#aquarium corals

[aquariuminfobureau]

There is currently a fad to provide aquariums containing photosynthetic coral holobionts - those corals and anemones harboring photosynthetic dinoflagellates, within their own tissues - with lighting regimes leaning heavily towards the blue wavelength. Many people, for I am not alone in this, dislike the aesthetic created by such lighting, and we think that it obscures details when we are trying to identify objects in the aquarium.

As it happens, the algal symbionts do respond the best to blue and green wavelengths of light. But this alone doesn't explain the aesthetic problem, since our human vision is best attuned to the green wavelengths, though admittedly at the yellowish end of the green light spectrum, rather than the blue. In suboptimal, low light conditions, our eyesight adjusts to become more sensitive to blue wavelengths, but still towards the green end.

Therefore the alien aesthetic now created by many coral aquariums, makes us feel we are in a suboptimal environment for our functioning. But the benign dinoflagellates living within corals and clams, absorb not only violet and blue, but also red wavelengths the best. This is something I feel is overlooked. Macroalgae also make most use of the blue and red wavelengths of light, and the red macroalgae have evolved an improved ability to utilize the green and yellow parts of the color spectrum, relative to green and brown macroalgae.

A word must be said about the use of light wavelengths by undesirable algal colonists, and by the cyanobacteria. These too use the blue and red wavelengths, because they also use chlorophyll to harness sunlight. Given that the photosynthetic organelles of eukaryotic algae - including the dinoflagellates used by corals and clams - are in fact cyanobacteria,it's not surprising the same wavelengths are being used.

Which is not to say that all photosynthetic organisms in our aquaria, are using exactly the same light wavelengths. Two genera of red algae, for example, might be focused on different wavelengths. However the pattern is, broadly speaking, that the availability of light in the blue and red wavelengths, is the baseline prerequisite for photosynthesis.

With this borne in mind, I cannot see why so many reefers are using such heavily blue shifted lighting regimes today. The origin seems to be that during the propagation of scleractinian corals in grow out tanks, a blue shifted spectrum gives new corals a boost of growth that enhances their resilience to mortalities, that result from overgrowth during that critical stage.

I do not see any need to neglect the non-blue part of the wavelength, if it impedes our observation. Which is not merely aesthetic, but pragmatic. So I recommend, for example, one actinic blue tube per one or two coral growth tubes, so that the blue light boosts but does not replace the more visually appropriate light spectrum. Particularly, I see no reason to justify the way some people tend to downplay the fact, that natural photosynthesis using chlorophyll, is a process that also uses red light wavelengths.

Symbiotic coral holobionts possess diel activity patterns, so a day and night period should be provided for them, over the course of 24 hours. This includes the blue spectrum, although it gives a moonlight effect, and nocturnal houses in zoos often employ blue lighting for this reason. This should not be done in the reef aquarium, including any sump or such space where coral and clam holobionts might be being cared for.

[xxdrowninglessonsxx]

crochet aquarium

[gottastim]

polo_reef on ig

[montereybayaquarium]

🎶 Don’t worry about a fin 🐠

🌊🤿Dive into good vibes with our latest installment of Krill Waves Radio! 🦐🎧

Let the reggae rhythms transport you to colorful coral reefs teeming with tropical fishes. 🐟🐠

Whether you're working from home or chilling at the beach, our aquatic beats are the perfect soundtrack for your sea-esta. 🎶🌊

[jasminebythebay]

aquarium park 🐠🦑🐟

[aquariumpacific]

Are they animals? Are they plants? What exactly are corals and why are they important? Aquarist Jay is today’s guests on Aquarium of the Podcific and takes us to coral school. 👨‍🏫🪸

Visit pacific.to/podcific to listen, or search “Aquarium of the Podcific” in your favorite podcast app. 🎧

P.S. How many times will we talk about Michael the fish this season? The limit does not exist ✨

[nillan-e]

I found a bunch of pictures I took when I visited aquariums. Totally forgot I had those. Turns out a lot of them are pretty nice so I thought I'd share~

[treasuregamble]

some additional fish (and a coral)

from the incredible LiveAquaria website

[jennarosenthal]

Aquarium of the Bay, SF, CA

[missedmilemarkers]

Beneath the shimmering blue, the lionfish glides gracefully through its aquatic world at the Denver Aquarium. With its delicate fins and bold stripes, this exotic beauty brings a piece of the ocean's vibrant tapestry to life, weaving between coral structures with effortless elegance. Capturing both the wonder and mystique of marine life, this photo invites us into the colorful depths, a world where every movement tells a story of adaptation and survival. The lionfish, both mesmerizing and dangerous, reminds us of the ocean's allure and its secrets yet to be uncovered.

The lionfish, belonging to the genus Pterois, is a striking marine species native to the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizable by their bold maroon and white stripes and elongated, venomous spines, lionfish are both captivating and hazardous. Their venomous dorsal spines can inflict painful stings, posing risks to divers and predators alike.

Encyclopedia Britannica (source)

In recent decades, lionfish have become invasive in the Atlantic Ocean, particularly along the southeastern United States coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. Their introduction is largely attributed to aquarium releases. Lacking natural predators in these new environments, lionfish populations have surged, threatening native marine life and disrupting local ecosystems.

NOAA Ocean Service (source)

Lionfish are voracious predators, feeding on over 70 species of fish and crustaceans, including ecologically and economically important species. Their feeding habits can significantly reduce native fish populations, leading to imbalances in reef ecosystems.

Wildlife Informer (source)

Efforts to manage the lionfish invasion include promoting them as a food source, encouraging fishing and consumption to help control their numbers. Despite their venomous spines, lionfish are safe to eat once properly prepared, and their white, flaky meat is considered a delicacy.

Ocean Conservancy (source)

Understanding the biology and ecological impact of lionfish is crucial for developing effective management strategies to mitigate their invasive spread and protect native marine ecosystems.

[aquariuminfobureau]

One of the popular corals encountered in the aquarium trade is Duncanopsammia axifuga, traded as the Duncan coral or as the 'dunk', but known more formally as the whisker coral. I can remember when this Australasian coral was but sporadically imported, and had a reputation as a rare novelty. But nowadays it has become a well admired and staple species in our reef aquariums. Curiously D. axifuga is not a well studied animal in the wild, where it is usually regarded as uncommon. This is due to a lack of interest in studying corals from its natural habitat.

D. axifuga colonies possess large polyps that are 2 to 3 centimeters across, or about an inch, and these in turn possess such long feeding tentacles, that the visual appearance of their skeleton is easily obscured. The branching form of D. axifuga skeletons favors the fragmentation and survival of their colonies, which may grow either attached to hard substrates, or be free living on sand. Growing on sand helps this species to avoid competition with other, more aggressive stony corals in nature. Like other corals of this growth habit, D. axifuga skeletons that allow them to propagate by natural fragmentation.

Confusion exists as to where D. axifuga might be found in the wild, because they are easily confused with related genera of corals. Usually colonies are found at depths below 20 meters, but they can reportedly be present even in the intertidal zone. Uncertainty surrounds the identities of supposed D. axifuga colonies that have been reported from the South China Sea, Malaysia, and even Mayotte in the Indian Ocean. Although corals from deeper waters and soft sediments are relatively poorly understood, D. axifuga appears absent from surveys of appropriate habitats in the Gulf of Thailand, and this coral is thus likely to be a true Australasian endemic.

The key to understanding D. axifuga in the aquarium, is that they naturally occur where the water is turbid, with only limited light penetration. These corals do not like bright lighting, and they also need only low to medium flow. Unlike corals from shallow lagoon habitats, which have similarly turbid water and soft bottoms, D. axifuga are not hardy when they are exposed to unstable temperatures, nor to high temperatures above 26 degrees centigrade.

Although these corals do harbor and make use of photosynthetic symbionts, and therefore require some daytime lighting, D. axifuga are responsive to targeted feeding with finely chopped meaty items, or preparations for zooplanktivores. Towards other ornamental corals, they are not especially aggressive, and they are prone to lose out when they are in direct competition, for which reason care should be taken when siting them in the aquarium.

[heartnosekid]

guiltfreeaquatics on ig

[w1f1n1ghtm4r3]

doing my silly little costume design things

(you should also totally go provide your input on the rest of the lineup for this fake event too)

[montereybayaquarium]

We have new deep-sea cauliflower coral in the Into the Deep/En lo Profundo exhibit!

From @mbari-blog’s ship, the R/V Rachel Carson, our team collected these salmon-colored deep-sea corals half a mile below the surface of Monterey Bay.

These deep-sea denizens now stand tall, fanning their branches and captivating people with a glimpse of the depths of our underwater world. Follow along to find out what else we found in the deep!

[loving-jack-kelly]

i think jack has the kind of adhd that makes him go deeper and deeper into the random details of what he hyperfixates on but also have no idea that his depth of interest isn't normal. he says oh haha yeah I've been obsessed with cowboys since I was a kid :) and he means "I have a near encyclopedic knowledge of western fashion from the cowboy era and could tell you the names of every outlaw and how they got caught or died from 1800 to 1850 and I have read journal entries and letters from gay cowboys so obscure that gay cowboy researchers I've reached out to find out more have not heard of them. but I have" he'll spend hours on Wikipedia yes but he'll also spend hours in museum archives so he can put real cowboy artifacts in a cowboy painting and add details that nobody but him and maybe two other people in the world will understand in there. but also he'll just say yeah I like cowboys and think that covers it. get him going and he can't stop but mostly he thinks his interest is casual because he's always been like this.

[m00nb04rd5]

Cure Coral pls!

Sango Suzumura/Cure Coral (Tropical Rouge Precure)