Well it’s August, and dog days abound, especially in the marine aquarium industry. While I have been less than active here at Microcosm this month, I have, however, been quite busy elsewhere. With my book entering production (less work for me!), I have turned my attention to other projects. Perhaps the most exciting honor I have had as of late was interviewing the legendary Bob Fenner about the new edition of The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. If you have not received your copy yet, you should go get it now; it is awesome! By the way, did you know why a flame angelfish (Centropyge loriculus) was on the front cover of the first edition instead of the clown trigger (Balistoides conspicillum) James Lawrence of Microcosm had selected? Cool story, but I shamelessly direct you to my interview (which Blue Zoo Aquatics was kind enough to publish as part of their education resources section of their website) instead of relating it here.
In addition to interviewing Bob, I have been writing quite a bit about tangs as of late. These fishes, which are so common and rightfully beloved in our hobby, are truly amazing, and I think sometimes we may overlook them (especially the common ones), as we set our sites on the more exotic fishes. For example, have you really taken a look at a yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens), recently? Like what about that acanthus—the thorny, switchblade-like spine astride the caudal peduncle (the family name comes from the Greek and translates as “thorntail”)? How cool is that as an evolutionary adaptation (as I write this, my yellow tang is posturing with his acanthus trying to get my scribbled rabbit's, Siganus doliatus, attention)? Did you know that yellow tangs possess a venom gland when young, which provides them with even more protection? Or did you know that the characteristic that makes them so popular in the aquarium hobby—their bright yellow coloration—is also the characteristic that makes them ideally suited for reef life and predator evasion? That’s right, at the depths where most yellow tangs are found, the color yellow is nearly indistinguishable against the backdrop of the reef.
And my newest big project? I have recently “fallen into” an opportunity that should make a longtime dream of mine a reality. Given my background in both education and the aquarium hobby, I have long wanted to write a book about using marine aquaria in the classroom. A good friend of mine, who is also the science department chair of a secondary school near where I live, has secured funding (a long story in and of itself) to ramp-up the School’s usage of marine aquaria in the classroom, and he’s invited me to be a partner in that endeavor. Over the coming months, I look forward to sharing that project with you here as we set-up the tanks and develop the curriculum.
So…while I have been somewhat remiss in my August blog postings here at Microcosm Aquarium Explorer, I have indeed been busy. With August drawing to a close, however, I trust you will indulge me as I share more about these projects and others here at the crossroads where science, ecology and hobby meet.
It's a lot more educative now. So glad i found your blog.
Posted by: bpc consulting | January 02, 2012 at 05:06 AM