06/08/93 ag508 <1> AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network Volume 2, Number 1 - March 1993 ISSN 1188-553X (unformatted version) 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8 Tel. (613) 729-4670. Fax. (613) 729-5613. CompuServe 71022,3537 Internet rob@pinetree.org *********** Aquatic Conservation Network Directors Dennis Hough, 3626 Glenwood Springs Dr., Kingwood, Texas 77345, USA. Tel: (713) 360-9549. Fax: (713) 360-0855 Rob Huntley, 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. Tel: (613) 729-4670. Fax: (613) 729-5613. Shawn Prescott, Red Sea Fish pHarm Ltd., P.O. Box 4045, Eilat 88000, Israel. Tel: 972-7-331307. Fax: 972-7-379340. Advisory Directors Chris Andrews, National Aquarium in Baltimore Eugene Balon, Institute of Ichthyology, University of Guelph Heiko Bleher, Aquarium Rio, Germany Al Castro, formerly with the Steinhart Aquarium Bruce Gebhardt, North American Native Fishes Association Nelson Herwig, Houston Zoo Ken Lazara, American Museum of Natural History Paul Loiselle, New York Aquarium Gene Lucas, Biology Department, Drake University Gordon Reid, North of England Zoological Society Tony Ribbink, JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology Daniel Richardson, Federation of American Aquarium Societies Craig Watson, Florida Cooperative Extension Service *********** AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network International Standard Serial Number - ISSN 1188-553X Published quarterly (March, June, September and December) by The Aquatic Conservation Network, Inc., 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. Attn: Robert V. Huntley, Editor. Telephone: (613) 729-4670. Fax: (613) 729-5613. Upcoming deadlines for submissions are May 21, 1993, August 20, 1993 and November 19, 1993. Unless otherwise indicated, articles may be reprinted without permission provided that such use is not for financial gain and appropriate credit is given to the author and to Aquatic Survival. The views expressed in published material are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Aquatic Conservation Network. 06/08/93 ag508 <2> ACN E-MAIL You can now send electronic mail to the ACN using one of the following addresses CompuServe: 71022,3537 Internet: rob@pinetree.org *********** JOIN NOW! Annual membership is $25.00 (Canadian or U.S.) Aquatic Conservation Network 540 Roosevelt Avenue Ottawa, Ontario Canada K2A 1Z8 *********** Aquatic Survival Deadline for the next issue is May 21, 1993 *********** BACK ISSUES Copies of back issues of Aquatic Survival are available from the ACN, 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. The cost is $4.00 each (Canadian or U.S. currency) to cover costs of copying, postage and handling. Back issues can also be downloaded (text only format) from the ACN/ CMDB library of CompuServe's Aquatic Data Center (FISHNET). CORRECTION In the last issue the address for contacting the Desert Fishes Council was incorrect. For information concerning the DFC, contact E.P. Pister, Executive Secretary, Desert Fishes Council, P.O. Box 337, Bishop, California 93515, U.S.A. Tel: (619) 872-8751. 06/08/93 ag508 <3> IN DEFENSE OF CAPTIVE BREEDING OF ENDANGERED FISH by Roger Langton The debate over the value of captive breeding as a means of preserving species from extinction will probably go on for decades to come. Conservation-minded people are divided as to the value of this approach to the long term maintenance of biodiversity. The purpose of this article is to discuss the positive aspects of captive breeding by commenting on the points most frequently made by those who oppose or seriously question such efforts. Eight opposing statements will be examined in an effort to make the case that captive breeding efforts can and will make a valuable contribution to conservation. 1. Humans are part of nature and the extinctions caused by their dominance and superiority are natural. It is obvious that this attitude works against conservation efforts. It reflects an anthropocentric perspective that places humans at the centre of existence and assumes their superiority and the inherent inferiority of all other living things. This attitude is shared by many people, many of whom have not examined the assumptions by which they live their lives. This common attitude demonstrates a profound ignorance about how ecosystems work by failing to recognize the essential services that plants and animals provide in the maintenance of a viable environment. As a matter of fact, if these free services were to suddenly stop, Homo sapiens would become extinct in a very short time (Ehrlich, 1988; Wilson, 1992). Another component of this position is the belief that humans cannot destroy the environment even if they wanted to and that nature will always be able to rapidly repair any damage that might be done. Along with this is an optimistic belief that technology will be able to solve any environmental problems that might arise. Many go so far as to say that those who wish to restrain human activity for the sake of the environment are perpetuating a hoax which represents the last vestiges of socialism or communism. In effect, environmentalists are seen as enemies of capitalism. Clearly, people who hold these attitudes do not offer much encouragement to those who wish to restrain or modify some human activities in order to protect the viability of the planet. The reality is that we are presently in one of the great extinction spasms of geological history. E. O. Wilson estimates that currently 27,000 species of plants and animals go extinct every year. In the rainforest, due to human activity, this represents an extinction rate from 1,000 to 10,000 times faster than the normal rate over geological time (Wilson, 1992). Clearly, education is an important component of any conservation effort. People with this view often fail to see that what sets humans apart from the rest of nature is their ability to understand the consequences of their behaviour. Implied within this is the capacity to restrain behaviour for the common good. It is this unique potential to be ethical that gives hope that a new value system will evolve which gives reverence for the miracle each species represents. Those who support measures that insure a high degree of biodiversity have faith that respect for all life and the consequent preservation of nature will eventually evolve to become the norm. This hope is based upon the increased realization that it is in the best interests of human survival to do so. At that point the extraordinary efforts of those involved in saving species from extinction will be more fully appreciated. 2. What good is the captive breeding of a species when its natural habitat is destroyed and there is no possibility of reintroduction? One of the expectations of people involved in captive breeding is that some fish species will eventually be reintroduced into their natural habitat. It is true that many habitats will not be able to support aquatic life for many decades or perhaps forever. The conservation aquarist chooses to maintain the fish even if the future of its habitat looks bleak. The hope is that habitat reconstruction will become an important area of research in the next few decades and that eventually many species will be placed back into nature even if the habitat has to be engineered by humans. If the fish no longer exist, this will not be an option. In addition, the educational value of displaying fish that are threatened or extinct in nature should not be underestimated. It is hoped that such displays will help inform people of the value of biodiversity and may help bring about the conservation ethic mentioned earlier. 3. Long term captive breeding will eventually fail due to the inevitability of inbreeding and the subsequent loss of genetic diversity. Perhaps the greatest challenge presented to persons breeding fish for conservation is to maintain genetic diversity in their captive specimens. Fortunately, conservation biologists have done considerable research in the last two decades relating to genetic management. Their findings will give guidance to those involved in long term captive breeding programs. Still, most of this research has been done on mammals that produce small broods over extended period of time; this research may or may not apply to many fish species. More research will be necessary to refine breeding procedures to achieve this goal and these processes may differ for individual species. It is likely that some species will prove to be more resistant to inbreeding than others. Some fish species living in small habitats have survived hundreds of years of inbreeding and are, for all practical purposes, genetically identical e. g. desert pupfishes. Aquarists have maintained viable populations for decades despite a high degree of inbreeding. Experience among amateurs suggests that it is possible to eliminate lethal genes through selective breeding practices. But, to be fair, aquarists have also learned that continuous inbreeding can lead to deformities, disease, and the loss of a breeding group. Despite all of these potential difficulties, the serious conservation aquarist will make every effort to begin a breeding program with as many unrelated founders as are available and add unrelated specimens to the program when available. Theoretically, it is possible to maintain a high percentage of the genetic variability present in the founders through careful breeding management. A high level of genetic diversity will be especially desirable, if not essential, when a species is to be reintroduced into a natural environment. The point of concern is well taken. Only time and experience will determine if these obstacles can be overcome. Not to try would be the greatest mistake. The opportunity to save a species seldom comes more than once. 4. Animals bred in captivity lose their survival instincts and become easy prey when reintroduced into their natural habitat. It is certainly true that captive bred fish learn some "unnatural" habits while living in aquariums. It is not unusual for fish to rush to the front of the tank in anticipation of being fed and to seemingly recognize the people who feed them. This behaviour does not mean that the fish has lost the proper response to predators. The instincts are there, but have been compromised in the safe aquarium environment. If you drop a small fish into a tank containing large cichlids, there is often a wild chase with the small fish seeking and sometimes finding a safe hiding place. The panic shown in the behaviour of the potential victim says a great deal about the existence of flight instincts in the face of danger, even in species that have been in captive environments for many generations. The question is, will the fish learn in time to revert to a more natural response? As biologists become more adept at the science of reintroduction, ways may be found to revive these survival mechanisms before fish are put back into nature. 5. Captive bred animals no longer participate in the process of evolution and, therefore, lose their importance to the natural world. Conservation aquarists have respect for the wisdom of nature in creating a wide variety of species and wish to see the process of evolution continue; this is an important motivational factor in their efforts. It is true that the interaction that occurs in a natural habitat is temporarily lost or greatly compromised in captive populations. It is also true that the adaptations that do occur are in response to an artificial environment and may not be useful in the wild. But the bottom line is clear, if the animal does not exist, the possibility of future participation in the evolutionary process is lost forever. (Even in this context the potential for meaningful research exists, although this is a secondary consideration except in cases where research aids conservation efforts.) 6. The cost of keeping a species indefinitely in captivity is very high. Scarce funds should be used to protect habitat rather than maintain a species that is, for all practical purposes, extinct. If the potential for captive breeding is used as an excuse for not protecting habitat, then the concept is being misused. Habitat protection is always the first priority. As a general rule, it is only when the habitat is in grave and imminent peril that captive breeding comes into play. The bulldozer and chain saw are very capable of turning a pristine environment into a wasteland within a matter of days or weeks. Still, these decisions are often difficult. Conservation aquarists want to be able to obtain enough founders when captive breeding is indicated but they don't want to endanger a habitat further if there is any possibility of it being saved. This is where knowledge and good judgement come into play. Other conservationists advocate that captive breeding programs should begin long before a species is on the brink of extinction. Indeed, when one considers the number of countries that are currently experiencing political instability, many of which have critical fish habitats under their jurisdiction, it would seem prudent to have captive populations outside of those areas. This approach suggests that the wise thing to do is establish these populations in anticipation that habitat destruction is likely within a few years. Such action is especially appropriate in those areas where conservation efforts are highly problematical. By the time everyone agrees that a habitat is ruined, it may be too late to acquire a viable population for captive breeding. The rainforest species of Sierra Leone and Cameroon would be good examples of fish that will probably be in trouble within this decade and plans could be made now to save them. It is a tough wire to walk. If human population doubles during the next century, as it surely will, it is likely that from 30 to 60% of all species on earth will disappear by the year 2050 (Wilson, 1992). 7. Saving fish for the hobby is wasting resources that could be used for more important human needs. Certainly, much of the motivation for amateur aquarists to participate in captive breeding programs will be to save the fish for the enjoyment of the hobby. Given the extent of the challenge to save even a few species, all persons of good will should be invited to participate. If aquarists are willing to follow the rules insuring the integrity of the breeding program, they should be encouraged to take part. The potential is enormous. It is likely that the hobbyist will become, before long, a conservation aquarist who understands the full significance of the work. Yes, human needs are important, but the survival of biodiversity on this planet must be our highest priority if we are to avoid the collapse of civilization and what Paul Ehrlich describes as "the equivalent of a nuclear winter" (Ehrlich, 1988). 8. As a general rule, technological societies do not support the ethical principles necessary to sustain long term conservation efforts. The number of people focusing on conservation issues is growing but, for the most part, there are few fundamental changes that put significantly less stress on the environment. We tinker around but cannot face the hard choices necessary to make the difference. We are an intelligent species, but history may yet record that we have a fatal flaw- our capacity to use nature exceeds the capacity of nature to sustain our activities. Put another way, we may demonstrate that our capacity to restrain ourselves for the sake of posterity is weaker than our desire to satisfy every imaginable appetite in the present. If this latter characteristic proves to be true, then there is little of significance that separates us from the proverbial beast. Many know that we are heading for difficult times but, as in the case with the U. S. national debt, the necessary adjustments to solve the problems are difficult to contemplate and politically unpopular. We all know what has to be done: reduce human population, walk more gently on the earth, love nature as our mother and father, move from material growth to personal growth, stop this unhealthy obsession with our species (ourselves), make room for all life and learn to love, or at least appreciate, all of nature as we love and appreciate ourselves. In the interest of our survival, change in this direction is an historical necessity. Is it too late? Maybe, but we have to try to change or we will be in danger of losing those qualities essential to our humanity. Literature: Ehrlich, P. & A. Ehrlich. 1981. Extinction, Random House. Ehrlich, P. 1988. The Loss of Biodiversity. In Wilson, E.O. (ed.) Biodiversity. National Academy Press. Ehrlich, P. & A. Ehrlich. 1991. Healing the Planet. Addison-Wesley. Tudge, C. 1992. The Last Animals in the Zoo. Island Press. Wilson, E. O. 1992. The Diversity of Life. Harvard University Press. Roger Langton can be contacted at 556 W. Cedar Place, Louisville, CO 80027 U.S.A. 06/08/93 ag508 <4> LETTERS Malagasy Cichlids - UK My friend Karen Horrocks has shown me the latest issue of Aquatic Survival as she knows that I am interested in Malagasy cichlids. I had already been wondering whether to join the ACN, and your Madagascar project has made my mind up .... I am an amateur aquarist, for the past few years I have specialised in Tanganyika cichlids and I have always been interested in conservation issues. I am a member of the British Cichlid Association an I am currently the Editor for the North West Cichlid Group. It seems I was not alone in having my interest in Malagasy fishes stimulated by Paul Loiselle. I heard him speak about Paratilapia polleni at the BCA Convention last October, and I was fortunate enough to have several conversations with him while he was here in this country and this species was mentioned several times. Purely by chance, a few weeks later a friend of mine who is a dealer asked me to photograph a strain of Bedotia geayi which had just been imported into the UK, so I asked him to find out if it would be possible to get hold of polleni. The answer was that captive bred fishes were available in limited numbers from Germany, so I have placed an order through this country's largest importer and I am currently waiting for stock to arrive. I have spoken to most of the BCA Committee about this project, to the best of our knowledge, no Malagasy cichlids have ever been imported into this country; indeed the only fish I have ever seen from Madagascar is B. geayi. From conversations with other cichlid keepers who heard Dr. Loiselle, I am sure that my friend and I will have no problem in selling any surplus polleni from our shipment. I will draw the ACN's project to the attention of anyone who gets stock from us. I have been reading what literature is available, having obtained the papers listed in the bibliography of Paul Loiselle's book through the British Library: I would be very interested in learning of further references. I will be happy to give whatever support I can to the Madagascar project. Yours faithfully, Alan Hill 41 Warwick Close Bury, Lancashire England BL8 1RT Swiss Contact Sometime ago, my friend Kai-Erik Witte from Konstanz, Germany sent me your leaflet and registration form. Kai-Erik knew of my long standing interest and concern for fish species and fish habitat conservation as I had told him (in the Hague, European Ichthyology Congress, August 91) that I was contemplating the creation of an international association dedicated precisely to this issue. Since then, I must confess, I hadn't moved much, as after speaking to various people, I had reached the conclusion that I was too isolated to obtain the scientific and "aquaristic" high level support and help necessary to launch successfully such an organization. I was therefore absolutely delighted to learn that ACN now existed and I would very much like to collaborate with your association. I am enclosing with this letter a draft proposal I had written more than two years ago with a biologist-teacher friend defining the purposes of our planned association. Unfortunately it is written in French (I had the intention to write a shorter, more condensed, English version). If you can read it, I think you shall agree that the philosophy and purpose of the association we had in mind were very similar to those of the ACN. Now that you have contacted me directly I would have thousands of things to tell you. I am attaching more material, published and unpublished so that you can better assess my interest and ideas on fish species and fish habitat conservation. Generally speaking I would personally stress the need for action in the tropical countries where most of the species are found. I know it may seem more difficult to get aquarists involved in and support this, but I think that with the proper presentation and education it can be done. In the long term I remain rather sceptical that much can be achieved by captive breeding in aquaria or other artificial enclosures in "developed" northern countries. Even if we are to maintain indefinitely a fish species in the aquaria, we know that after a number of generations we most likely won't have the same fish as initially because of genetic drift and lack of natural selection. And is it really worthwhile to save a species if its native ecosystem with its co-evolved flora and fauna have disappeared for ever? In my opinion it is only slightly better than conserving the species in a bottle of spirit. This in no way means I am against aquariums. I have been an aquarist since the age of 7 and presently I am surrounded by more than 20 aquaria. Most small fish species adapt very well to aquarium conditions and their natural behaviour is much less distorted by captivity than in other groups of animals. Therefore aquarium keeping of fishes offers for many people a unique opportunity to learn about a very diverse group of animals, appreciate them and understand their needs in captivity as well as in nature. I also agree with you that aquarium breeding of highly endangered species can be the only available option in some cases, but it should remain a temporary measure, we should never give up the hope of reestablishing a viable free population in the wild, or in what is left of it. You were right in sending me the terms of reference of your Madagascar Project as I am especially interested in the freshwater fishes of this great island. With Jean-Claude Nourissat, President of the French Cichlid Association (AFC), we have during the last two years completed three cichlid collecting expeditions to Madagascar. These have resulted in the collecting of nine native cichlid species (of which two are new to science). Eight are still swimming in our aquaria and three have bred. However we have also found that cichlids and other native endemic fishes have become extinct in many areas of their former range and in most places where they still occur are heavily outnumbered by introduced species and clearly on their way out. I enclose an outline of a Malagasy cichlid pond breeding sub-project I would very much like to see included in your Madagascar Project. However there are still other parts of the tropical world I am interested and involved in, such as the Peruvian Amazon and Central America. In fact in less than four days I shall be flying to Panama where I will meet Jean-Claude (already in Costa Rica) for a two week, mainly cichlid, collecting trip (my 7th expedition to Middle America and many more for Jean-claude). We very much hope that Heiko Bleher shall join us for a few days. After that I shall proceed to Belize where I am to join a team to prepare a fairly large conservation project which is funded by the Swiss Development Corporation. Of course I will see to it that aquatic ecosystems are taken into account. I shall be back in Lausanne on April 10. Last but not least I am very keen in helping to spread the message and hopefully membership of ACN in Switzerland and if possible in French speaking Europe. I am a delegate of the Lausanne Aquarium Club to ARCAT. ARCAT is the Association of French speaking Switzerland Aquarium and Terrarium Clubs. At the last meeting of ARCAT a week ago I informed the committee and delegates of the creation of ACN (I had only your small registration brochure at the time). Everyone was very interested and I was authorized by the assembly to contact ACN to see how ARCAT could establish a working relationship with you. During the last years the ARCAT Committee realizing the increasing dangers threatening the hobby has devoted a lot of attention to deontology and conservation issues. .... I think there is a good potential for a collaboration between ACN and ARCAT, although, don't expect too much, ARCAT is far from being a powerful or rich organization. How do you see this and what would be the conditions for ARCAT to join ACN? And what role could an organization such as ARCAT play within the ACN? I look very much forward to hear from you soon. Truly yours, Patrick de Rham 27, Chemin de Montolivet 1006 Lausanne Switzerland Animal Rights I wish to comment upon Gary Varner's discussion of "animal rights" and captive breeding of fish, as summarized in the Dec. 1992 edition of Aquatic Survival. While I agree that all animals, including fishes, should not be subjected to unnecessary pain ("animal welfare"), and that fishes do not qualify for animal rights, I do not follow the logic about what animals qualify for animal rights. Namely Varner believes that animals must have conscious "desires" that allow them to better achieve their life's goals (via behavioral adjustment) to qualify for animal rights. He states that most scientists believe that fish lack such "desires". This reminds me of the comment made by Charles Elton (an early ecologist) that "All cold-blooded animals... spend an unexpectedly large proportion of their time doing nothing at all, or at any rate, nothing in particular". Such a glib comment, as with Varner's interpretation of fish behaviour, seems unfounded. Indeed, there is much evidence that fish can learn to forage, mate, and select habitat more efficiently, which qualifies as "behavioral adjustment" in my opinion. But this should not be construed as support for the idea that fishes deserve animal rights, because even invertebrates such as cephalopods and honeybees have the ability to learn. Hence, I question Varner's belief that animals with "desires" qualify for animal rights. Many animals have the ability to learn, including cold-blooded taxa such as fishes. Varner would do better to use genetic distance from humans as a more objective parameter for deciding what animal species qualify for animal rights. Still, I believe that it is both impractical and hypocritical for humans to give any animal species (even chimpanzees) animal rights. If, for example, we were forced to stop eating and doing tests on fishes, there would be two major problems: (1) We would have to stop predatory fishes from eating fish, so that humans and fishes would have equal rights; (2) We would forego the medical and other benefits that animal testing provide for humans. In sum, fish scientists should support animal welfare, not animal rights. Signed, Bob Vadas, Jr. Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife Virginia Polytechnic Inst. & State U. Blacksburg, VA 24061-0321 U.S.A. News from Germany 1. Botia sidthimunki - This small loach has been caught about 10 years ago for the last time. As it was a very attractive aquarium fish it was noticed by many aquarium keepers. As this species is longliving (up to nearly 20 years) several of them still lived a few years ago. About four years ago some of these loaches were bought by a siamese breeder from the London Zoo. The fish were bred (hormone induced) and imported in several countries in 1990. However, since then, no more loaches were imported until November 1992, when some more came. The situation is as follows: By building two dams in Thailand these loaches were prevented from migrating into their breeding area. This is the reason it no longer reproduces naturally. One breeder in Thailand does breed the fish now exclusively and he breeds about 10,000 specimens per year. All are sold by "Star Fish". At the moment I am trying to find some contributors who want to shed some light on the breeding biology of this species. A biologist - a friend of mine - has spawned them naturally two years ago, so our attempts may be successful. There may be some hundreds to a few thousand of this loach now in Germany, I have about 50. 2. Crossocheilus siamensis - This loachlike fish is also one of the most well known aquarium fishes as it is known as a good algae eater. Thousands (to be honest, it must be tens of thousands) of these fish are imported by wholesalers every year and it is no problem to get as many as you want. However, according to my information this species is extinct in nature now as a result of the same dam building which is responsible for the vanishing of B. sidthimunki. The fish are bred in Thailand, also hormone induced. Nothing is known about the breeding biology of these fish except for some reports (which are very superficial) of aquarists who observed spawning. 3. Xiphophorus couchianus - This fish is extinct in nature in its variety from the Rio Santa Catarina, where it has been found in the Canon La Huasteca (which has been totally dry for years). A few aquarists in Europe now have certain stocks of this fish. Other localities have been collected in the last few years resulting in reports that X. couchianus - in different varieties - still exists in nature. 4. Melanotaenia eachamensis - This fish is bred in thousands. A German aquarist who visited Lake Meacham last year told me that he observed a Melanotaenia species while diving in the lake. Maybe this is the result of introducing several hundred captive bred eachamensis into the lake about two years ago. That's all for today. Yours sincerely, Harro Hieronimus Nachtigallenweg 52 D-W-5650 Solingen 1 Germany Fire Eel I am very interested in your Aquatic Conservation Network, and would like to know more about your activities. I would appreciate receiving more information. We are currently preparing a conservation programme for the fire eel, Mastacembelus erythrotaenia, which is becoming threatened now, but we encounter reproductive problems. Therefore, we would like to know more about scientists who have experience in this subject. I look forward very much to hearing from you soon. Sincerely yours, Dr. Amnuay Jondeung, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University P.O. Box 1020 Bangkok 10903 Thailand OSIENALA - Friends of Lake Victoria In the past thirty years, Lake Victoria (the second largest lake in the world, and a source of livelihood for over thirty million people of East Africa) is in a state of ecological transition. The severity of the disturbance is the result of several interrelated forces, including over-fishing, increase of agricultural and industrial pollution and the introduction of alien species into the lake. Many scientists have expressed concern that if these problems are allowed to continue unabated, the lake will eventually die. We have therefore formed an organization known as 'OSIENALA', an acronym of a local language (Dholuo), which written in full, translates as 'Friends of Lake Victoria'. Generally, OSIENALA was formed to act as a pressure group sensitizing the public as well as the authorities on environmental issues and formulate and effect various abatement measures to save the lake from further degradation. Membership in OSIENALA is open to all those who are lovers of mother nature and we wish to invite you to join us, with your friends, to save Lake Victoria. Please, find enclosed herewith a brochure providing more information on the organization and membership enrollment slip. Being a newly formed organization, we find ourselves in a rather difficult position to discharge our duties effectively without adequate support. The organization has not acquired facilities such as permanent telephones, photocopiers, typewriters, computers, fax machine, etc. necessary for institution building. We hope that you will find our course worthy of support and assist in any manner possible. We further wish to request you to introduce us to some of your friends and cooperates. We shall be grateful for any assistance from you and/or any of your friends, that would help OSIENALA in realising its goals and objectives. Sincerely, Prof. O. Okelo, Ph.D Chairman and Obiero Onganga, MIA Executive Director OSIENALA Friends of Lake Victoria Environment Restoration Programme P.O. Box 4580 Kisumu, Kenya University of South Alabama I have just started a new research project at the University of South Alabama that may provide valuable data to hobbyist and commercial breeders alike. Although I am still trying to establish protocol and Standard Operating Procedures, I plan to determine how and why, or if, water parameters (pH, Hardness, dissolved organics) effect sex ratios of developing eggs or fry. Through this research I will also attempt to discover exactly when, during the embryonic development or post embryonic development, the sex can be determined. The initial subject of this experiment will be Cyprinodon variegatus, a local non-threatened killifish. If all goes well during the initial stage, then experimentation with other fishes will take place. Should you know of any similar research, I would like to get in contact with those individuals. Take care, Rodney Harper University of South Alabama Biology Dept., LSB, RM #22 Mobile, Alabama 36688 U.S.A. Email: FDMD%USOUTHAL.bitnet@VM.TCS.Tulane.EDU CompuServe: 75130,1321 Tennessee Natives I was wondering, after reading the ACN newsletter, if you or any of your contacts had any experience in breeding darters. I am interested in setting up a native stream tank (fishes of Tennessee) containing mainly darters and cyprinids. I would like to duplicate a small riffle/pool habitat, but have very little aquarium experience. I am familiar with these fishes in their native habitat, but would like a way to accurately reproduce it indoors. Part of my interest in this is my disappointment in the new Tennessee Aquarium. I expected that a place billed as the largest freshwater aquarium in the world (or is that the U.S.?) would show the diversity in local streams. Well, there was one tank of approximately 55 gallons with a few scraggly looking specimens. The main emphasis seemed to be trout (very few native brookies, lots of rainbow and brown), reservoir fish, and exotic freshwater fish. Peace, Mark Hartman Tennessee Technological University Box 5114 Cookeville Tennessee 38505 U.S.A. Internet: MAH2033@TNTECH.EDU More on Natives I, in the past, always thought environmentalists were alarmists. It was only in the last year, when I started to volunteer at a bird banding station, that I have seen reason for alarm. The Sand Bluff Banding Station has been in existence for only twenty-five years, but yet in that amount of time I am amazed to see the number of species almost eliminated forever. At one time 50 to 100 Tennessee warblers were banded per day during the peak of migration. Last year it was five - for the entire season. I pause to wonder the course we are taking. Another hobby is freshwater aquariums. I am left in a state of anger and dismay when I see the extinction and extirpation of birds is minor to that of aquatic systems. It is only after I realize that many native fish have disappeared due to deliberate introductions by what I used to think of as conservation groups and governmental agencies assigned to protecting those same species that have been wiped out. The fact that little is being done to stop this erosion of our aquatic environment is what angers me the most. I come to you with open arms in asking "What can I do?" .... Mike Zach 1118 13th Ave. Monroe, Wisconsin 53566 U.S.A. Killifish I get the ACN postings that John Benn cross-posts to the electronic killifish mailing list. Did you happen to see the American Killifish Association Journal dedicated to species maintenance? It gave a few real simple programs for preserving species (along the lines of the article Roger Langton wrote [Aquatic Survival 1:3], but in some ways a bit simpler.) It strikes me that killifish are almost ideal for captive maintenance, if the hobbyists would commit themselves to it. They don't require a lot of room, and are very easy to rear and spawn in most water conditions. Matt Kaufman Tel:(908) 522-6405 Internet: mattk@usl.com 06/08/93 ag508 <5> COMING EVENTS 3rd International Aquarium Congress The 3rd International Aquarium Congress will be held Sunday April 25, through Thursday, April 29, 1993, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Brief details were provided in the December 1992 issue of Aquatic Survival. For more information contact John H. Prescott, Congress Chairman, New England Aquarium, Central Wharf, Boston, Massachusetts 02210-3399, U.S.A. Tel: (617) 973-5200. Invertebrate Taxon Advisory Group (TAG) - Coral Importation Workshop This workshop will be held on May 4, 1993 as part of the AAZPA Northeastern Regional Conference. The workshop will be conducted from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Pittsburgh Zoo's Discovery Center. For information contact Randy Goodlett at (412) 665-3768. Coral Reef Coalition Conference The Coral Reef Coalition is holding their second annual conference on May 13-15 in Islamorada, Florida, U.S.A. This conference is open to anyone interested in coral reefs, marine sanctuaries, or the Florida Keys. For information contact "Reef Relief" at (305) 294- 3100. Advances in Mariculture: Techniques and Future Directions for Providing Marine Organisms for Biological Research A course taking place on May 16-29, 1993. For information contact Dorianne Chrysler, Admissions Coordinator, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, U.S.A. Tel: (508) 548-3705, ext. 401. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists This conference will take place on May 27 - June 2, 1993 at the University of Texas at Austin. Details were provided in the December 1992 issue of Aquatic Survival. For general information contact the Thompson Conference Center, The University of Texas at Austin, P.O. Box 7879, Austin, Texas 78713-7879, U.S.A. Tel: (512) 471-3121 or (800) 882-8784 (outside the Austin area); Fax: (512) 471-0647. Society of Conservation Biology The seventh annual meeting of the Society of Conservation Biology will be held on June 9-12, 1993 in Tempe, Arizona. A main theme of this conference concerns the role of living collections in conservation. Further information can be obtained from Dr. W.L. Minckley, Department of Zoology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1501, U.S.A. Tel: (602) 965-6518; Fax: (602) 965-2012. Aquarama '93 This trade show, exhibition and conference will take place on June 24-27, 1993, in Singapore. Details were provided in the December 1992 issue of Aquatic Survival. Contact in Asia and America: Mr. John Neo, Expoconsult International Exhibitions and Conference, 46A Horne Road, Singapore 0820. Tel: (65) 2999273; Fax: (65) 2999782. Contact in Europe: Ms. Nadia Adrian, Expoconsult Netherlands, Industrieweg 54, P.O. Box 200, 3600, AE Maarsen, Netherlands. Tel: 3465-73777; Fax: 3465-50372. Marine Aquaria: An Ecological Approach This is a new course - any serious aquarist should participate! This nine day learning experience in warm, sunny, tropical Jamaica will concentrate on the ecological principles and physical parameters that apply to coral reef habitats and the application of these principles to the marine aquarium. Numerous collecting trips using seines, hand nets, and snorkelling are an essential component of the experience that will give a first hand look at how these complex systems operate. Ecology of tropical marine environments, animal and plant diversity, water chemistry and quality, filtration, diseases and their treatment, nutrition, and lighting will be discussed in relation to maintaining a successful marine aquarium. You will be able to study comfortably in your double room with private bath in our own water front hotel at the Hofstra University Marine Laboratory (HUML), located at Columbus Beach Cottages, Priory. Meals are prepared by Ms. Vera, our Jamaican chef, and are absolutely delicious. Most meals will be traditional Jamaican fare, with a few American style meals thrown in. Special dietary requirements can usually be met. This course is presented by Dennis A. Thoney, Ph.D. and Frank M. Greco. Dr. Thoney is an Associate curator at the New York Aquarium. He has done extensive research on marine animals, and is an internationally recognized fish pathologist, and has lectured extensively on the subject. Dennis is an Adjunct Professor at Hofstra University, where he teaches a course entitled "Diseases of Aquatic Organisms" Mr. Greco is an Aquarist at the New York Aquarium. He is a former Contributing Editor to Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine, and has lectured extensively on the subject of marine aquarium husbandry, as well as teaching a course entitled "Setting Up A Successful Marine Aquarium". Frank is also on the Board of Directors of the Brooklyn Aquarium Society, and is a member of the ACN. He is also a Staff member on FISHNET (CompuServe), and a SYSOP (System Operator) for America On Line computer bulletin boards. Cost for this course, including airfare from JFK Airport (N.Y.), 8 nights at HUML, all meals, maid service, boat and bus use, room tax, and bus transfer to and from the lab, is $1,300 U.S. This course will run from July 24, 1993 through August 1, 1993. This course is limited, so register early! Any interested parties should contact: Frank M. Greco Tel: (516) 536- 6231 (evenings) CompuServe: 74660,2046 Internet: 74660.2046@compuserve.com or Dennis Thoney Tel: (908) 381-3414 (evenings). AAZPA Annual Conference The AAZPA Annual Conference will take place on September 12-16, 1993 in Omaha, Nebraska. Details were provided in the December 1992 issue of Aquatic Survival. For information about attending the conference, contact Randy Wisthoff, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 South 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68107, U.S.A. Tel: (402) 733-8401. Biological Diversity in African Fresh and Brackish Water Fishes An International Symposium will be held to focus on biological and ecological aspects of African fresh and brackish water fishes. This symposium will be held at Dakar (Senegal) from November 15 to 20, 1993. Details can be found in a separate article in this issue. 06/08/93 ag508 <6> FRESHWATER FISHES TAXON ADVISORY GROUP [This article contains excerpts from two source documents: 1) the AAZPA Conservation Resource Guide, and 2) the AAZPA Taxon Advisory Group Petition for the FFTAG which was prepared by Paul V. Loiselle (New York Aquarium) and Douglas Warmolts (Columbus Zoo)]. In the last issue it was reported that an application had been made to the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA) for the establishment of a Freshwater Fishes Taxon Advisory Group (FFTAG). Since then the application has been approved. The formation of the FFTAG had been requested by Mike Hutchins, Director of the AAZPA Conservation Center, to cover all freshwater fish species displayed by AAZPA institutions. The petition was prepared by Paul V. Loiselle (New York Aquarium) and Douglas Warmolts (Columbus Zoo). The taxonomic scope of the TAG is to include all fishes from inland and estuarine waters. In a virtually simultaneous initiative, the FFTAG, although not then recognized officially, approached the AAZPA with respect to the establishment of a Lake Victoria Species Survival Plan (VSSP). The outcome of the SSP application is still pending and an update will be provided in a future issue of Aquatic Survival. Some clarification here would probably be useful. What is a TAG? The AAZPA Conservation Resource Guide describes the primary goal of a Taxon Advisory Group as being to facilitate communication on conservation issues for the taxon (usually the family level or higher), promote cooperation among individuals engaged in conservation and research on related taxa, set priorities for utilization of available captive space, and help expand the AAZPA Conservation Program by recommending new studbooks and SSPs. What is an SSP? The primary goal of an SSP is to coordinate efforts to develop effective methods of husbandry and propagation of a species, and manage the SSP population for long term viability by maintaining demographic stability and selectively breeding individuals to reduce the loss of genetic variability. What is a Studbook? The primary goal of the Studbook is to maintain and distribute an accurate database on the species or taxon of interest so that the captive population can be effectively managed both demographically and genetically, and so that other conservation projects involving the taxon can benefit from this baseline biological data. These are only brief definitions of AAZPA programs but they suffice as an introduction to the following summary of the recently approved FFTAG application and how the FFTAG relates to fish species survival initiatives. The FFTAG The objectives of the FFTAG are to expedite communication between and coordinate husbandry activities amongst AAZPA institutions displaying freshwater fish species, and to advise participating institutions and the AAZPA staff with respect to their management and conservation. Included in the petition is a listing of the 12 proposed TAG members and their institutions, a listing of 18 proposed TAG advisors as well as a section of text justifying the formation of the FFTAG. These are presented, as proposed, in the following sections. Members Paul V. Loiselle (New York Aquarium), Les Kaufman (New England Aquarium), Chris Andrews (National Aquarium in Baltimore), Doug Warmolts (Columbus Zoo Aquarium), Joe Norton (St. Louis Zoo) Douglas Sweet (Belle Isle Aquarium), David Shleser (Dallas Aquarium), Jackson Andrews (Tennessee Aquarium), Chris Coco (Tennessee Aquarium), Roger Klocek (John G. Shedd Aquarium), Randy Goodlett (Pittsburgh Zoo Aquazoo), Rich Sajdak (Milwaukee County Zoo). Advisors Dr. Salvador Contreras-Balderas, Dr. Clark Hubbs, Dr. David Etnier, Dr. Jamie Thomerson, Dr. Ning Labbish Chao, Dr. William Fink, Dr. Carl Ferraris, Dr. Michael L. Smith, Dr. Tyson Roberts, Dr. Melanie Stiassny, Dr. Gordon McGregor Reid, Dr. Gerald Allen, Dr. Irv Kornfield, Dr. Paul Fuerst, Dr. Tim Berra, Dr. Frans Witte, Mr. Rob Huntley, Mr. Russ McAndrews. Justification Fish, defined as gill-breathing aquatic non-tetrapod vertebrates, comprise approximately half of the estimated 43,173 representatives of the Class Vertebrata known to science. Of the estimated 21,723 extant fishes, approximately 8,411 species are found in freshwater habitats (Cohen, 1970; Nelson, 1984). Freshwater fishes may be found in an incredible range of habitats from the hypersaline geothermal springs of western North America and the seasonal pools of the African savannah to the high-altitude Andean lakes of South America and the depths of Russia's Lake Baikal. The scope of their success may be better appreciated if one compares the number of freshwater species relative to the total volume of their available habitat. The oceans account for approximately 97% of all water on earth and an additional 2.09% is tied up in the polar ice caps, as groundwater or as water vapour in the atmosphere (Berra, 1981). It thus follows that 39% of all fish species live in less than .01% of the earth's water (Berra, 1981)! Unfortunately, the exponentially increasing impact of human activity on aquatic ecosystems threatens the survival of all their inhabitants. Many fish faunas currently face the threat of extinction due to over exploitation, environmental degradation, habitat alteration, and the introduction of exotic species (Andrews and Kaufman (in press). Because many freshwater habitats are of modest dimensions relative to those of the sea, they are disproportionately vulnerable to the consequences of human activity. Thus the overwhelming majority of threatened fishes are freshwater taxa. The IUCN's 1990 Red List of Threatened Animals lists 762 species of fish which are considered threatened with extinction. The drafters of this petition share the assessment of Andrews and Kaufman that this figure greatly under represents the magnitude of threats facing fish communities and individual species around the world. It is easy to recognize that a problem exists where environmental perturbation has an easily observed impact upon an economically significant resource, as in the collapse of the Lake Victoria ecosystem following the extirpation of most of its endemic cichlid fauna due to the introduction of an exotic predator. The consequences of habitat degradation are also likely to be anticipated in those areas where the level of economic development can support sufficient trained field workers to monitor the aquatic environment closely, such as North America and Western Europe. Regrettably, the introduction of exotic species and destruction of aquatic habitat due to such activities as deforestation, mining and the extraction of groundwater continue apace in regions as far- flung as southeast Asia, Australia, Madagascar, Africa, South and Middle America. This ongoing process of degradation in regions whose freshwater ichthyofaunas have not even been fully catalogued and where trained field workers are thin on the ground appears likely to result in the extirpation of many fishes before they are scientifically described. In 1987, the IUCN Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) identified three fish faunas to serve as foci for pilot captive propagation programs. Formal species survival programs have since been launched for the Lake Victoria cichlids, the desert fishes of North America, and the Appalachian stream fishes. Currently, these regional efforts are being organized and are in varying stages of operation. An organizational between these IUCN initiated activities and the proposed FFTAG, will broaden the range of support for these programs by the AAZPA and participation in them by its member institutions. The formation of the proposed FFTAG will result in the establishment of better communication amongst AAZPA institutions displaying freshwater fishes and create a mechanism that will allow them to better address issues relating to their management and husbandry. It will in particular facilitate the establishment of formally recognized Species Survival Programs. The TAG will also work to spot future problem faunas and direct collective efforts to meet threats to their survival. Because the goal of any captive breeding program is the eventual reintroduction of the threatened species to its native habitat, participating AAZPA institutions must be prepared to cooperatively participate in such activities as ecological field research, habitat preservation and restoration, public advocacy of and fund-raising for aquatic conservation policies and programs. to this end, the FFTAG will serve as a vehicle for conservation that extends far beyond simple ex situ propagation of threatened fishes. Commitment In this TAG application, both the New York Aquarium and the Columbus Zoo have committed themselves to providing adequate time, resources, and financial support for the establishment and maintenance of the Freshwater Fishes Taxon Advisory Group. These institutions also assure either the continuation of support or the responsible transfer to another qualified institution in the event of the petitioner's employment should end. Literature Cited Andrews, C. and L. Kaufman. (in press). Captive breeding programs and their role in fish conservation. Zoobiology. Berra, T.M. 1981. An Atlas of the Distribution of Freshwater Fish Families of the World. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln. Cohen, D.M. 1970. How many recent fishes are there? Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 38: 341-346. Nelson, J.S. 1984. Fishes of the World. John Wiley and Sons, New York. For more information on AAZPA Conservation Programs contact Michael Hutchins, AAZPA Director of Conservation and Science, AAZPA Conservation Center, 7970-D Old Georgetown Road, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, U.S.A. For more information regarding the FFTAG contact either Doug Warmolts, Columbus Zoological Gardens, 9990 Riverside Dr., Box 400, Powell, Ohio 43065, U.S.A. Tel: (614) 645-3525. Fax: (614) 645-3465, OR Paul V. Loiselle, Curator of Freshwater Fishes, New York Aquarium, West 8th Street & Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11224, U.S.A. Tel: (718) 265-3400. Fax: (718) 265-3420. 06/08/93 ag508 <7> BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY IN AFRICAN FRESH AND BRACKISH WATER FISHES: ORIGIN AND ROLE; MANAGEMENT; ECONOMIC ISSUES The topic of Biological Diversity is receiving much attention as long as it can be considered a resource to be preserved. Scientists and managers are increasingly concerned with the degradation of ecosystems resulting from human activities and the loss of biological diversity occurring particularly in the tropics. Inland-water fishes are a major source of protein in many African countries and many species are potentially of great value either for food-fish culture or aquariology. In a few cases, such as in the Great African Lakes, fish communities might also be considered as a world heritage, and their biotopes are natural laboratories for evolution studies. The rich African fish fauna includes some 3,000 species. Many fish families are endemic to the continent, and a few others have an almost world-wide distribution. There is a large variety of habitats ranging from large and permanent flowing rivers to small temporary streams, as well as shallow and swampy waterbodies to large deep lakes, in dry and wet climatic zones. As in other continents, African inland water fishes are exposed to threats, most of them being of anthropogenic origin. The major causes of the loss of diversity at a local regional level are: i) the fragmentation or destruction of habitats in relation to watershed management and stream regulation; ii) the introduction on alien species; iii) the overexploitation of populations; iv) the impacts of pollutants. Species and ecosystems are also threatened on a larger scale by man-induced climatic changes such as the global warming expected to occur in the next few decades. Quite some information is currently available on African freshwater fishes, even if large gaps still remain. It is time, therefore, to review these data from a biological diversity perspective. Questions must be raised regarding both fundamental research and possible utilization of the present knowledge for better management and conservation purposes. Economic issues of biodiversity (biotechnology, transgenic animals) have been raised during the Rio conference. It remains an open debate as to whether or not the use of local genetic resources should lead to economic benefits for the countries involved. Symposium The problem of loss of biodiversity obviously involves many social, economic, cultural and scientific aspects. An International Symposium will be held to focus on biological and ecological aspects of African fresh and brackish water fishes. This symposium will be held at Dakar (Senegal) from November 15 to 20, 1993. During this symposium, nearly 200 scientists from all over the world will meet for discussions about the origin and role of biological diversity in African fresh and brackish water fishes. They will explore the main threats responsible for the loss of African fish diversity, and they will analyze the economic issues for a better and more sustainable management and conservation of African aquatic environments. The symposium program includes research topics as follows: Origin and Role of Fish Biodiversity Current state of knowledge -Species diversity, an historical heritage. Including taxonomy, distribution, phylogeny, biogeography -Determinants of species richness and diversity: abiotic (habitats, heterogeneity) and biotic components (competition, extinction, coevolution, parasitism) -Life history strategies Function of biodiversity -Biological diversity and systems productivity -Biological diversity and system functioning and resilience Management of Fish Biodiversity Threats -Global change and its implications -Species introduction, transfers, ornamental fish trade -Watershed management and species diversity -Overfishing and species diversity -Pollution Conservation issues -Ex situ and in situ conservation -Monitoring sites -Conservation and sustainable management of aquatic resources and ecosystems -Aquatic environments and sustainable development Economic Issues of Fish Biodiversity -Genetic resources and their implications in fish culture or population management -Biological diversity and fishery productivity -Biological basis of water quality assessment (index of biotic integrity) -Biomanipulation -Aquariology -Tourism and recreation CONTACT: Jean-Fran^Çois Gu^Âgan and Didier Paugy, ORSTOM, DEC, 213 rue La Fayette, 75480 Paris c^Âdex 10, France. Tel: 40-79-37-31; Fax: 40-79-37-71 06/08/93 ag508 <8> HOW ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY IS THE MARINE AQUARIUM HOBBY? by Jaime Baquero Intensive exploitation of hundreds of species of marine fish and invertebrates during the last decade, and the more recent extraction of "live rock", their natural habitat, with commercial purposes for the marine aquarium trade, have become controversial issues among marine biologists, the scientific community, environmentally oriented groups, aquarium hobbyists and the general public. The use of sodium cyanide, the most environmentally unfriendly method of collecting fish for the aquarium trade, continues to contribute to the rapid degradation of coral reef in the Philippines, and has now spread to Indonesia. This issue has been the subject of many articles and discussions within the aquarium industry and among aquarium hobbyists for many years, but their contribution to eradicate the problem is not palpable. Ocean Voice International (formerly International Marinelife Alliance Canada) and Haribon Foundation for the conservation of natural resources, initiated a project (NETSMAN) in 1989 in the Philippines, the goal of which was the conversion of cyanide users to net users. An integrated approach focusing on community acceptance and participation was spearheaded. With training as an entry point, cyanide fishing was addressed through a strategy based on social and natural sciences. To date, 27.8% of the fishermen trained have converted to net fishing while the majority persist in using cyanide, although at much lower intensity (Pajaro, 1992). It is well known that thousands of fish perish at the time of collection through cyanide poisoning. Others die in transit to the importer country or at the importer holding facilities. The remainder die within a few days or weeks of their arrival at the pet shop or at the aquarium hobbyist's home. Unfortunately, sodium cyanide is not the only factor responsible for the high mortality registered at each level of the marine fish and invertebrate trade. Other factors contributing to mortality include: - Unsuitability of certain species to survive in captivity (e.g. most of the butterflyfish, cleaner wrasses, some species of tangs, angelfish, anthias, invertebrates such as stony corals, anemones, nudibranchs, among others. The list is extensive); - Incompatibility of aquaria inhabitants; - Unbalanced diet; - Starvation; - Aquarium inhabitants overfeeding (pollution); - Aquarium overcrowding (pollution); - Physiological damage inflicted to animals when collected, transported, and transferred from aquarium to aquarium; - Copper poisoning (at importers, retailers, and hobbyist's tanks); - Poor aquarium management at holding facilities of importers, retailers and aquarium hobbyists; and - Lack of information among fishermen, exporters, importers, the aquarium industry (aquarium suppliers), retailers, and aquarium hobbyists. Close to 400 species of marine fish, and 300 species of invertebrates are being caught all over the world for the marine aquarium trade. A high percentage, more than 70%, became target species, and their overcollection over the years has contributed to the depletion of some populations in specific areas in the Philippines. The need for a sustaining industry through the establishment of reserves, sanctuaries, and fishery replenishment areas have already been emphasized in the Philippines (Pajaro, 1992). Recent publications state that marine aquariums are the boom of the nineties and, as a consequence, demand for marine organisms is expected to increase. Considering the way these resources are being exploited and managed, that is bad news for animals that live in the word's coral reefs, and for the reefs themselves. As one of the many illustrations of this rate of exploitation, consider the following information. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 1984, 871 colonies of living corals were imported to North America; from January to October of 1988, this number increased to 39,246 colonies and from January 1991 to September 1992, this number jumped to 627,884 colonies. Concern within the scientific community is evident. The last conference of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums which took place in Toronto, Canada, on September 15, 1992, featured a workshop on live coral importation. Different topics were presented: the survival of Scleractinians or stony corals; soft corals and false corals in captivity; the current status of coral importation into the U.S.; and how CITES and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work as regulatory bodies in managing this issue. Evidence indicated that the most important contributing factor to the high mortality rate detected in marine fish and invertebrates being traded is the lack of information and understanding among hobbyists, retailers, importers, aquarium suppliers, exporters and collectors, of the multiple processes occurring in natural ecosystems, in this case coral reefs and their inhabitants. Although this commercial activity is not solely responsible for the deterioration and destruction of coral reefs, it must be recognized that the aquarium industry and the aquarium hobbyist, who creates this demand, hold a significant share of the responsibility for the decline of the reef ecosystems in some third world countries (e.g. Philippines), and for the depletion of some of their marine populations. Heavy losses of fish and invertebrates among importers, retailers, and aquarium hobbyists, due to the above mentioned factors, is a subject that needs to be addressed. The unsuitability of fish and invertebrates to live in captivity is a component of the problematic situation concerning mainly importers, retailers, and aquarium hobbyists. Stopping the trade of these specimens will lower the mortality rates and consequently economic losses, but most importantly, won't be a waste of natural resources that play without doubt an important role in the natural ecosystem (e.g. cleaner wrasses do not survive in captivity; they starve to death in the home aquarium. In their natural environment, they play a crucial role as parasite removers for other species. It has been demonstrated that removing cleaner wrasses from a "cleaning station" considerably increases the mortality rate of fish due to parasite explosions). Any action taken to solve the problematic situation must be encouraged. In the Philippines, groups have been working to stop cyanide fishing; not an easy task. Through education and training, fishermen are learning that it is their responsibility to protect the coral reefs from which they obtain the necessities of their lives. However, this isolated action is not the whole answer. If, over the years, the conversion of cyanide fishing to net fishing is a success, and mortality values remain as high as they are now for species like butterflyfish and cleaner wrasses, for example, very little would be accomplished. Here, importers, retailers, and aquarium hobbyists should be involved. Exporters as well as fishermen must be aware that there is no point in harvesting animals that are unsuitable for captivity. Importers' and retailers' holding facilities, along with aquarium management, need to improve. Fish and invertebrates are fragile organisms that suffer serious physiological damage when exposed to negative conditions (temperature, salinity, or pollution, among many others). The aquarium industry (aquarium suppliers), the direct stakeholder in this situation, must create and/or support alternative approaches to supply. For example, the farming of marine organisms in captivity could reduce the pressure on natural environments, while providing much needed employment for major exporting countries. Importers and retailers must be licensed, following basic courses in relation to coral reef ecosystems, their inhabitants, as well as their ecological importance. The aquarium industry and hobbyists should seriously consider supporting groups like Ocean Voice International, that are working to conserve marinelife on coral reefs. Aquarium hobbyists should become members of aquarium clubs, where people with more experience can help with advice and information. The solution will come only when every one of the groups becomes really involved and interacts in the process of change. References: Pajaro, M.J. 1992. Alternatives to sodium cyanide use in aquarium fish collection: A community-based approach. Sea Wind 6(3): 2-17. Jaime Baquero is a marine biologist, a member of ACN and a Director of Ocean Voice International. He can be contacted c/o RECIFS, 10 Henri Lessard, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada J8T 3G6. Tel: (819) 243-1334. A similar version of Mr. Baquero's article appeared in Sea Wind 6(3): 26-28. Sea Wind is the Bulletin of Ocean Voice International. For general information concerning OVI, contact Dr. Don E. McAllister, Ocean Voice International, 2883 Otterson Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1V 7B2. Tel: (613) 990-8819; Fax: (613) 521-4205. 06/08/93 ag508 <9> MADAGASCAR PROJECT - UPDATE by Rob Huntley The ACN is developing a pilot project in the research and the conservation breeding of endemic freshwater fishes of Madagascar. In January, an initial Madagascar Project Circular was sent to persons known to already have a specific interest in the conservation of these species and their habitats. Favourable response was received from a number of those people along with program recommendations. Among those who have contributed to this project so far are Jean-Marc Elouard (ORSTOM, Madagascar), Alan Hill (U.K.), Rodney Harper (University of South Alabama), Rob Huntley (Canada), Paul Loiselle (New York Aquarium, U.S.A.), Jacques Moreau (ENSA, France), Patrick de Rham (Switzerland), Mark Rosenqvist (Aquatic Research Organisms, Inc., U.S.A.), Allen Scher (U.S.A.), and Melanie Stiassny (American Museum of Natural History, U.S.A.). A second circular will be sent out shortly which will include a compilation of the information received to date, and a draft project outline. Persons already actively involved in some capacity with freshwater fishes of Madagascar are requested to contact the ACN as soon as possible, particularly if they wish to participate in the planning process. Also, anyone able to provide additional information (such as names of contacts, sources of information, etc.) are also asked to get in touch. Call for Papers This is a request for the volunteer contribution of articles concerning freshwater fishes of Madagascar as well as papers relevant to habitat issues that impact on Madagascar's aquatic environments. In light of the fact that we are currently considering catfishes, sleeper gobies, glass perches, silversides, rainbowfishes, killifishes and cichlids as candidates in this project, there is ample opportunity for some unique study and reporting. Papers concerned with either the scientific or the hobby perspective are welcome. A bibliography will be made available to interested ACN members upon request. Submissions will be published in an ACN Madagascar Project resource document and will also be considered for publication in Aquatic Survival. Contact: Rob Huntley, Aquatic Conservation Network, 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. Tel: (613) 729-4670; Fax: (613) 729-5613; CompuServe 71022,3537; Internet: rob@pinetree.org. 06/08/93 ag508 <10> INBREEDING AND VICTORIAN CICHLID CONSERVATION: A COOPERATIVE STUDY by Alex Parker Most people involved in breeding animals for conservation purposes are aware of the problem of inbreeding. It is generally understood that inbreeding occurs when two closely related animals are bred, and has negative consequences in the form of defective offspring. The general prescription for avoiding inbreeding is to maintain a large breeding stock, and to exchange animals with other breeders often; but how large, and how often? The answers to these questions are not inconsequential, especially to the private aquatic species conservator. Most private aquarists have limited space to devote to fishkeeping, and shipping fish around the continent on a regular basis becomes costly, not only financially but in terms of animals lost to shipping errors, mishandling, and just bad luck. The phenomenon of inbreeding is important from a scientific perspective as well, yielding information about genetics, evolution, and population biology. For these reasons, Professor Irv Kornfield and I decided to design a study to quantify inbreeding in captive fish populations. Because the cichlids of Lake Victoria are so dramatically endangered in the wild, and the subject of an increasingly large and organized conservation effort, they were a logical choice for this experiment. The first thing we had to decide was how to measure inbreeding. In genetics, inbreeding is usually quantified in terms of 'lethal equivalents', an estimate, based on the frequency of some abnormal characteristic, of how many deleterious recessive genes, which would be lethal in a double dose, are carried as single copies, masked by a non-deleterious gene, by the average member of the population. We elected to use two measures of the negative effects of inbreeding (inbreeding depression): reduction in fecundity (reproductive output) and observable physical malformations. While the second of these seems (and is) reasonably easy to measure, the first is probably a better measure of the overall genetic incompatibility of two individuals, not to mention more difficult to accurately assess. The difficulty in accurately measuring reduction in fecundity due to inbreeding results from the fact that fecundity is highly variable in nature, affected by body size, water temperature, food quality, and numerous other factors. In the Malawian cichlid Pseudotropheus zebra, for instance, fecundities (based on number of eggs held by brooding females) ranged from 14-32 eggs per individual in one study. This problem is compounded by two factors. First, we wanted to be able to detect small reductions in fecundity that might be produced by inbreeding, on the order of ten percent. Second, we wanted to be quite confident, at least 95% confident, that we were observing a real effect, not just an artifact of random variation. The solution to all of these related problems is the same: increased sample size. Using common statistical formulae, we determined that to be 95% certain of detecting a 10% reduction in fecundity, assuming the degree of natural variation found in P. zebra, would require a sample size of fully 100 inbred (sibling) crosses, AND another 100 control crosses between unrelated individuals. It became obvious at this point that we'd need some assistance with this project. Given that we had neither the time nor space to deal with 200 breeding pairs of cichlids, and given that we felt it important to carry out the experiment and determine the load of deleterious genes carried by these animals, the solution was obvious: recruit help from aquarists. This approach will allow an important and otherwise dauntingly large breeding experiment to be carried out, and it will help to increase the participation of private aquarists in scientific research. This type of interaction can only help to validate private conservation in the eyes of scientists and conservation officials. Having been an aquarist for a number of years myself, I was well aware of the broad base of knowledge and experience in the aquarium community, a resource which has gone largely unexploited by scientists. By distributing the responsibility for carrying out the experimental crosses amongst many people, results can be obtained without swamping any one person (me, for instance) with work, and the utility and validity of aquarist participation in conservation research can be dramatically illustrated. The data we collect will also be informative regarding the evolution of Victorian cichlids. One possible explanation for the very recent origin of so many closely related cichlid species in Lake Victoria has to do with the effect on gene pools when populations are reduced to very small numbers (population 'bottlenecks'). When such reductions occur, due to environmental variation, outbreaks of disease, or other factors, the few individuals surviving in a population of a given species are unlikely to be an 'accurate' sample of the gene frequencies which existed in the population prior to the bottleneck event. Thus, when the bottlenecked population re-expands from those few individuals, its genetic constitution will be different than it was before the event, potentially different enough that members of the new population will not recognize members of other populations of the species as potential mates. If such reproductive isolation occurs, then the bottlenecked population has by definition become a new species. There is an additional effect of population bottlenecks, one which may allow us to infer their occurrence even after the affected populations have regained their original size. In the generations immediately following a bottleneck event, all of the animals in the breeding pool are closely related to each other, since they all arose from the same small pool of survivors, and thus all matings involve some degree of inbreeding. This results in many of the deleterious recessive genes in the population coming together, in individuals which often die or fail to reproduce successfully due to their genetic defect. Over a number of generations, most of the deleterious genes are in this fashion eliminated from the population, to be replaced only very slowly by mutation of normal genes. Thus, recently bottlenecked populations are detectable by a small or nonexistent degree of inbreeding depression relative to populations which have never bottlenecked. We are currently in the process of finalizing our experimental protocols, selecting the exact species to be studied, and identifying a reliable source of F1 progeny of wild-caught fish. If you are interested in participating in this study, have the requisite space (three or four small tanks will be required), and have some experience with cichlid breeding, contact me at the address below: Alex Parker Department of Zoology 5751 Murray Hall University of Maine Orono, ME 04469-5751, USA Internet: aparker@maine.maine.edu Fax: (207) 581-2537 06/08/93 ag508 <11> FAO EXPERT CONSULTATION ON UTILIZATION AND CONSERVATION OF AQUATIC GENETIC RESOURCES by Devin Bartley Introduction The Fisheries Department in conjunction with the University of Rome convened an Expert Consultation on Utilization and Conservation of Aquatic Genetic Resources at Grottaferrata, Italy, from 9 - 13 November, 1992. The purpose of this Consultation was to provide FAO with direction and priorities in the management of aquatic genetic resources. In this respect, the Consultation sought to build on past experiences of the genetic programmes of FAO and elsewhere, and to integrate its recommendations within the framework of the UNCED. The Consultation was well attended by international experts from 19 countries and the International Center for Living Aquatic Resources Management, as well as by professionals from FAO and the University of Rome. The Consultation focused on broad issues concerning the practical application of genetic principles to aquaculture, conservation, and fishery management. The participants were organized into four working groups to facilitate discussions: 1) policy and regulations, 2) natural populations, 3) aquaculture, and 4) fishing and fishery-related activities. The groups were asked to provide brief overviews of the subject, to identify central issues and problems and to address the following series of broad questions: 1. Is the application of genetic principles important/appropriate for perpetuating productivity in developing countries or rural areas? 2. Should the genetic resources of aquatic species be considered differently from genetic resources of terrestrial plants and animals? 3. Does adequate information exist to utilize and conserve aquatic genetic resources? 4. Do adequate technical tools exist to address the problem of effective utilization and conservation of aquatic genetic resources? 5. Is the nomenclature standardized and adequate? 6. Why has information on genetic resources failed to be utilized or not reached users? Summary of major recommendations The Consultation stressed that genetic principles are absolutely necessary to insure sustainable food production and a good quality of life in developing countries and rural areas, but these principles will need to be applied within the broader contexts of ecology, limnology, marine biology, political priorities and socioeconomics. Additionally the Consultation noted that while the genetic principles are the same for terrestrial and aquatic organisms, aquatic resources should be considered separately due to many unique characters of aquatic organisms. For example, effective population size of marine pelagic fishes can be drastically smaller than actual census numbers, there are few domesticated forms of fishes and most of the production from aquatic systems is from the harvest of wild populations, the management of aquatic systems is often in common property environments while terrestrial organisms are often managed on private lands, and the fluid nature of the aquatic environment connects different areas or segments of that environment, thereby facilitating transport of organisms and pollutants. The participants felt that generally adequate technical information exists on the ways to utilize, as well as conserve, aquatic gene resources. However, this information is often not utilized by farmers, governments, or even FAO. The reasons for this lack of utilization are: lack of data on aquatic gene resources; lack of appropriate legislation specific to aquatic resources; cumbersome codes of practice or regulations; nonstandard nomenclature; poor dissemination of information, regulations and technology; expensive and complicated technology; unfamiliarity with genetic principles; lack of a strong conviction that genetic resources are useful; and a general fear of genetics. In formulating recommendations for the utilization and conservation of aquatic genetic resources, the Consultation noted that definitions dealing with aquatic genetic resources need to be refined and clarified, most notably the term, "genetic resource", needs to be defined more accurately. For example do hybrid fish represent a genetic resource to be conserved because they contain the genes of two species or groups, even though the combination of those genes have been disturbed? Although discussions during the Consultation reflected a bias towards genetic resources of fishes (including invertebrates), it was recommended to pursue further the utilization and conservation of the genetic resources of aquatic plants and microbes. Additional recommendations highlighted by most, if not all, of the working groups were that genetic principles and their application to fishery management, aquaculture, and conservation need to be promoted through education, training and the dissemination of easily understood, user friendly, publications. Additionally, it was acknowledged that monitoring programmes for genetic improvement programmes, stocking programmes, species introductions, fishery management decisions, and nearly every activity affecting the aquatic environment are absolutely essential in order to judge the success of the activity and in order to learn from the experience. Summary of specific recommendations of the working groups Natural populations The recommendations of this working group concentrated on stressing the significance of all components of the aquatic community, not just commercially important species. The reasons for this expanded coverage were that only a small percentage of aquatic species are of commercial value, additional species are continuing to be added to the list of commercially valuable species, and ecological interactions of many species are required for proper community functioning. This working group recognized the difficulty in dealing with complex biological systems in precise terms and that the advancement of technical tools, e.g. DNA markers, immunotechniques, has progressed much faster than the application of these tools to conservation. Nevertheless, it was recommended that definitions of the following terms be standardized and promoted to facilitate the application of genetic principles: population, stock, evolutionarily significant unit, intrinsically significant unit, and species. Basic research was recommended especially in regards to relating genotype to phenotype. Recommendations were also advanced for the organization of comprehensive genetic conservation strategy, for the organization of support for genetic conservation, for habitat protection and rehabilitation, for the regulation of fisheries, for the control of exotic species and stocking programmes, and for the cautious use and testing of genetically modified organisms. Fisheries and fishery related activities The working group identified two broad areas of concern: 1) the effects of fishing and related activities on aquatic genetic resources and 2) the effects of non fishery-related activities on genetic resources of value to fisheries. In regards to the direct effects of fishing on genetic resources, the group noted that although there is ample evidence that fishing pressure reduces population numbers and this may have an effect on genetic resources through drift and other random events, there is little clear evidence that fishing irreversibly changes the genetic structure of populations. The classical effects of overfishing on population structure and life history characters, e.g. early maturity and small size at age, were seen to reverse themselves when the fishing pressure was removed. The group recognized the lack of adequate examples or well designed experiments that addressed this problem and recommended that areas of new or increased fishing activities be identified and studied to provide information on these effects. The group identified stocking and the introduction of exotic species as major fishery related activities that can have significant influences on aquatic genetic diversity, both positive and negative. Furthermore, traditional, artisanal, and subsistence fishing were seen as important means to utilize genetic resources and conserve its diversity through acknowledgement and collection of local knowledge. Recommendations were made to modify and disseminate existing codes of practice on the introductions and transfers of aquatic organisms and to create an international committee to help promote their implementation. The group further noted that often habitats are rehabilitated in hopes of revitalizing a fishery, but communities evolve over long periods of time and this rehabilitation may not provide the desired short term or long term results. It was recommended that data on genetic resources and ecosystem functioning be maintained to help determine optimum means of habitat and community rehabilitation. The impacts of non fishery related activities on fishery resources was judged too large an area for extended discussion. However, the group noted that because of the position and nature of the aquatic environment in ecosystems, its status and the status of aquatic resources serve as excellent monitors of the impacts anthropogenic practices and policies. In conclusion, this group stressed the fact that appropriate management of fisheries and fishery related activities should be seen as vital forms of in situ conservation and therefore given extremely high priority in the overall management of genetic diversity. Aquaculture It was somewhat surprising that the opening statement of the report from this working group reads, "The importance of genetics to aquaculture has yet to be widely proven, for example, in developing high-yield and/or disease resistant crops." However, high-yield common carp hybrids do exist, as do strains for cold tolerance. The group noted that current research on selective breeding and genetic improvement strategies is encouraging and should be continued. However, the group also recommended that such programmes, as well as farmers implementing them, should strive to conserve genetic resources, as well as increase production. In light of current and wide spread interest in genetic improvement of fishes, the group recommended that control lines or reference lines be established for each species under selection so that the magnitude of the genetic gain can be assessed under various conditions. The group also recommended the determination of the "culture value" of aquatic populations. This would be based on culture performance and its genetic distance from other populations. The conservation value placed on a population will depend on the economic importance (for example a fast growing disease resistant strain), as well as on its novelty or rarity (for example endangered species). The group recommended maintenance of a species database that should contain clear information on breeds, where they can be obtained and all other genetic information available. It was further recommended that FAO should facilitate training in aquaculture genetics through cooperation between developed and developing countries. Such training should benefit the developing country's programme in aquaculture and should be linked to donor-supported aquaculture projects where possible. Policy and regulatory aspects of fishery genetic resources The goal of this working group was to identify topical concerns, as well as particular problem issues so as to identify policy needs. Although some policies and some regional and international cooperation exist, comprehensive and workable regulations and policies are lacking for global aquatic genetic resources. The group felt that in general, laws and regulations do not specifically address aquatic gene resources and that the United Nations Law of the Sea was not adequate to provide a framework for the protection of aquatic gene resources. Primarily, this group recommended the formal adoption, through legislation, of the recommendations of the other working groups. However, due to complex nature of the aquatic/terrestrial interface, the effects on resources from environmental perturbations or other human impact may not be obvious and therefore policy regulating the resource or the perturbation may be complex. The group stressed that restrictions and regulations should not be a hinderance to sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, that acceptable impacts should be defined, that tools and models for risk assessment be developed, and that people, agencies or institutions be identified that will be responsible for resource management and policy formulation and implementation. Conclusion The participants approved of FAO's commitment to sustainable production from aquaculture and fisheries through effective management of genetic resources. The Consultation provided many clear recommendations for FIR's programme in gene resources that are well within the UNCED framework. FAO is well situated to take a lead role in these matters and should strive to do so. For more information contact Devin Bartley, Fisheries Resource Officer, FIRI, FAO, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome 00100, Italy. Tel: 39-6-5797-6470; Fax: 39-6-5120330; Internet: FIRM02%IRMFAO01.BITNET@vm.cnuce.cnr.it 06/08/93 ag508 <12> LAKE VICTORIA CICHLID CAPTIVE BREEDING PROGRAM - UPDATE by Rob Huntley The following is a brief description of current events pertaining to professional efforts in the captive breeding of Lake Victoria cichlids. The information is largely derived from material supplied by the program's Co-Studbook Keepers Jay Hemdal (Toledo Zoo) and Doug Warmolts (Columbus Zoo). The Program Coordinator is Les Kaufman (New England Aquarium in Boston). Species Composition The names of species within the program are intentionally kept simple, although somewhat vague, due to ongoing faunal survey work involving species identification and the population structure within the lake. This has been done to ease communications among members of the breeding group and to help eliminate confusion as taxonomic difficulties are worked out. The nomenclature that follows is intended for in-program use. Most of the species are generically referred to as genus Haplochromis. For example, Haplochromis sp. "flameback". The species composition of the Lake Victoria Cichlid Captive Breeding Program was recently reassessed during a closed meeting at the Columbus Symposium plus several subsequent meetings. Thirty- four species are currently listed as program fish with current inventory of some 5,550 specimens for all participating institutions. These species are the species currently listed within a pending application for a Species Survival Plan (SSP) under the auspices of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AAZPA). The current captive breeding program species include: Aeloceph-Like Argens Big-Eye Scrapper Blue Glint Chilotes Degeni Flameback K. Flameback Frogmouth Goldchest Grey Pygmy Ishmaeli Rock Kribensis K. Rock Kribensis Macula Madonna Maxillaris Orthostoma Perreiri Piceatus Pink Flush Plagiodon Pyrrhocephalus Red Anal Red-Eye Guiarti Red Little Mouth Rusinga sheller Salmon Sauvagei Serranus-Like Spot Bar Two Stripe White Lip Utajo Xenognathus Several research priority and exhibit species are also maintained including: Alluaudi Esculentus Nigricans Several species were recently dropped from the program. After careful consideration and review of their status in the lake and in captivity, it was determined that these species should be dropped to provide space for high priority animals due to limited resources within the program. The species dropped include: Krussing Thick Skin Bicolor Bulldog Blue Bar Grey Bar Haplochromis nubilus Red Flush Red Black Participants Currently there are 31 participating institutions (including several individuals) participating in the program. These are listed below with the name of the current contact person(s): Aquascience Research Group, N. Kansas City, MO - John Kuhns Belle Isle Aquarium, Royal Oak (Detroit), MI - Doug Sweet Cincinnati Zoo, Cincinnati, OH - John Arnett Columbus Zoo Aquarium, Powell, OH - Doug Warmolts/Sandy Andromeda Franklin Park Zoo, Boston, MA - Bill Vinson Fort Wayne Childrens Zoo, Fort Wayne, IN - Warren Prior James R. Record Aquarium, Fort Worth, TX - Kelly Hightower/Bill Huffman Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY - Dr. Eugene Kaplan Indianapolis Zoo, Indianapolis, IN - Steve Collins Laguna Blanca School, Santa Barbara, CA - Joel Groberg Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI - Dr. Bill Cooper Milwaukee Co. Zool. Gardens, Milwaukee, WI - Richard Sajdak National Aquarium in Baltimore, Baltimore, MD - Stewart Keefer/C. Andrews National Fisheries Research Center, Gainesville, FL - Rob Whiteford New England Aquarium, Boston, MA - Dr. Les Kaufman New England Aquarium, Boston, MA - Russ McAndrews New York Aquarium, Brooklyn, NY - Paul Loiselle Ohio State University, Dept. of Molecular Genetics, Columbus, OH - Paul Fuerst Old World Exotics, Miami, FL - Laif DeMason Oklahoma City Zoo, Oklahoma City, OK - Rick Lockwood Pittsburgh AquaZoo, Pittsburgh, PA - Randy Goodlett Chuck Rambo, San Jose, CA San Antonio Zool. Gardens, San Antonio, TX - John McLean Santa Barbara Zoo, Santa Barbara, CA - Dr. A.J. Smith John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL - Roger Klocek Sea World of Ohio, Aurora, OH - Pete Mohan St. Louis Zoological Park, St. Louis, MO - Joe Norton Steinhart Aquarium, San Francisco, CA - Tom Tucker Sun Lab Exhibits, Boston, MA - Bob Green Toledo Zoological Gardens, Toledo, OH - Jay Hemdal Trevor Zoo, Millbrook, NY - Tom Noone Species Inventory Management System The Species Inventory Management System (SIMS) is the computer system utilized in the Lake Victoria Captive Breeding Program. It is managed by Jay Hemdal, Curator of Fishes at the Toledo Zoo. The institutions listed above are registered in the SIMS database as well as the inventory and genetic history of fish in the program. The SIMS program identifies fish by location, species, generation, sex and quantity. A printout of the SIMS (Dec. 10, 1992) was provided by Jay Hemdal and some of the information it contains is summarized here (Figure 1), identifying numbers of fish by species being held by all participating institutions. *************** Figure 1: Program Fish of the Lake Victoria Captive Breeding Program Species Total Generations Name Code Number Represented* AELOCEPH.-LIKE 102 F0, F1 ARGENS 244 F2, F3, F4 BIG-EYE SCRAPER 102 F0, F1 BLUE GLINT 182 F0, F1 CHILOTES 41 F0, F2 DEGENI 56 F1, F2 FLAMEBACK 74 F0, F1 FROGMOUTH 1 F0 GOLD CHEST 2 F0 GREY PYGMY 0 ISHMAELI 102 F-1, F2, F3 K.FLAMEBACK 78 F0, F1 K.ROCKKRIBENSIS 4 F0 MACULA 247 F-1, F1, F2, F3 MADONNA 26 F0, F1 MAXILLARIS 21 F1 ORTHOSTOMA 75 F0, F1 PERREIRI 1,918 F1, F2, F3, F4 PICEATUS 96 F3, F4, F5, F6 PINK FLUSH 173 F1, F2 PLAGIODON 192 F-1, F2, F3, F4 PYRRHOCEPHALUS 0 RED ANAL 310 F1, F2 RED LITTLEMOUTH 370 F1, F2 RED-EYE GUIARTI 401 F2, F3 ROCK KRIBENSIS 123 F-1, F1, F2, F3 RUSINGA SHELLER 103 F0, F1 SALMON 181 F0, F1 SAUVAGEI 23 F3 SERRANUS-LIKE 41 F1 SPOT BAR 111 F0, F1 TWOSTRPWHITELIP 11 F1, F2 UTAJO,SP 2 F0 XENOGNATHUS 138 F5, F6 *F0 = wild stock, F1 = once removed from wild stock, F-1 = unknown generation **************** Batch Codes During his presentation at the Columbus Symposium last November, Jay Hemdal presented a new approach for identifying groups of fish in the Victorian cichlid program which he intends to incorporate into the SIMS computer program. The batch code system, to which he was referring, was developed by Russ McAndrews at the New England Aquarium. It has now been recommended that all participating institutions adopt the code. Each spawn of cichlids will be assigned a batch code to give it a unique identity. The code will be used not only to identify fish in a tank, but to also identify the fish in reporting systems and provide more information about fish in a specific collection. To illustrate, the following two batch codes have been recently assigned to fish at the Toledo Zoo: F5-L-PICEATUS-12/21/92-U-TOLED-15 F6-L-XENOGNATHUS-12/16/92-U-TOLED-15 How this code breaks down is explained in Figure 2. The first represents F5 generation, Leiden stock, Haplochromis sp. "Piceatus", entering the program on Dec. 21, 1992, sex unknown, originating from Toledo Zoo. The "15" at the end is the number of individuals, which is not part of the batch code but the inventory figure derived from SIMS. The second example represents 15 specimens F6 generation, Leiden stock, Ptyochromis xenognathus, entering the program on Dec. 16, 1992, sex unknown, originating from Toledo Zoo. If at any time some or all of these fish are relocated, the batch code goes with them. *************** Figure 2 --------------------------------------------------- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Quant. --------------------------------------------------- F5 L PICEATUS 12/21/92 U TOLED 15 F6 L XENOGNATHUS 12/16/92 U TOLED 15 Column 1: Generation of the fish in the group where F0 = wild stock, F-1 = unknown generation, F1 = once removed from wild stock, etc. Column 2: Single letter code designating the original source of the founding stock (eg. L=Leiden); S=Selbrink, etc.). This is not meant to convey collection location. Column 3: SIMS species name code. Column 4: Date on which the batch was released or stripped from the female, or otherwise when the fish formally entered the program. Column 5: Single letter code enabling separate identification of male (M), female (F) and unidentified sex (U). Column 6: Five character institution code indicating the source of the batch of fish (not their current location). *************** Contacts: Jay Hemdal, Curator of Fishes, Toledo Zoo, P.O. Box 4010, Toledo, Ohio 43609, U.S.A. Tel: 385-5721. CompuServe 73767,464. Doug Warmolts, Curator, Johnson Aquatic Complex, Columbus Zoo, 9990 Riverside Dr., Box 400, Powell, Ohio, 43065-0400, U.S.A. Tel: (614) 645-3446, Fax: (614) 645-3465. 06/08/93 ag508 <13> ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Assistance and support is acknowledged in the following areas: - Tropical Fish Hobbyist (January, 1993 - pg. 166) for the favourable review of Roger Langton's article titled "Breeding Fish for Conservation - The Role of the Aquarist", which appeared in the September, 1992 issue of Aquatic Survival; - Al Castro for promoting the ACN in his column in the February '93 issue of Aquarium Fish Magazine (pg. 17); - Daniel Richardson for references to the ACN in his article in the Jan/Feb '93 issue of the FAAS Report (Federation of American Aquarium societies); - Legal advice concerning registration as a charitable organization - John Aubrey and Michael Florez; - Translation of several items of correspondence - Jaime Baquero, Rodney Harper, Wolfgang Mohaupt, and Kai-Erik Witte; and - Society newsletters which have spread the word about the ACN, including, the Oxford Region Aquarium Society, the International Goby Study Group, and Ascot Aquatic Monthly (newsletter of the Ascot International Tropical Fish Databank). Please send a copy of any article or publication in which you have reported information about the ACN and every effort will be made to acknowledge your support in a future issue of Aquatic Survival. 06/08/93 ag508 <14> AQUATIC CONSERVATION NETWORK NEW MEMBERS Collin Carmichael Species Maintenance Coordinator Apistogramma Study Group 18952 82nd Avenue Edmonton Alberta T5T 5C6, Canada Dr. M. Costello University of Dublin Dept. of Environmental Science Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland Alain J. Crivelli Station Biologique de la Tour du Valat Le Sambuc, 13200 Arles, France Dallas Aquarium P.O. Box 150113 Juanita Craft Station Dallas TX 75315-0113, U.S.A. John & Sarah Fisher Tropical Fish Club of Burlington P.O. Box 306 Underhill VT 05489, U.S.A. Dale & Sharon Grover Southern Colorado Aquarium Society P.O. Box 16078 Colorado Springs CO 80935, U.S.A. Jay Hemdal Curator of Fishes, Toledo Zoo P.O. Box 4010 Toledo Ohio 43609, U.S.A. Harro Hieronimus P.O. Box 170209 Solingen D-W-5650, Germany Alan Hill Editor, North West Cichlid Group 41 Warwick Close Bury Lancashire BL8 1RT, England Wayne S. Leibel American Cichlid Association 3574 Timberlane Dr. Easton Pennsylvania 18042, U.S.A. W.L. Minckley Arizona State University Department of Zoology Tempe Arizona 85287-1501, U.S.A. Regina Aquarium Society P.O. Box 3654 Regina Saskatchewan S4P 3N8, Canada Patrick de Rham Montolivet 27 Lausanne 1006, Switzerland Allen M. Scher University of Washington Dept. of Physiology, SJ-40 Seattle Washington 98040, U.S.A. James P. Schroeder Guppy Associates - Milwaukee 2825 W. Lapham St. Milwaukee Wisconsin 53215, U.S.A. Diane Spencer 12609 Two Farm Dr. Silver Spring MD 20904, U.S.A. Kai Erik Witte Institute of Limnology University of Constance P.O. Box 5560 W 7750, Konstanz, Germany Mike Zach 1118-13th Ave. Monroe WI 53566, U.S.A. *********** Thank-you to the following new members who made financial contributions in addition to annual fees: Eric Bjornson, Allen Scher, James Schroeder, Mike Zach Membership applications can be sent directly to Sally Van Camp, 923 Wadsworth St., Syracuse, New York 13208, U.S.A. or to the Aquatic Conservation Network, 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario K2A 1Z8, Canada. The annual membership fee is $25 (Canadian or U.S. currency). End of Volume 2, Number 1 - Aquatic Survival