always seemed to have an Crystal Aquarium in New York City. Over the years, excuse when I suggested a joint venture. Before my Vic has had a number of celebrities purchase pets first meeting with him he had requested some rare from his shop, perhaps the most famous being Sir Paul drawings that I had, and I fulfilled that request. He McCartney. was later sent to England by his company, and I Another of his steady customers was a gentleman provided him with some great contacts in that country named Caryl P. Haskins (1908-2001). Vic mentioned and in Germany. While he was there, which was in him to me on several occasions, and also mentioned the early 1970s, we remained in touch by mail. My to Caryl that we should get together. So in June of assumption was that we had a good relationship, based 1983 Victor, along with Caryl and his lovely wife on mutual interests, and so his betrayal was quite Edna, spent the day with us. I found him to be most unsettling, particularly as it targeted Luis, whom I felt charming, and the two of them complemented one was one of the finest people I had ever met. I was another in a marriage that lasted for many years. angry that his career could have been destroyed by a I know a little of Caryl’s background from stupid accusation. what Vic has told me. According to Google, he Years earlier Gilberto had been in touch with was a scientist, author, inventor, philanthropist, and Steve Sellers, of San Francisco. Steve was the first governmental advisor. An entomologist, he was AKA New Species chairman, and it was through Steve a pioneer in the study of ant biology. Along with that I became acquainted with Gilberto. Steve had Franklin S. Cooper, he founded Haskins Laboratories, arranged to import the first specimens of Cynolebias a private research facility, in 1935. In 1956 he was antenorei, a handsome annual fish from northeastern appointed President of the Carnegie Institution of Brazil. Gilberto shipped him fifty pairs, as I recall, Washington, a position he held until 1971. He was also which were sold at $25 per pair, a pretty good sum at Trustee Emeritus of the National Geographic Society the time. Gilberto was certainly entitled to any money until his death. He published The Amazon: The Life he made. He made the effort and the gamble, and History of a Mighty River in 1943. His father, Caryl everyone associated with the deal was delighted with David Haskins, an engineer, author, and inventor, their fish. I bought a pair for that price, and was very was involved in the development of the self-guided pleased with it. So I feel it was very hypocritical of torpedo. Caryl and Edna made fifty trips to Australia, Gilberto to accuse someone else of removing fish for and visited the Galapagos the same number of times. profit, when he had done the same thing, with an even Edna was a brilliant and well-known chemist. larger number of fish. What was his motive? Could 30 December 2015 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Photo taken in the early seventies of Cynolebias antenorei, revised as Hypsolebias antenorei. This species was collected by Gilberto Campello in Brazil, in 1973.
I found this apistogramma species in Aruana during my visit in 1983. They were only juveniles, less than an inch long, and completely yellow, much like a brooding female and young. They grew up to be as pictured, and to this day I don't know if they have ever been described. A great deal of hunting on my trips only netted a few specimens.
Preserved specimens of the three newly discovered cyprinodonts. From top to bottom: Maretecoara lacortei, Simpsonichthys costai, and Plesiolebias aruana.
Tank raised Maratecoara lacortei
We had lunch together, and Jeannie and I thoroughly enjoyed their visit. I gave them some fishes that Caryl had not seen before, and he was thrilled to receive them. I later received a letter of thanks from Caryl, along with a small booklet on the genetics of guppies, published by the British journal, Heredity. Some time much later, John Endler, answering Richard Sexton’s letter regarding the history of the Endler’s Poecilia, quoted Endler’s letter: “I discovered these fish in Laguna de Patos, near Cumana, northeastern Venezuela in 1975. They had in fact been collected in 1937 by Franklyn F. Bond, but I didn’t know that at the time. (I found his collection in the Museum of Zoology of the University of Michigan).” …mutual friend Dr. Donn Eric Rosen, an expert on Poeciliidae. John Endler, again quoting his letter: “I wanted them to call it Poecilia haskinsi after Caryl Haskins, who knows more about wild guppies than anyone, and who started me out studying these interesting species.” Donn passed away before he had a chance to fulfill this suggestion. The 1990s were still exciting, as the tropical fish industry was vibrant, and large numbers of new species were being imported. Aquarium societies were active, with wonderful conventions being held. I
was fortunate enough to be invited to many aquarium societies throughout Canada and the United States. In the course of my travels I’ve met many wonderful hobbyists, and many of them have become great friends. Charlie Grimes was a long-time friend, and for a while we used to correspond by tape recording. In fact I used the tape mode to correspond with several hobby friends. I preferred it to writing, as one can use inflections that are impossible in the written word. Charlie’s Midwestern twang was a plus, making his humor entertaining—adding sort of a Will Rogers flavor. Charlie and I had once been invited to speak at a Northeast Council convention. Charlie was the banquet speaker, and since the banquet is always a mixed audience, Charlie was the obvious choice, as he is very humorous and filled with spontaneous humor. It is great for the ladies, who may not have the same ‘fish fervor’ as their spouses. I had hoped for several years to have Charlie visit with us, but it just hadn’t happened. The convention was in the Hartford, Connecticut area, about a 2½ hour drive from my home. I thought, “How can we get Charlie to New Jersey?” He was flying into Boston, Massachusetts,
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
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and was scheduled to depart from the same airport. So I said, “Charlie, how about contacting the airline and getting your return flight out of Newark?” I lived only about twenty minutes away from the airport, and could easily drive him there for his return flight to Indianapolis. “Wow,” Charlie responded, “That would be great!” So the deal was done. Charlie would drive back to Jersey with me and Jeannie and my friend of many years, Bill Jacobs. We arrived at my home, and Charlie finally got to see my fish house. We had a great time chatting fish, and feasting on delicious Italian food prepared by my wife Jeannie. The following day I had to go to work, so Charlie spent the day with Bill Jacobs. Charlie really enjoyed Bill’s company; he was one of the old-timers of the hobby. Charlie missed one flight out, and finally made it home the following day. His wife Annie was upset by the turn of events, but it was soon forgotten. For years I had wanted to see Charlie’s fishroom, but several more years passed, and then the Indianapolis Aquarium Society invited me to be a presenter. So George Fear (owner of Shark Aquarium) and I made the trip to Indianapolis, and had a wonderful weekend with Charlie and the aquarium society. Well my physical journey in these chapters is coming to a end. I feel blessed that this journey has been such a wonderful adventure. I met so many wonderful people who shared their enthusiasm with me, and I credit them for making my journey so exciting, and revealing so much of the beauty and diversity of nature. In about 1999 or 2000 I received a call from Dave Schnell, a member of the Potomac Valley Aquarium Society, asking if I would accept an invitation to speak before his group. I responded that I would be more than happy to. It was an opportunity for me to again meet up with Dr. Stan Weitzman and his wife Marilyn, whose home was not far from the hotel where I would be staying, and where the program would be given. A few weeks later Vic Hritz called and said, “You will never believe who called today!” Well, it was obvious I had no idea, nor did I suggest a name. “Who?” I said. Vic quickly shot back, “Ester.” “Ester from Goiania?” I questioned. “Yes,” Vic responded. “Wow!” I said, “Whatʼs the occasion?” Vic went on to explain that she was now one of the officials in the Brazilian embassy, and that Luis had passed a message to Vic wondering if he had an interest in importing some more fish from Aruana. I quickly asked for Esterʼs phone number at the embassy, as in a few short days I would be leaving for Washington to give my presentation before the society. “Vic, wouldn't it be great to invite Ester to attend the presentation?” So Vic gave me the number for the Brazilian Embassy.
A few days later I was picked up at the airport by Dave, who drove me to his home. Once we arrived there, I phoned the embassy, and a young lady answered and did verify that indeed, Ester was attached to the embassy, but at the moment was not there. Disappointed I questioned her if it were possible to get her home number, but she quickly responded no. At first I was somewhat annoyed, but I quickly realized that she was correct in not giving her number to me. She told me to call back in an hour, by which time she should be there. I did call back, and on the second call Ester did speak with me. It was 11 or so years since I had seen them, and I had not expected that I ever would again, as I had no plans to return to Brazil. I explained to Ester that I would be speaking at the hotel (donʼt recall the hotelʼs name) and that I wanted to invite her and Ary to the program. She quickly responded that the hotel was only ten minutes from where she lived, and that she most certainly would be there, but Ary could not, since he would have to babysit. The day of the show I was looking at my watch, wondering if she would show. I was to begin at 1:00 P.M. I was most delighted when she did arrive, as I had plans on how I was going to incorporate her into my program, and I had her sit in the front. The program covered a good portion of our adventures in Aruana. When I reached the point of our truck breakdown, and illustrated the photo waiting on the highway, I then explained how we were rescued by a young lady and her fiancée, and with that I pointed to her and said that she was our rescuer. It was a script out of Hollywood! I had never in my wildest imagination thought that Ester would be there, and I had the program already assembled before I knew she would be in attendance. That evening the society had a banquet which many attended. Ester and Ary were invited, but they had other plans, though they did drop in for a short time, giving me an opportunity to see Ary. All in all it was very fulfilling to see them both again. About four years later I was again invited to speak in Washington, and Ester came by once again—this time with their two children. Her tour with the embassy was over and she was going to return to Brazil. Though the story of our collecting adventures now comes to an end, life’s journey continues, and with the next few chapters I hope to cover some moments that I feel are important.
Copyright 2014 Rosario S. La Corte and the Greater City Aquarium Society. No duplication in any medium is permitted without express written permission. This prohibition includes not-for-profit aquarium societies. 32
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
GCAS Classifieds FOR SALE: 50 Gallon Breeder Tanks (52 gal.) 48 X18 X 14H. Drilled, with bulkheads. $25ea. Call Coral Aquarium: 718-429-2934 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR SALE: African cichlids -- all sizes, as well as tanks and accessories. Call Derek (917) 854-4405 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR SALE: Frontosas -- all sizes. Call Andy (718) 986-0886
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FOR SALE: 30-gal breeder tank-- SS frame with a slate bottom. 36” L X 15” D X 18” H. I have about 25 15-gallon breeder tanks, about 15 10-gal breeder tanks, >50 6-quart cast glass aquariums, and > 250 Betta jars with flat faces. I also have an air pump that supplied my whole fish room, pipe with air valves every few inches, and some home-built betta jar filtration systems. Call Ray Lackey: Phone: 631-567-1936 Cell: 631-707-1544 mail: 1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia, NY 11716-2176 email home: lackeyray@tianca.com
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Call: 718-469-5444 Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
jasontech1@verizon.net
December 2015
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GCAS Member Discounts at Local Fish Shops The fish shops listed below offer discounts to members of Greater City Aquarium Society. To take advantage of these generous offers, just present your Greater City ID before checking out.
10% Discount on fish.
20% Discount on fish. 15% on all else.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on fish.
10% Discount on everything.
10% Discount on everything except 'on sale' items.
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December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
The Opossum – Wintering Over ‘At Our House’
by Dick Blasé (member PVWG&KC)
The Opossum is the best friend you can have in the garden. They are North American only Marsupial, that means the female carry its young in an external pouch for about 100 days; the same as a kangaroo. They are a solitary animal; they just want to be left alone. They do not attack people or other animals. They will show you a mouth full of teeth to scare you if you get to close or they play dead, entering a state similar to fainting that can last from less than a minute to six hours. The maneuver is designed to make predators lose interest.
Reprinted from Aquatic News, April 2015, E-Newsletter of the Pioneer Valley Water Garden and Koi Club
Opossums are immune to bee and scorpion stings, also the venom from a rattlesnake. To most, the opossum is not a very good looking animal and sports an ugly tail. Their furless tail is the most important part of their body. It is used to carry food and nesting material and it is also used to allow them to hang from a branch in a tree by wrapping their tail around it. Now, the GOOD STUFF… The opossum eats eggs, mice, rats, insects, snails, slugs and any other pest they can find! They may grab a tomato of your vine - this is a small price to pay for what they do to keep your yard clean of those pesky pests. Ticks are their favorite snack! Ticks to an opossum are like M&Ms to us. They can eat thousands of ticks a week. Now, why did I want to find out about opossums? You see, I have one - somewhat as a pet. Note! They do not make good family pets… Remember; treat wildlife for what they are, a ‘wild creature of nature’. A day before the big snow storm that dumped 3 feet of snow; there was an opossum in the yard and it crept under the porch to wait out the snow storm. Well, when the storm was over, it came out from under the porch and found it had nowhere to go because of the deep snow. It quickly decided to stay under the porch and wait until the snow went away. Or so it thought! Sandy, realizing there was no food for the animal, put out a dish of vegetable scraps. Since the opossum is mostly nocturnal, we only saw it late at night. The opossum would then come out from under the porch and drag the dish of food back under the porch to eat. When it was finished, it would push the empty dish back out. This went on night after night. Well, it looks like we may have a new pet! Male or female, it should be very happy eating slugs, ticks and anything else it scrounges up. We will keep it if it wants to stay. I just hope it gets along with the cat! And most of all does not have a mate!!
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
December 2015
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Management of Nuisances - The best advice is to let opossums have their space and learn to live with them. An opossum in your yard shouldn't be a problem. This non-aggressive and nondestructive animal will not dig up yards, attack or threaten pets, or dig burrows. Opossums may get into garbage or pet food that is left outside and will sometimes raid poultry yards or gardens to feed on vegetables, apples, and strawberries. However, they are more beneficial to humans than harmful because they feed on many types of insects, like crickets and beetles, as well as on mice and voles. Background The Virginia opossum is a member of the Order Marsupialia (pouched animals). In fact, it is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. A marsupial is an animal with a pouch. The opossum has been around since the age of the dinosaurs (for at least 70 million years) and it is one of the earth's oldest surviving mammal species. Due to their ability to adapt to different habitats and food sources, opossums have been able to expand their range from the southeastern United States to the Northeast during the 20th century and are now found throughout New England. Range Opossums are found in the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, south through Central America. Description The opossum is a medium-sized animal that measures between 15 and 20 inches long (not including the tail) and weighs between 4 and 12 pounds. It has long, coarse, grayish-white fur. Black, brown, and albino opossums have been found, but are very uncommon. Opossums have a sharp-pointed and slender muzzle, prominent thin ears, and short legs. A long (9-20 inches), scaly, scantily-haired, prehensile tail helps stabilize the opossum when climbing. The tail also is well adapted for grasping and wrapping around things, but not for hanging for long periods of time. Opossums have five toes on each foot. The first toe on the hind feet is opposable, clawless, and thumblike. These "thumbs" help the opossum grasp branches when it climbs. Both sexes are similar in appearance, although males are commonly larger in size. Habitat and Diet Opossums are adaptable and will live wherever food, water, and shelter exist. They inhabit woodland areas along streams, ponds, lakes, swamps, and marshes. Farmland and woodlots are preferred over extensively forested areas. Opossums also are commonly found living in residential areas, making their homes in backyards and under sheds and other outbuildings. The opossum is both a scavenger and an omnivore which feeds primarily at night. It uses its keen sense of smell to find food. The diet consists mainly of insects, worms, carrion (dead animals), reptiles, amphibians, birds and their eggs, crustaceans, berries, fruits, and small mammals. 36
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
Life History In New England, opossums usually begin breeding in early March but in warmer or cooler areas may begin at an earlier or later date. The gestation period lasts about 13 days. Opossums produce one to two litters each year. The average litter size is 9, and the young are very tiny (about the size of a navy bean) and blind when first born. They crawl a few inches to the female's pouch, attach themselves to a teat, and remain "locked" on to it for approximately 60 days. After 80 days, young opossums are weaned, leave the pouch, and typically can be seen riding around on the female's back. By 100 days of age, they are usually independent. The next litter is born about two weeks after the first litter is weaned and opossums may breed during their first year.
Interesting Facts Opossums will use abandoned den sites of other animals, cavities in den trees, trash heaps, rock piles, brush piles, or buildings for shelter. They do not hibernate in winter, but will usually "hole up" during cold, adverse weather. Opossums can suffer from frostbite and may be missing the tips of their ears and tails. Mortality factors of opossums include humans, predation, parasites, disease, exposure, and starvation. The biggest threat comes from humans and automobiles. Main predators include dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, large hawks, and great horned owls. The chance of rabies in opossums is extremely rare.
When frightened, opossums bare their 50 sharp teeth and hiss or growl. However, they would rather avoid confrontation and be left alone. Being non-aggressive, opossums readily retreat to trees, brush piles, or other available cover when pursued by humans or predators. A common defense mechanism is feigning death or "playing possum," when cornered or threatened so some predators may think the opossum is dead and go away.
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
December 2015
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GCAS Happenings
December
November Bowl Show Winners: 1 Richard Waizman 2 Mario Bengcion 3 Mario Bengcion
Pearl White Betta Red Bi-color Betta Red Delta Betta
Official 2015 Bowl Show totals: Richard Waizman Ed Vukich
33 Mario Bengcion 3 William Amely
30 1
Leslie Dick
5
A warm welcome back to renewing GCAS members Rich Levy, Al & Sue Priest, and Leonard Ramroop!
Meeting times and locations of some of the aquarium societies in the Metropolitan New York City area: GREATER CITY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Next Meeting: March 2, 2016 Speaker: Matthew Wickey from Tetra/ Spectrum Brands Topic: Fish Nutrition Meets: The first Wednesday of the month (except January & February) at 7:30pm: Queens Botanical Garden 43-50 Main Street - Flushing, NY Contact: Dan Radebaugh (347) 866-1107 Email: gcas@earthlink.net Website: http://www.greatercity.org
BIG APPLE GUPPY CLUB Meets: Last Tuesday each month (except Jan, Feb, July, and August) at 7:30-10:00pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Donald Curtin (718) 631-0538
BROOKLYN AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Next Meeting: December 11, 2015 Event: Holiday Party Topic: N/A Meets: 2nd Friday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30pm: NY Aquarium - Education Hall, Brooklyn, NY Call: BAS Events Hotline: (718) 837-4455 Website: http://www.brooklynaquariumsociety.org
LONG ISLAND AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Next Meeting: December 18, 2015 Event: Holiday Party Topic: TBA Meets: 3rd Fridays (except July and August) 8:00pm. Room 120 in Endeavor Hall on theState University at Stony Brook Campus, Stony Brook, NY Email: Margaret Peterson - president@liasonline.org Website: http://liasonline.org/
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EAST COAST GUPPY ASSOCIATION Meets: 2nd Tuesday of each month at at 8:00 pm. Alley Pond Environmental Ctr.: 228-06 Northern Blvd. Contact: Gene Baudier (631) 345-6399
NASSAU COUNTY AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Next Meeting: December 8, 2015 Event: Holiday Party Topic: N/A Meets: 2nd Tuesday of the month (except July and August) at 7:30 PM Molloy College - Kellenberg Hall ~1000 Hempstead Ave Rockville Centre, NY Contact: Mike Foran (516) 798-6766 Website: http://www.ncasweb.org
NORTH JERSEY AQUARIUM SOCIETY Next Meeting: December 13, 2015 Event: Holiday Party Topic: N/A Meets at: Don Pepe's Restaurant Contact: NJAS Hotline at (732) 332-1392 Email: tcoletti@obius.jnj.com Website: http://www.njas.net/
NORWALK AQUARIUM SOCIETY
Next Meeting: January 21, 2016 Speaker: TBA Topic: TBA Meets: 8:00 P.M. - 3rd Thursday of each month except for July & December at: Earthplace - the Nature Discovery Center - Westport, CT Contact: Sal Silvestri Call our toll free number (866) 219-4NAS Email: salsilv44@yahoo.com Website: http://norwalkas.org/
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY)
There’s a Chill in the Air A series by “The Undergravel Reporter” In spite of popular demand to the contrary, this humor and information column continues. As usual, it does NOT necessarily represent the opinions of the Editor, or of the Greater City Aquarium Society.
A
nabantoids, “or labyrinth fish,” have been known to jump out of the water if the food or potential mate supply is low. They just keep flipping until they fall into a (hopefully) more favorable pool of water. But anabantoids are not the only fish who intentionally seek refuge outside of the water.
The mangrove rivulus (Kryptolebias marmoratus) will jump from hot water and onto solid ground to cool off.1 The journal Biology Letters reports that “This is the first time a fish has been shown to air-chill itself.”2 (The rivulus’s home waters have been reported to reach a sweltering 100°F (38°C)). Researchers wondered why a fish would jump from warm water to warm, humid air. (The rivulus is native to the tropics and subtropics from Florida to Brazil.) So they heated water and filmed the fish using a camera that measures body temperature. The fish began jumping out at about 97°F (36°C). Within 30 seconds, they were as cool as the damp filter paper on which they landed. Within 60 seconds, they were actually slightly cooler than the paper (a phenomenon that has scientists scratching their heads). Is this “survival of the coolest?”
Photograph by Andy Turko, University of Guelph
References 1 2
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151020-fish-mangroves-out-water-animals-behavior-science/ http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/11/10/20150689
Modern Aquarium - Greater City(NY) A.S. (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S
December December2015 2015
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Fin Fun Just as our annual Awards Banquet and Holiday Party mixes fish and festivities, so too does our word search puzzle this month: ANGELFISH AQUARIUM ARTEMIA CANDLES CELEBRATE CORYDORAS DECORATE FESTIVE FISHNET FRUITCAKE GIFTS GOURAMI JAVAFERN PARTY SLEDDING SNOWMAN SWORDTAIL SYPHON Solution to our last puzzle Equipment/tool
Marine/Saltwater specific? Yes
syphon
X
refractometer
X
live rock
X
thermometer
X
protein skimmer
X
chiller
X
spawning mop
X
bristle worm trap
X
hydrometer
X
X
light strip
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No
December 2015
Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S (NY) Modern Aquarium - Greater City A.S. (NY)