Fish 'N' Chips
A Monthly Marine Newsletter
August 2000 Issue

Index

From Liz
Critter Corner
Caught In The Net
Chips...er...Tips 		Upcoming Events
What the ... ?
Prove It!, a Bibliography
Newsletter Disclaimer

From Liz
 By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/18/00

Clownfish Breeding Pairs Wanted - Fellow subscriber, Johan Bresler is desperately looking for Clownfish Breeding pairs. Johan is located in Durban, South Africa and he said that it would be easy for him to pick up deliveries at the airport in Johannesburg. Send Johan an email at jbresler@global.co.za if you help him.

eGroups Email Bouncing! As part of the integration of eGroups into the Yahoo! family of services, eGroups has announced email bouncing. If messages I send to you are returned to eGroups as undeliverable ("bouncing"), your eGroups account may be temporarily disabled. eGroups will periodically send test messages to check your email account if this happens. If eGroups' messages are returned without error, your account will be reactivated. If you want to reactivate your account manually, visit the eGroups site at http://www.egroups.com/ and log in, visit your My Groups page and look for a bounce alert near the top of the page. Click on the alert link to reactivate your account.

Photo Page on Web Site - I've added a new page to the Fish 'N' Chips Web Site. The new photo page contains my first attempts at marine photography. No laughing at me please!

More Free Fish Buttons! Made some more freebies for ya! A series of dolphin buttons this time. Go get them at my biz site, High Aspirations, Inc. (http://www.highaspirationsinc.com/).

Vacation Time! I will be on vacation from 8/27 to 9/3. I will not have access to a computer while away. Any emails sent will be answered after I return.

An FNC Web Ring? Back in the June issue I started a survey on whether you thought a FNC Web Ring was a good idea and if you'd join it or not, well everyone who voted thought it was a good idea, but that was only 6. 5 of those had sites they'd submit to the ring. That's pretty dismal voter turnout when you consider I have nearly 700 subscribers. So, I've shelved the idea for now, but not trashed it. Maybe I'll do it anyway, just because I want to. Speaking of web rings, on 8/7/00, WebRing (http://www.webring.org/), the free service that lets you create, manage, and power your web rings, sent me an email announcing it's integration with Yahoo! Any ideas I have on starting up a ring of our own will now also wait until WebRing is finished being swallowed up by Yahoo!

Visit This Month's Subscriber's Tank Showcase
Eric and Michelle Castren's Reef Tank is the Showcase for August and can be seen at http://www.marinefiends.com/tankshowcase.html.

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Critter Corner
 Tridacna squamosa
By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/22/00

T. squamosa from Harbor Aquatics

General Information:
T. squamosa's are most commonly found with a brown mantle with many golden brown or yellow wavy lines. The mantle can be high in color with green and blue spotted varieties.

T. squamosa's reach a maximum length of 16 inches (40 cm).

Characteristics of T. squamosa:

Young T. squamosa are sometimes confused with T. maximas mostly because both clams have scutes on their shells. The scutes of the T. squamosa are much larger and not as close together as you'll see on T. maxima.

According to The Reef Aquarium Volume One, T. squamosa are known to form hybrids with T. crocea and T. maxima.

Common Name(s):
T. squamosa are commonly known as Fluted, Scaly or just Squamosa Clams.

In The Wild:
Found from East Africa through Polynesia in sheltered areas like back-reef lagoons, T. squamosa can be found as deep at 49-59 feet (15-18 m). Always attached by their byssus threads, they are usually found lying on the substrate.

T. squamosa's are sort after by the shell trade and are frequently imported from the Philippines.

Home Aquaria:
A hardy clam in captivity, the T. squamosa can live for more than 10 years in your tank. Unlike other Tridacnids, T. squamosa's aren't as demanding in the light department.

In your tank, place a large T. squamosa on a firm substrate. According to Aquarium Frontiers' On The Half Shell by Daniel Knop, T. squamosa is easily stressed if you put the clam under lighting that is too bright with strong currents. Also according to Knop, T. squamosa frequently develop central bleaching when under strong lighting.

If your T. squamosa is wild caught, start by putting it in the lower third of your tank. If the clam doesn't open within a few days, move it into a spot with indirect lighting. Remember, the water current should not be too strong.

If the lighting above your tank is good, place the clam at the bottom of your tank. T. squamosa's can let loose a good, strong blast of water when they slam their shells shut. So, if you put your clam too close to the top of your tank, you'll end up with water up in your lights.

According to The Reef Aquarium Volume One, T. squamosa's aren't usually imported into North America but are available in some European locations like Holland. The Reef Aquarium Volume One was published in 1994 so I don't know how true this still is. You can find small (1 inch / 3 cm) T. squamosa's that have been maricultured in North America. These small maricultured clams are more delicate than other maricultured clams. Their survival rate is not good. Also according to The Reef Aquarium Volume One, larger maricultured T. squamosa's will be available to hobbyists in the near future (published in 1994 remember!).

Cost:
Store: My local fish store (Queens, New York) didn't have any T. squamosa's for sale.
Online:
US Dollars: Found two sites selling T. squamosa clams. Prices ranged from $15 to $40 dollars.
Canadian Dollars: Found two sites selling T. squamosa clams. Prices ranged from $45 to $85 Canadian dollars.

Photo Credits:
T. squamosa image used with permission of Gary Meadows of Harbor Aquatics http://www.harboraquatics.com/.

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Caught In The Net
 By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/20/00

New Stuff Found

On marinefishonline.com (http://www.marinefishonline.com/):

On Reefs.org (http://www.reefs.org/):

A New Look

Phase 1 of a redesign of the fishroom.com (http://www.fishroom.com/) has been completed.

The Reefs.org website has a new look. It's worth a visit. Check it out at http://www.reefsorg/.


This Month's Selection From The Fish 'N' Chips Fishy List

Informational & Educational Sites - Critter (fish, coral, invert) Information

The above list matches a portion of the site list maintained on the Fish 'N' Chips Website as of the date of this publication. What you see above is what was listed as on their site by the submitter. The date that follows in parenthesis is the date submitted to the list. For the complete up-to-date list, check out the Fish 'N' Chips Website at http://www.marinefiends.com/.

Site Submission and Updating: To submit your site for inclusion in the Fish 'N' Chips newsletter and website based Fishy Links List, please go to the Fish 'N' Chips website at http://www.marinefiends.com/ and complete the Site Submission Form. Please do not send any site submission or update requests via email - I will not process them. Of course, emails are welcome if you are having trouble submitting the form.

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Chips...er...Tips
 When you don't like a fish store?
Tip Submitted By Arthur D. Montgomery 8/6/00
Article Written By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/18/00

On 8/6/00, subscriber Arthur D. Montgomery emailed me some news local to him. Someone dumped antibacterial soap into a pet supermarket's main filter around closing time. The following morning, when it was discovered, only a few fish had survived. According to Arthur, there are already two local fish stores in the area and the supermarket style store is sure to force someone out.

The saddest part of this story is the lost livestock. Was the sabotage from an employee, an unsatisfied customer, or the supermarket's competition? Who knows.

The tip here is this, if you don't like a pet store, don't go there. Tell your friends and fellow hobbyists why, but let them make their own decisions. I would never recommend slander or slander-type campaigns against a store or service. You end up in legal trouble that way. There is a right way and a wrong way to let the business know you don't like them - a letter to the manager or parent company declaring that you won't be shopping in their store. I've found that the best way is loyalty to your current local fish store. I gladly pay a higher price (within reason, of course) at my local fish store. They are, after all, my local fish store. They know me, they know my family, I walk in and they say hello, I know nearly all of them by name.

Hopefully the hobbyists in Arthur's area will be loyal to their current fish stores and it will be the supermarket that goes out of business.

To Submit Your Tip: Send your tip via email to fishnchips@mail.com and I'll publish it in an upcoming issue of Fish 'N' Chips. I'll write it up for you or you can do it yourself if you are so inclined. Make sure you let me know if I can include your name and email address or if you'd rather go anonymous.

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Upcoming Events
 By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/20/00

EventStart Date/TimeEnd Date/TimeLocation Event Details, Notes, and For More Info
Essay Contestnow9/1/00 - 12:00am  Essay Title: "Difficult to keep animals, should they or should they not be purchased from the aquarium shop as a "rescue attempt" by hobbyists?"
Contest Rules, Etc.: Visit the Reefs.org website's contest page at http://www.reefs.org/contest/.
Prizes: 1st Prize - a Tullock or Fenner Book / 2nd Prize - Reef Holder.
Aquarist Profile Surveynow10/1/00  For More Info: Visit the Reefs.org website's survey page at http://www.reefs.org/survey/.
Salinity Surveynow10/1/00  For More Info: Visit the Reefs.org website's survey page at http://www.reefs.org/survey/.
Temperature Surveynow10/1/00  For More Info: Visit the Reefs.org website's survey page at http://www.reefs.org/survey/.
MACNA XII9/29/0010/1/00 Ft. Lauderdale Florida at the Wyndham Hotel Hosted by: Marine Aquarium Society of North America
Speakers: Speakers include: Walter Adey, Yehuda Benayahu, Bruce Carlson, Vincent Defour, Ruth Francis Floyd, John Forsythe, Richard Harker, Cindy Hunter, Kelly Jedlicki, Martin Moe, Mike Paletta, Ron Shimek, Julian Sprung, and Peter Wilkens. For information on what their topics are, visit http://www.masna.org.
For More Info: Visit http://www.masna.org.
The Instant Ocean International Marine Seminar 10/22/0010/22/00Gilbert Murray Hall at Leicester (UK) Speakers: Mike Paletta (USA), Svein Fossa (Norway), and Julian Sprung (USA).
Tickets: £10. Make checks payable to WYMAG. Send a SASE to Mrs. Christine McCaffery, 31 Henconner Cresc. Leeds. LS7 3NS.
For More Info: Roy Meeke from WYMAG can be reached via phone at 01924 420101 (days) or 01274 611822 (evenings) or via email at roymeeke@wymag34.freeserve.co.uk.
Message Board Poll Contestnow11/1/00  Contest Info, Etc.: Just go to fishroom.com's (http://www.fishroom.com/) The Reef message board and reply to the new poll posted there.
Prize: 20 lbs. of Florida Keys aquacultured live rock.
Seahorse Exhibit4/20/00April 2001New York Aquarium Info: Some of the animals to be featured are leafy sea dragons, weedy sea dragons, pygmy seahorses, pot belly seahorses, local seahorses, giant seahorses, and pipe fish.
Where & Contact Info: Brooklyn Aquarium, West 8th Street and Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY (USA), 11224. Phone: (718) 265-FISH.

To Submit Your Event: Send your event and all the specifics (date, time, location, pricing, contact info, etc.) via email to fishnchips@mail.com and I'll publish it in all issues of Fish 'N' Chips prior to the event.

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What the ... ?
 By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/19/00

Bleaching
When corals or clams expel their zooxanthellae and appear pale or white.

Byssus Gland
The structure in clams that produces fibrous threads (byssus) that attach the clam to substrate. Sometimes permanent although more usually temporary attachment of tough organic threads secreted from a gland in the foot of the clam.

Mantle
Large, pigmented fleshy portion of tridacnid clams that is exposed to the light by gaping of the shell valves. Also called siphonal tissue. Also, the coral tissue in fleshy polyps (e.g. Catalaphyllia).

Siphon
The inhalant and exhalant siphons of tridacnid clams are used to allow for gas exchange and to expel wastes.

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Prove It!, a Bibliography
 By Elizabeth M. Lukan 8/19/00

Article: Critter Corner

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