23/11/93 ag508 AQUATIC SURVIVAL Bulletin of the Aquatic Conservation Network Volume 2, Number 2 - June 1993 ISSN 1188-553X (unformatted version) The Aquatic Conservation Network is a Canadian Registered Charity #0953471-52 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8 Tel. (613) 729-4670. Fax. (613) 729-5613. CompuServe 71022,3537 Internet rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca *********** 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; CompuServe: 71022,3537; Internet: rob@pinetree.org OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca. Upcoming deadlines for submissions are August 20, 1993, November 19, 1993 and February 18, 1994. 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. <2> 23/11/93 ag508 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 OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca *********** JOIN NOW! Annual membership is $25.00 (Canadian or U.S.) 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 OR ag508@freenet.carleton.ca *********** Aquatic Survival Deadline for the next issue is August 20, 1993 *********** ACN - A Registered Charity in Canada The Aquatic Conservation Network has been granted charitable status by Revenue Canada. This means that donations and grants from Canadian sources (individuals, corporations, foundations, etc.) are tax deductible and we now issue receipts for income tax purposes. Membership fees, unfortunately, are not tax deductible. *********** Information Exchnange If your organization participates in research or programs associated with the conservation or captive breeding of endangered aquatic life, freshwater or marine, please put the Aquatic Conservation Network on your mailing list and ask us to do the same for you. *********** 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 are available in electronic format (text only) from the ACN library on National Capital Freenet (telnet freenet.carleton.ca and then type "go acn") and the ACN/ CMDB library of CompuServe's Aquaria/Fish+ Forum (GO FISHNET). <3> 23/11/93 ag508 NOTES ON THE STATUS OF _NANDOPSIS ISTLANUM_ by Don Danko When one thinks of endangered fish species, the first group that probably comes to mind is the Victorian cichlids. The reason is that the plight of these cichlids has been widely described and publicized, and that species maintenance efforts have been mounted to set up captive breeding pools. Such is not the case with a group of fish in which I am particularly interested, the cichlids of Mexico. While the Mexican cichlid population may not be threatened by an ominous looking predator like the Nile perch, it is threatened by other serious environmental problems. I have witnessed some of these problems on several of my collecting trips to Mexico over the last six years. In virtually every waterway from the Rio Grande in the north to Chiapas in the south, _Sarotherodon_ species have been introduced and are competing with the native cichlids. Heavy pollution from the sugar mills has become a factor in rivers such as the Rio Gallinas in the Huasteca area, east of San Luis Potosi. Texas cichlids have been introduced into Lake Toquosquitengo, near Cuernavaca, to give the _Sarotherodon_ a run for their money. One of the most beautiful of all Mexican cichlids has met yet another plight in addition to the above and is the subject of this article. I was first introduced to _Nandopsis istlanum_ (known also as _Cichlasoma istlanum_) in the mid 1980's when Willem Heijns, a good friend of mine from the Netherlands, sent some fry to me in one of our annual cichlid exchanges. Apparently, some German friends had collected them and distributed them to Willem. These fry prospered and developed into strikingly beautiful animals of blue and red. They only grew to six inches or so (15 cm) in total length and, consequently, made excellent additions to my Neotropical community aquariums. In addition to the blue and red spangles which adorned their elongated shapes, long finnage extensions further enhanced their pleasant appearance. I was able to successfully breed the _istlanum_ and distribute several to aquarists across the country. Subsequently, my pair was lost to a bloatlike malady and, seemingly, all or most of the distributed offspring have been lost from the hobby. In addition to the problems in the aquarium, N. istlanum ha encountered serious problems in the wild, as discussed below. In 1987, while I was still maintaining _istlanum_ in my home aquariums, I visited the Rio Amacuzac, a tributary of the Rio Balsas, near Cuernavaca. At that time, the _istlanum_ was present, albeit very rare. Due to the scarcity, the only specimens that could be collected were small fry. Recently, I have become aware of a report that indicates that _Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum_ has been introduced in this area and has become quite prevalent. This report has been confirmed by Juan Miguel Artigas Azas who visited this river in March, 1993. In a recent telephone conversation, Juan indicated that _C. nigrofasciatum_ was very common and that _N. istlanum_ could no longer be observed. In November of 1992, Juan Miguel and Ad Konings, returning from a trip to Chiapas that the three of us took (I flew out of Villa Hormosa), fished north of Acapulco and found _istlanum_ populations to be present at reasonable levels. They managed to collect some fry and Juan Miguel is currently keeping sixteen. Due to the habitat problems and the increasingly restricted range of _N. istlanum_, it is recommended that aquarium populations be established and a captive breeding program initiated in an effort to preserve this beautiful animal. Several members of the _Cichlasoma_ Study Group have expressed an interest in developing such a program. Interested persons should contact Ferdinand Velasco, 435 East 70th Street, Apt. #16M, New York, NY 10021 U.S.A. Tel: (212) 640-0043. Don Danko can be contacted at 6520 Crabtree Lane, Brecksville, Ohio 44141, U.S.A. <4> 23/11/93 ag508 LETTERS Water Garden Network I have talked with some of our local members and they feel a kinship with your network, as was anticipated. ... our people are currently constructing and concentrating on building their residential mini-ecosystems, and just into an area where they can envision how that relates to the ACN. Within the Water Garden hobby, there are several viable reasons for each garden, basically, an economical way to enjoy the release from tensions. The concrete canyons of urban chaos lend an impetus to park the family flivver in the drive, rather than the long haul to a cottage and high non-resident taxes. Once that first shovelful gets airborne for a pond, the eco-chemistry cuts in and the magic begins. Then the ageless rhythm of land, water and sky gets rolling - and we're hooked. We plan for plants in the pond, some sort of fish compatible with the overall plan, then the amphib fauna come of their own volition and birds. Somewhere in this process, is born the feeling of kinship with your people. Each of our people in their own way, has created a delightfully definitive statement of accord. Yes, its just possible that the future looks a good deal better than the sum of its parts. Harvey Macklin c/o Lois & Harvey Macklin The Water Garden Network 480 William Street Stratford, Ontario Canada N5A 4Y8 "Pet" Species Judging from the letters published in the March _Aquatic Survival_ there would seem to be great enthusiasm for the espoused goals of the ACN. I hope that enthusiasm can be channelled in a constructive manner. Specifically, that the membership realizes that these projects are for the long term and that members do not become impatient because their "pet" species is not included in the pilot program. James P. Schroeder 2825 W. Lapham St. Milwaukee Wisconsin 53215 U.S.A. PAMARCON - Letter of Invitation The Philippine Aquatic and Marinelife Conservationists' Association, Inc. (PAMARCON) is a non-governmental organization whose membership is both non-partisan/political and non-religious. PAMARCON is also a private and voluntary organization composed of students, professionals, experts and scientists, farmers and fishermen. Since 1986 PAMARCON has been assisting the agencies of government in addressing countryside problems and livelihood opportunities through environmental education, protection and conservation. Our field experiences in coastal villages and communities has taught us that garbage and pollution from the cities and siltation due to the eroding denuded mountains are destroying the beautiful and productive aquatic and marinelife ecosystems. Pernicious and ugly while being destructive are plastic products. Destructive and illegal fishing methods like blasting and cyaniding (poisoning) are progressively making our seafood scarce and expensive. Hence the decreasing productivity of our seas and oceans will be endangering our very own survival. Projects of PAMARCON in 1992: 1) Bay Watch Manila - Our Manila Bay is an enclosed coastal sea, it has a small opening to the South China Sea. Garbage thrown in it will take 4 to 6 months to reach the open seas. The bay is dying. One of its major tributaries, Pasig, is already biologically dead! Its historic coastlines are being defaced and desecrated by careless, thoughtless and very expensive infrastructural so-called developments. We must stop these senseless projects and address instead the pollution killing the once very productive and beautiful Manila Bay!! 2) Save Our Seacow - Due to intensive and extensive destructive fishing methods and siltation due to the destruction of our forests including our mangroves, the Philippine Dugong (seacow) is being driven to extinction. Poverty in the coastal villages has reduced this gentle and beautiful mammal to dead meat. 3) Eco-Center - PAMARCON has established an ecological and economic center in the University Belt. The Eco-Center has a library (of environment reading materials) and video shows in environmental education. It is a place where students and professionals meet to develop plans and projects to save the Philippine environment. As you are now concerned to do something to save our endangered Earth, our country and community, we are therefore inviting you to join and help us. I am sincerely yours, Dante Par Pasia President, PAMARCON P.O. Box 5037 Makati CPO 1299 Metro Manila Philippines <5> 23/11/93 ag508 SOUTH AMERICAN CICHLID STUDY GROUP by Dean Hougen I am pleased to announce the formation of a new study group for cichlid fanciers. The South American Cichlid Study Group is dedicated to the dissemination of information on the cichlids native to South America. This is a fascinating time for enthusiasts of South American cichlids. The first major revision of the taxonomy of the South American Cichlidae in nearly 90 years is now being carried out. The work of Dr. Sven O. Kullander and others is dividing these fish into much more meaningful groups than did the work of Regan just after the turn of the century. Further, the discovery and description of dozens of new species shows that there is still much for us to learn about the cichlid fauna of South America. A. Ploeg recently described 15 new species of Pike Cichlids in a single paper. Heiko Bleher recently stated that he believes that each large river contains its own species of _Geophagus_, most of which are currently undescribed. The opening of new collecting sites and the expeditions of dedicated hobbyists have meant that new species, including undescribed ones, are making their way into the aquarium hobby. Many of these are being spawned under the watchful eyes of their keepers. Unfortunately, reporting of these exciting events has not kept pace with the events themselves. Individual efforts have done much to contribute to the exchange of information, but much is left undone. One of the primary goals of the SACSG is to provide a single, dedicated organization where South American cichlid enthusiasts can exchange information on the changes in nomenclature and taxonomy of the South American Cichlidae and to report on the keeping and breeding of these wonderful fishes. It is meant to complement the activities of the American Cichlid Association and the already existing cichlid study groups (all three of which already cover a part of the South American Cichlidae). Towards this end, I am volunteering my services as editor of the brand new journal ACARA. ACARA will be a quarterly journal and will contain articles on and pictures and illustrations of new species, new genera, aquarium husbandry and more. References to articles in the scientific and hobby literature, editorials, commentary, and letters will complete the journal. But the SACSG can be much more. Wayne Leibel has graciously volunteered to give a special presentation to interested hobbyists at the 1993 ACA Convention. With the help of other volunteers, the SACSG can make participation in the ACA Convention a regular event. Further, SACSG can begin a trading post where South American cichlids can be bought, sold, and traded by SACSG members. A slide presentation (for use by local aquarium clubs) can be prepared. The activities of the SACSG are limited only by your creativity and willingness to volunteer. Contact: Dean Hougen, South American Cichlid Study Group, P.O. Box 14123 - Dinkytown Station, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414-0123, Internet: hougen@exa.cs.umn.edu <6> 23/11/93 ag508 "FISH WAYS" - AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL by Rob Huntley The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has developed an educational program which conveys to school children the basic principles of fish, fisheries and aquatic habitats. It is called "Fish Ways" and is "a Curriculum-based Activity Manual on Fishes and Fisheries Management for Primary/Junior Level Teachers and Group Leaders". It is apparent that there has been a considerable commitment of time and resources as well as cooperation with Ontario school boards in developing this program. It is somewhat gratifying to see that in times of restraint on public sector spending, that such a contribution has been made towards education in natural resources. For any school boards or government fisheries ministries embarking upon programs to incorporate "aquatics" into an educational curriculum, it might be useful to contact the OMNR before re-inventing the wheel. For a clearer idea on what "Fish Ways" is all about, the following text is from the preface of the manual: "Ask anyone what "fish" brings to mind, and you might get the sound of a splash as a largemouth bass hits a flying insect, or the smell of walleye cooking over a campfire, or the sight of a giant chinook salmon spawning over gravel shallows, or the gentle tug of who knows what as it decides whether or not to take your bait. All of these images, and more, can be provided by the fish of Ontario. "There is a danger, however, in merely looking at our fish in relation to what they can give us. They are also part of the natural aquatic resource of the province. As such, they both contribute to, and are affected by, the cycles and fluctuations common to any natural system. In times when all the land was wild and people were only nomadic predators, the huge expanse of land and water absorbed and responded to these fluctuations. "But our gradual and accelerating encroachment on, and activities within, aquatic resources have affected the life within them. Fewer "wild" areas exist, and local impacts are proportionally more important. Through increased numbers, structures and activities, we play a much larger role in the system than we used to. In order to meet our own needs _and_ keep the waters as "natural" as possible, we have become steward as well as user, monitoring and managing fish for their benefit as well as our own. "To do this effectively, we need to know the "ways of fish", and to pass on that knowledge to our young people, so that they can make responsible decisions in their personal lives now, and in their professional and public lives in the future. A _fishway_ is a management tool that helps fish around obstacles we create, such as dams or wiers. "Fish Ways" is also such a tool, helping to remove obstacles like ignorance and apathy, and to create a caring public that will ensure that the ways of fish, and their gifts to us, will not be lost to future generations." I sincerely hope that more programs of this nature become integrated into school programs. Facilitating such an understanding of nature at an early age is essential if our children are to become effective stewards of creation. For more information about Fish Ways" contact the Fisheries Education Coordinator, Fisheries Branch, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 5th Floor, ICI House, 90 Sheppard Avenue East, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2N 3A1. <7> 23/11/93 ag508 LAKE VICTORIA CICHLID BREEDING PROGRAM - UPDATE The March '93 issue of _Aquatic Survival_ included an update of the Lake Victoria cichlid breeding program. There have been a few organizational changes which were not covered in that article. A Propagation Committee of 8 VSSP members has been established to manage the allocation of fish in and out of the program (VSSP = Victorian Species Survival Plan). Joe Norton of the Saint Louis Zoo is the chairperson. Contact with the Committee should be made through him: Joe Norton Aquarium, St. Louis Zoo Forest Park, Missouri 63110 U.S.A. Tel: (314) 781-0900 Fax: (314) 647-7969 Les Kaufman currently serves as a scientific advisor. Doug Warmolts has stepped down as a co-studbook keeper but maintains an active role as a Propagation Committee member. Jay Hemdal is now the sole studbook keeper and inventory updates by participating institutions still go to him. The program has two areas where an outcome is pending: formal acceptance of the SSP by the AAZPA (American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums), and the formation of a "memorandum of understanding" which is aimed at integrating private breeders into the program. The program fish and participating institutions were listed in the March '93 issue. Of the species that were listed, fourteen are at, or have nearly reached, the minimum viable population (MVP) of 200 fish least removed from the wild (i.e. lowest generation number possible and achieved with F1 fish if the wild caught, F0, breed well in captivity). The SIMS (Species Inventory Management System) that we reported on has been acknowledged to have some significant deficiencies. It doesn't operate on some older computers and there would appear to be some compatibility problems with certain software. Also, there are limitations to the types of reports that can be developed. Work to overcome these problems is ongoing. <8> 23/11/93 ag508 THE MARINE AQUARIUM HOBBY - A SECOND OPINION by Frank M. Greco _This article is a commentary on "How Environmentally Friendly is the Marine Aquarium Hobby?", an article written by Jaime Baquero which appeared in the previous issue of this bulletin (Aquatic Survival - Volume 2, No. 1, March 1993)_ I agree with much of what Jaime Baquero has written, but I would like to take this opportunity to comment upon several points. COLLECTION OF LIVE ROCK The issue of the collection of "live rock" has come up time and time again, always pointing to the "fact" that it is detrimental to the coral reef ecosystem. I place "fact" in quotation marks because there has been no scientific proof that this activity is damaging to reef ecosystems. There has been only emotional rhetoric (which is what passes for scientific proof in many political and conservation circles). It should be pointed out here that it is rare for a piece of "live rock" to be collected directly from the reef structure. In the thousands of pieces of "live rock" that I have seen, not one held any indication of being hammered or crow-barred off a reef. Some are collected in back reef rubble areas, while others are dredged from deeper waters, far from reef structures. This is not to say that there is no impact, as there most probably is. The loss of suitable substrate for colonization by organisms is the most glaring impact. But, this is easily corrected by replacing with new rock to be harvested for sale. SODIUM CYANIDE While cyanide does contribute to reef degradation, I doubt if its contribution is all that significant to wholesale reef destruction. During my trip to Palawan, Philippines in 1990, I noticed more reef degradation due to deforestation, dynamite fishing, muro-ami, agricultural fertilizer runoff, and improper banka anchoring than I observed as being caused by cyanide fishing (Muro-ami is a food fishery involving large numbers young boys who scare vast numbers of fish into a waiting net. The boys float at the waters surface and bang the reef with rocks attached to long lines, destroying the reef in the process. A banka is the Philippine version of the outrigger canoe. I witnessed several occasions where bankas were tied to heads of corals so as to anchor them). In fact, in some near shore reef areas, the silt from deforestation was almost a foot deep, burying a good portion of this reef structure. Algaes blanketed the remains of the coral, a tribute to agricultural run off. Yes, I did see evidence of cyanide destruction, but it appeared mostly as dead coral heads rather than whole stretches of reef. This is not to belittle the cyanide issue. There is no doubt in my mind that it MUST (and SHOULD) be stopped. The loss of fishes due to cyanide poisoning is unconscionable. There just is no reason to use this chemical. Inept as I am at catching fishes on a reef, I did pretty well for myself using only two small aquarium nets. OTHER FACTORS CAUSING MORTALITIES Unsuitable Species Mr. Baquero attributes several other factors being responsible for affecting the number of mortalities in the marine aquarium trade. He mentions the inability of certain species to survive in captivity and includes among these "most of the butterflyfish, cleaner wrasses, some species of tangs, angelfish, anthias, invertebrates such as stony corals, anemones, nudibranchs, among others." At this point in time, and with few exceptions, it is difficult to pin-point which fishes will and will not fare well in captivity. Those collected by chemical means, even if they are otherwise hardy, will not survive, in most cases. In particular, I must take exception to the inclusion of butterflyfishes and angelfishes as two groups unsuitable for captivity. Almost 90% of imported angelfish and butterflyfish species fare well in captivity, while the remaining do not (see Table 1). Most that do not fare well usually have special dietary requirements not easily met in captivity (e.g. obligate coral or sponge feeders), but the majority of these species will eat prepared foods. Also, if these are fishes that supposedly do not fare well in captivity, why is it that some of the longest lived fishes are angelfish and butterflyfish? As to cleaner wrasses (_Labroides dimidatus_), they are NOT obligate parasite feeders (although others of this genus may be), as many hobbyists will attest. The main problem with these fishes, I believe (and this is just my opinion), is the way they are handled during capture, at collecting stations, and at wholesale and retail establishments. It appears that _L. dimidatus_ forms distinct territories, where one or possibly a pair (male/female) well set up a "cleaning station". Intrusion by others of its species usually results in the intruder being driven away. In the confines of an aquarium of a wholesaler, retailer, or hobbyist, where many cleaner wrasses may be held together, establishing territories is not possible, and so the fishes succumb to the stress of many being confined to a small space. This, in turn, leads to a fish that, eventually, will die from these poor conditions. If these fishes were kept partitioned from each other, the survival rate would probably increase. I know of no species of tang that does not fare well in aquaria. Mortality in this group is probably due to poor collecting methods, improper shipping, poor nutrition or incompatible tankmates. With regards to anthias, many do quite well if provided with the proper environment. As to the invertebrates mentioned, I can only agree totally with nudibranchs, as most are very specialized in their feeding habits and cannot easily be provided for in the aquarium (with the exception of the Lettuce nudibranch, _Tridachia crispata_, which will eat algae). Most stony corals are easy to care for and maintain in captivity, especially with the new technology available to the home hobbyist. I am aware of cases where measurable growth via asexual reproduction has occurred, and in some cases, even sexual reproduction has occurred. I have even witnessed the release of planulae in _Tubastrea aurea_ maintained in captivity. When this happened at the Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation, we managed to save almost 100 planula, which eventually settled out to become almost 100 colonies of _Tubastrea_ (so much for the "impossible to keep" Scleractinia). Sexual reproduction of Scleractinia in closed systems is becoming more commonplace. Renowned hobbyists such as Julian Sprung, Bob Goemans, Joseph Yaiullo, and A.J. Neilson, successfully maintain these animals in properly established home aquaria. Part of the problem with these animals, I believe, is that there is too much information available, much of which is contradictory, much of which is wrong, and much of which is intended to sell products which may not be needed. It is up to the hobbyist to wade through all this propaganda, and decide which information, if any, is applicable to their situation. Generally, though, if you follow the advice of respected hobbyists, you will have success. Incompatibility of Aquarium Inhabitants This is where the hobbyist MUST learn about the fish or invertebrate BEFORE he/she purchases it for the tank. Hobbyists should NOT depend on retailers to provide them with this information. When in doubt, do not buy the animal in question. Unbalanced Diet, Starvation and Overfeeding With the exception of specialized feeders (which do starve in closed system aquaria), unbalanced diets should not be a problem. Although we know very little about the actual dietary requirements of reef fishes, we do know enough about fish nutrition to come up with suitable foods. Most prepared foods today are sufficient in nutrition to meet most dietary requirements. The major problem with nutrition, and a leading cause of death in captivity, is overfeeding. Since fish in captivity do not "exercise" (swimming against strong currents, swimming long distances, etc.), they tend to get fat (not unlike humans). Being present at the necropsies of long term captive fishes, I have seen fatty deposits around the heart, and fatty degeneration of the liver, probably due to overfeeding. Pollution due to overfeeding is also a factor in fish mortality, but it is one that is easily corrected by the hobbyist with proper filtration, and a proper feeding regime. Copper Poisoning This is a very real problem in marine fishkeeping, especially with those importers and hobbyists who expose their fishes to prolonged doses of copper. Chronic exposure to copper (be it ionic or chelated) causes a drop in the fishes immune system, allowing for bacterial infections to set in. Prolonged exposure may also cause liver and gill damage. Exposure of some species to copper may kill them outright, or cause them so much stress that they die from other causes. Copper should be used only when indicated, and only for the prescribed dosage and time period (usually 14 days). Citrated copper should be used in preference to chelated copper as it is easier to remove once treatment is finished. With chelated copper, which is not easily removed, the temptation is to leave it in the tank until water changes and other processes remove it. However, this exposes the fishes to a longer than needed dose. Availability of Information Lack of information among fisherfolk, exporters, importers, the aquarium industry (aquarium suppliers), retailers, and aquarium hobbyists is also specified in Mr. Baquero's article as a factor contributing to the mortality of marine organisms. In actuality, the information is there, but few take heed of it. The information given to hobbyists is usually dictated by what a particular retailer is selling. Hobbyists should join aquarium societies or computer bulletin boards, where practical information is available and often freely given. OVERCOLLECTION In a listing I did for International Marinelife Alliance - Canada (now known as Ocean Voice International) on the fishes imported for the marine aquarium trade, the number of species imported is approximately 950 (a somewhat higher figure than the 400 mentioned by Mr. Baquero). Of this 950, there are probably 150 that are not suitable for the home hobbyist (for various reasons). Of the remaining 800, perhaps 300 or so could be considered "target" fishes (more desirable in the trade), and 550 species could be considered incidental catch, seasonal catch, or rare in the trade. While localized extirpation of species does occur and can be attributed in part to overcollection, there are often other factors at work. The most notable of these factors are habitat destruction, and the use of chemicals in fish collecting. In Hawaii and Australia, where the use of chemicals in the collection of fishes is not permitted (and where this regulation is enforced), and where habitat destruction is minimal, the numbers of fishes exported has remained about the same over the last 25 years. Good resource management has made this a viable industry in these areas, and these management practices MUST be implemented in other collecting areas if the hobby is to be considered sustainable. Although the statistics reported in Mr. Baquero's paper show a significant increase in the importation of living corals between 1984 and 1992, my guess is that the actual number may be quite lower. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will often add in mushroom anemone rock under Scleractinia, even though it is not a living piece of coral. In any event, the drastic increase from the 1984 (pre-minireef) numbers to the 1992 (post-minireef) numbers is not to be considered alarming. One must remember that we are speaking of small pieces of living coral, often times removed from a "parent" colony (this is a sound way of harvesting both hard and soft corals, as "parent" stock will regrow, and the smaller pieces fare well in shipping). In other cases, such as Goniopora, Fungia, and Trachyphyllia (to name a few), actual colonies are harvested, and at this point, there is no evidence to show if this is actually damaging or not. To assure that extirpation of species does not occur, though, the aquarium industry must begin working with reef biologists to come up with a workable quota system (the same applies to fish harvests as well). CONCERN FROM WITHIN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND REGULATORY AGENCIES If one were to compare the reef aquaria found in most public aquaria with those of the home hobbyist, chances are good that you would find many public aquaria reef tanks wanting. In my opinion, there are few public aquaria (or other scientific institutions) that are proficient enough at coral husbandry to speak on the subject. If one were to examine the reef hobby, it would be noted that almost all major advances have been made by home hobbyists, and published in popular aquarium literature. As to CITES, corals do NOT belong on the CITES list. None of the species listed fit any of the criteria set up by the Secretariat for the listing of species. This listing was done as a way of having some control over coral imports (aimed mostly at the dead coral trade), but has no real scientific meaning. As to the USFWS, they work not only to enforce CITES, but the federal regulations, as well. However, as of this writing, they are enforcing regulations that need to be rewritten to reflect the biological reality of the animals imported. The USFWS in New York has confiscated tube worms, mushroom anemones, and macroalgaes just because they were attached to pieces of dead Scleractinia. However, the natural history of the above organisms dictates that they live upon a substrate, and removing them from this substrate may result in killing the animal. The regulations on the importation of Scleractinia should be rewritten to reflect the needs of such organisms. UNDERSTANDING NATURAL CORAL REEF ECOSYSTEMS I agree with Mr. Baquero that it would be nice for aquarists to have an understanding of basic reef ecology. However, my belief is that it may actually be detrimental for the hobbyist to attempt to duplicate in a closed system what nature does on the reef. Both the Smithsonian and the Pittsburg AquaZoo have attempted such a thing (using algae scrubber systems and the microcosm concept), and have ended up with aquaria that do not maintain living corals, and look more like impacted reef areas that have been overgrown by algaes. A closed system is not a DUPLICATION of a reef, but rather an APPROXIMATION of a reef where processes are manipulated for the good of the system. Better to know and understand the basic processes going on in one's tank than to try and apply natural processes to a closed system. I disagree, however with the view that "the aquarium industry and the aquarium hobbyist, who creates this demand, hold a significant share of the responsibility for a decline in the reef ecosystems in some third world countries (e.g. Philippines), and for the depletion of some of their marine populations". While destructive collecting methods do add to reef degradation, I do not believe it to be a significant amount when compared to deforestation, agricultural and industrial pollution, bad boating skills, dynamite fishing, and muro-ami (the last two used for collecting food fishes). The marine fish trade is part of a much larger picture, but it is far easier to point to this industry as the cause of all the ills the reefs are experiencing. AREAS NEEDING IMPROVEMENT Suitability Versus Unsuitability It is correct to say that "there is no point in harvesting animals that are unsuitable for captivity". But unsuitability comes in many forms. Requirements that cannot be easily satisfied should be enough to halt the trade in a particular animal. Besides the nutritional factors discussed earlier, another consideration is size. Many marine fishes (groupers, sharks, batfishes, some angelfishes, etc) get so large that they can no longer be maintained by the average hobbyist. Once they outgrow the tank, they are usually pawned off on public aquaria (if they have room), released into local waters (where they die), or else they are maintained in cramped conditions until they die. While these are more humane and ethical reasons for listing a species as unsuitable (despite its hardiness), the whole concept of suitability versus unsuitability should be addressed. Holding Facilities Many modern facilities in the U.S. have been set up using the most up to date technology available. This may not be the case in many countries from which the fishes are exported. The industry as a whole should band together to help upgrade these holding facilities. Aquaculture Farming marine organisms may be a consideration. However, the larvae of most fishes are so small, that conventional aquaculture diets are too large for them. It would be far better to let the fishes spawn in the ocean, and then collect the young (since most are biological excess, anyway). Every year, shortly after spawning season, thousands of juvenile triggerfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, and tangs are imported into the U.S. Most die due to shipping stress and starvation. Would it not be better for the collector to pen raise these animals to a marketable size? For a small investment, the collector could get more money for the fish, and ship a fish that has a much better chance of survival. As to the aquaculture of "live rock", there were a number of people ready to start doing this in the state of Florida, but this state has, to date, refused to issue any permits allowing such a venture. So much for co-operation. The Retail Trade Licensing pet shops is an idea whose time has come. Just think, you need to go to school and get a license to work on someone's hair, but all you need is money to open a pet shop! Many shop owners are ignorant of even the basics of closed system aquarium maintenance, and of the natural history of the animals they sell. The main emphasis of a course designed for the retail trade, however, should not be on reef ecology, but rather on the ecology of a closed system aquarium. Such a course could (and should) be underwritten by the pet industry, although the curriculum should be written by an outside source so as to maintain its impartiality. It need not be a long course, perhaps one semester in duration. While many may shout "HARDSHIP!" at having to take such a course, in the long run it may make this industry more legitimate, and supply the hobbyist with better advice. Improved Communications Environmental groups, in theory, should be serving as a mechanism for resolving some of these issues. The problem with supporting environmental groups is that many are opposed to the marine aquarium hobby, and see it as an evil to end all evils (for example, the "live rock" legislation in Florida was supported by so-called conservation groups). I, for one, will not support any group that is using emotional rhetoric to eliminate my hobby. Ocean Voice International (OVI), seems to be among the few groups who can see that the marine trade, if properly done, and marine conservation, are not exclusive of one another. It is groups such as this that deserve the support of the hobbyist and the trade. Joining an aquarium society is almost always a good idea. Learning from the experiences of others is what this hobby is about. And clubs today often have speakers who are experts in their fields. But, even more important, both the hobbyists and the industry need to band together for the betterment of the hobby. There needs to be a common ground where the two can meet. But there are problems in getting this to happen. Only recently has the industry opened its doors to the hobbyist (for example, the Aquatic Data Centre on CompuServe's FISHNET is an electronic forum where industry and hobbyists communicate with each other). Improved communication and cooperation needs to be more widespread throughout the industry and hobby. Frank M. Greco - Aquarist, The Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation (New York Aquarium) _______________________________________________________ Frank M. Greco can be contacted at 46 Riverside Dr., Rockville Centre, New York 11570, U.S.A. Tel: (516) 536-6231. CompuServe: 74660,2046. Internet: 74660.2046@compuserve.com TABLE 1 A LISTING OF ANGELFISH AND BUTTERFLYFISH NOT SUITABLE FOR HOME AQUARIA Pomacanthidae: _Apolemichthys arcuatus_ - Bandit Angelfish _Apolemichthys trimaculatus_ - Flag-fin Angelfish _Centropyge multifasciatus_ - Many-banded Angelfish _Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus_ - Mesoleucus Angelfish _Holacanthus tricolor_ - Rock Beauty _Pygoplites diacanthus_ - Regal Angelfish Chaetodontidae _Chaetodon aureofasciatus_ - Golden-striped Butterflyfish _Chaetodon austriacus_ - Exquisite Butterflyfish _Chaetodon baronessa_ - Triangular Butterflyfish _Chaetodon bennetti_ - Bennett's Butterflyfish _Chaetodon ephippium_ - Saddled Butterflyfish _Chaetodon larvatus_ - Orange-faced Butterflyfish _Chaetodon madagascariensis_ - Madagascar Butterflyfish _Chaetodon melapterus_ - Arabian Butterflyfish _Chaetodon mesoleucos_ - White-faced Butterflyfish _Chaetodon meyeri_ - Meyer's Butterflyfish _Chaetodon octofasciatus_ - Eight-banded Butterflyfish _Chaetodon ornatissimus_ - Ornate Butterflyfish _Chaetodon rainfordi_ - Rainford's Butterflyfish _Chaetodon reticulatus_ - Reticulated Butterflyfish _Chaetodon semilarvatus_ - Golden Butterflyfish _Chaetodon triangulum_ - Triangular Butterflyfish _Chaetodon trifascialis_ - Chevron Butterflyfish _Chaetodon zanzibariensis_ - Zanzibar Butterflyfish <9> 23/11/93 ag508 ON THE MORAL STATUS OF FISH by Gary Varner Recently, _Aquatic Survival_ ran a two-page summary of last fall's Columbus conference on captive propagation of the endangered cichlid species in Africa's Lake Victoria, including a one paragraph gloss of the talk I gave on "Ethics and Captive Breeding: Questions about Animal Rights and Environmental Ethics" (December 1992, pp. 14-15). In a subsequent letter to the editor, Bob Vadas of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Virginia Polytechnic characterizes my position on the moral status of fish as "unfounded" and compares it to a "glib" comment by Charles Elton to the effect that cold-blooded animals exhibit almost no interesting behaviour (March, 1993, pp. 6-7). Vadas' letter both misrepresents my position and, because his criticism of my view appears to have been based entirely on a short paragraph in a journalistic summary of the cichlid conference, reflects a frustrating tendency among scientists to ignore careful philosophical work on the animal rights issue. Vadas begins his letter: "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_." The emphasized language suggests that Vadas did not attend my talk at the conference and has not read anything I have written on the subject. This is confirmed by the criticism he levels at me. Vadas dismisses my argument that fish do not have rights on the grounds that "even invertebrates such as cephalopods and honeybees have the ability to learn." But in my Columbus talk and in written work on the issue I have always acknowledged precisely this, emphasizing that my claim is not that fish and most invertebrates do not _learn_, but rather that they do not exhibit two specific _types_ of learning: progressive adjustment in multiple reversal trials and maximizing strategies in probability learning situations. Here I will clarify my position by briefly discussing what I take to be the significance of the former. In simple situations where they are rewarded for responding in only one of two possible ways but the rewarded alternative is reversed periodically, individuals from the "higher" vertebrate species like mammals and birds learn the new pattern more quickly after multiple reversals. This is called "progressive adjustment in multiple reversal trials," and in extensive experimentation, individual fish have failed to exhibit it, even though herpetofauna exhibit it in certain kinds of problems. (_Groups_ of a species of schooling fish have also exhibited it on an avoidance problem.) The significance is this. In the literature on animal rights, most theorists hold that only individuals with desires can have rights, and that to have desires, one must be capable of both conscious hypothesis formation and testing and drawing inferences about how to behave in light of hypotheses. On this admittedly narrow conception of desire, fishes' lack of progressive adjustment in multiple reversal trials suggests that they lack desires. My argument is that any creature capable of even rudimentary hypothesis formation and testing would behave like mammals and birds in multiple reversal experiments, but fish (and _most_ invertebrates) do not. This suggests that fish lack the kind of desires which animal rights theorists commonly take to be necessary for having moral rights. I do not mean to suggest that my position is uncontroversial. Objections can reasonably be raised against, for instance by arguing that other indices are more relevant to the possession of desires, or by offering alternative analyses of the concepts of desire and rights. What is disconcerting is that Vadas would feel justified in dismissing my view based on a superficial summary of it, without having heard my presentation at the conference, let alone having read anything I have written on the subject. Vadas' treatment of my view reflects a widespread tendency among scientists to dismiss defenses of animal rights positions without studying them carefully (for as he makes clear at the end of his letter, his underlying aim is to dismiss animal rights views altogether). Insofar as the only defenses of animal rights positions which most scientists have encountered have come from self-professed animal rights _activists_, this is understandable. As partisans in a political struggle, activists have little interest in or need to be clear about the philosophical bases of their positions. In political debates, it usually is impossible to state one's position thoroughly and precisely, and it would often be counterproductive to do so even if one could. So animal rights activists truncate and radicalize their position statements. But an extensive professional philosophical literature on the subject exists in books from academic presses and in articles in refereed journals. For a scientist to dismiss animal rights views without bothering to study any of this professional literature on the subject is as intellectually irresponsible as an animal rights activist's condemning medical research or animal agriculture without bothering to study what actually is involved there. Scientists' discussions of animal rights would, I think, be improved by acquaintance with discussion of the issue by professional philosophers. Let me illustrate this with reference to one claim made by Vadas in his letter. Vadas writes: "Varner would do better to use genetic distance from humans as a more objective parameter for deciding what animal species qualify for animal rights." No one familiar with the professional literature on animal rights would have made this claim so baldly, because very good reasons have been offered repeatedly for denying that taxonomic categorization is by itself a plausible criterion for moral significance. Bivalves (like clams and oysters) and cephalopods (octopi, squid, and cuttlefish) are both mollusks, and the mollusks are more distant from us, phylogenetically, than fish. But the nervous systems and behaviour of cephalopods (especially octopi) are dramatically more sophisticated than those of bivalves or, for that matter, fish. So although equally genetically distant from us, cephalopods would appear to be closer to us, in terms of their cognitive capacities, than fish, whereas bivalves are more distant from us than fish. This is not to say that cephalopods do qualify for moral rights, but only that, taken by itself, phylogenetic distance from humans is an implausible criterion of relative moral significance. A particularly dramatic way to bring this out is to imagine that cephalopods had evolved into tool-using, language-speaking creatures very similar to humans. Under these hypothetical circumstances, to say that these cephalopod-persons were less deserving of moral rights than were fish would be wildly implausible. A scientist familiar with the philosophical literature on animal rights would not have baldly stated a position generally understood by philosophers to be gravely flawed. A good introduction to careful philosophical treatment of the animal rights issue can be had by reading either Tom Regan's _The Case for Animal Rights_ (University of California Press, 1983) or the second edition of Peter Singer's _Practical Ethics_ (Cambridge University Press, 1993). Both include a basic introduction to moral theory and philosophical argumentation along with discussion of the animal rights issue, and both are far more sophisticated, philosophically, than Singer's more widely read _Animal Liberation_ (Avon Books, 1975, 1990). A good introduction to the issue's discussion in professional philosophy journals would be the January 1987 _Monist_, a special issue devoted to animal rights. Although Singer's _Animal Liberation_ has become "the Bible" of the animal rights movement, Singer wrote that book for popular consumption and intentionally ignored complex theoretical questions with important practical implications. Those questions are taken up in the three sources recommended in this paragraph. My goal in talking to meetings like the Columbus cichlid conference is not to turn scientists into animal rights advocates. Although I am myself concerned that our current exploitation of animals is excessive in various ways, as a philosopher I seek only to raise the level of debate by encouraging both sides to be more clear and precise about what their views are and what they imply. Too often, scientists are as guilty of distortion and oversimplification as are many animal rights activists. But scientists who are willing to study the philosophical issues can help to raise the debate above the level of a bad political campaign. Gary Varner is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Research Associate, Center for Biotechnology Policy and Ethics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4237, U.S.A. Internet: e343gv@tamuts.tamu.edu <10> 23/11/93 ag508 "THE NAGARA RIVER WILL DIE" Thus goes the headline of an advertisement placed in the March 3, 1993 issue of _The New York Times_ by the Freshwater Fish Protection Association of Japan. For many years now the FFPAJ has been working to raise public awareness about the issues facing the Nagara River and the endangered species it contains, and to file protests against the construction of the Nagara River dam. In particular, a strong focus is placed on the plight of the Satsukimasu salmon (_Oncorhynchus ishikawai_), designated as endangered in 1990, and for which the Nagara River is the "last sanctuary". A discussion of the Nagara River Project was given in an article titled "Japan's Endangered Fishes" in the June 1992 issue of _Aquatic Survival_ (Vol. 1, No. 2). >From the beginning, opposition to dam construction has resulted in delays to commencement. Currently, this opposition is felt to be even more widespread throughout Japan and other countries too. The FFPAJ requests that letters be written which oppose the Nagara River dam construction and which request independent environmental surveys of the impact of damming the river at the estuary. FFPAJ requests that protests be sent to: Rt. Hon. Kiichi Miyazawa, Prime Minister, 2-3-1 Nagata cho, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, 100 Japan Tel: 83-3-3581-0101 (The Freshwater Fish Protection Association of Japan will likely cease activities at the end of this year due to a lack of funds. The Aquatic Conservation Network is thankful to the FFPAJ President, Eizo Kimura, for his continuing cooperation and financial support. If you would like to show your support for the efforts of the FFPAJ, or if you would like to request further information about the endangered fishes of Japan or the Nagara River dam construction, please contact Mr. Eizo Kimura, President, Freshwater Fish Protection Association of Japan, 2-2-38 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka 530, Japan. Tel: 81-6-341-7320. Fax: 81-6-341-3117). <11> 23/11/93 ag508 U.S.A. ENDANGERED FISH SPECIES UPDATE Final Listings In 1992, the following fishes were classified as endangered or threatened by the Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Department of the Interior): - Snake River sockeye salmon (_Oncorhynchus nerka_) - endangered - goldline darter (_Percina aurolineata_) - threatened - blue shiner (_Cyprinella caerulea_) - threatened Proposed Listings In 1992, the following fishes were proposed for listing as endangered: - relict darter (_Etheostoma chienense_) This small fish is restricted to the Bayou du Chien watershed in extreme western Kentucky. Only one spawning site is known. Adult relic darters are associated with gravel, sand, and leaf litter substrates near fallen tree branches, undercut banks, or overhanging streambank vegetation. Much of the Bayou du Chien system has been channelized, destroying the habitat characteristics needed by this species. The surrounding region also is extensively farmed, and much of the watershed has been deforested, resulting in a fairly high silt load and further degradation of the aquatic habitat. - bluemask darter (_Etheostoma sp._) A formal description of the bluemask darter is expected this year, but biologists already recognize the distinctiveness of this fish. One of its distinguishing characteristics is the bright blue color of the breeding males. This species is endemic to the Caney Fork River system in central Tennessee, inhabiting areas of slow to moderate current over sand and fine gravel substrate. Once known from five rivers within the Caney Fork system, the bluemask darter apparently has been reduced in range to isolated sections of four rivers. Its loss of habitat has resulted from impoundments, water withdrawals, and a general deterioration of water quality. - tidewater goby (_Eucyclogobius newberryi_) A small, slender fish native to tidal streams associated with coastal wetlands in California, the tidewater goby is the only species in its genus. This fish is restricted during all life stages to low-salinity waters in the upper portions of coastal lagoons from the Smith River in Del Norte County southward to Agua Hedionda in Dan Diego County. Since 1900, this fish has disappeared from nearly 50 percent of the coastal lagoons within its historic range, including about 75 percent of the lagoons south of Morro Bay. The extensive decline has a multitude of causes: draining of coastal marshes for development, dredging of waterways for navigation and harbors, stream channelization, upstream water diversions, groundwater overpumping, siltation and other impacts from livestock and feral pigs, agricultural runoff, sewage discharges, and possibly predation by non-native fishes. Source: Endangered Species Technical Bulletin. U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 20240, U.S.A. <12> 23/11/93 ag508 AKA KILLIFISH CONSERVATION COMMITTEE The Board of Trustees of the American Killifish Association (AKA) has approved the formation of the Killifish Conservation Committee (KCC). This would appear to be the first full blown effort of a national specialty society to save species from extinction through captive breeding. The KCC was proposed by ACN/AKA member Roger Langton who introduced the plan to the AKA membership at this year's annual convention in Redondo Beach, California. The program was well received by those in attendance and several people volunteered to help with the various programs. In view of the limited resources in the AKA, only a core group of species representing five genera is being chosen initially for breeding. The overall purpose is to establish breeding populations of these killifishes to ensure availability for future generations. Species coordinators have already been appointed for each genus and include Harry Specht (_Aphyosemion_), Roger Brousseau (_Cynolebias_), Charles Nunziata (_Epiplatys_), Michael Florez (_Fundulopanchax_), and Brian Watters (_Nothobranchius_). A lot of the thinking going into the development of the Killifish Conservation Committee has a strong bearing on what the Aquatic Conservation Network is working towards in its Madagascar project and vice versa. Both are in the process of formulating goals and objectives, establishing guidelines for participants, and developing criteria for choosing core species for conservation. And very important to global cooperation by aquarists is the fact that the AKA intends to work closely with the ACN to coordinate their efforts with those of professionals and other aquarists. Additional details will be provided in a future issue of _Aquatic Survival_. The KCC Chairperson is Roger Langton, 556 W. Cedar Place, Louisville, CO 80027 U.S.A. <13> 23/11/93 ag508 COMING EVENTS Environmental Enrichment Conference The Metro Washington Park Zoo will host a conference on environmental enrichment for zoo and aquarium animals. The conference will be held from 16-20 July, 1993. The registration fee is $225 (US). Topics include husbandry, research, exhibit design, and psychological well-being. Write to First Conference on Environmental Enrichment, Metro Washington Park Zoo, 4001 S.W. Canyon Road, Portland, Oregon 97221, U.S.A. or contact Drs. David Shepherdson or Jill Mellen: Tel. (503) 226-1561 ext. 260. Fax: (503) 226-0074. National Marine Educators Association The annual conference of the National Marine Educators Association will be held from August 2 to 7, 1993 in New Orleans. Contact Sharon Alonzo, Louisiana Nature and Science Center, P.O. Box 870610, New Orleans, Louisiana 70187-0610, U.S.A. Tel: (504) 246- 5672; Fax: (504) 242-1889. Captive Breeding Specialist Group The 1993 annual meeting of the Captive Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG) of the IUCN (World Conservation Union) will be hosted by the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (September 3-5). The Antwerp Zoo is also celebrating its 150th anniversary this year with many interesting events planned. The CBSG meeting precedes the Annual Conference of the IUDZG (International Union of Directors of Zoological Gardens) which will be held on September 5-9, 1993 also at Antwerp. Registration should be made by contacting MEDICONGRESS, Lange Lozanastraat 223 BUS 1, B-2018 Antwerp, Belgium. Tel: +32- (0)3-240-69-72; Fax: +32-(0)3-240-69-79. Fifth Marine Aquarium Conference of North America MACNA V will be held on September 11 & 12, 1993 at L'Hotel, Downtown Toronto, Canada. Speakers include Rudie Kruiter (fish photographer from Melbourne, Australia); Charles Delbeek (aquarist, author, lecturer); Dr. Robert Richmond (coral biologist, Marine Lab, University of Guam); Dr. Daphne Fautin (marine biologist, University of Kansas); Mike Paletta (aquarist, author); Julian Sprung (Reef Notes columnist for Freshwater and Marine Aquarium); and Scott Michael (author and photographer). For details and registration send a self addressed envelope to Bob James, MACNA V Chairman, 22 Quail Valley Drive, Thornhill, Ontario, Canada L3T 4R2 or call (416) 881-3548. AAZPA Annual Conference The annual conference of the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums will take place on September 12-16, 1993 in Omaha, Nebraska. A broad spectrum of zoo and aquarium topics are to be covered along with meetings special groups and workshops. One focus worth particular mention is titled "The Challenges of Conserving Freshwater Fishes: Partnerships, Networking, and Cooperation". Two sessions (morning of September 16) will be held and moderated by Doug Warmolts, Columbus Zoological Gardens and Chris Andrews, National Aquarium in Baltimore. Speakers at these two sessions include: - Robert Weise, Assistant Director of Conservation and Science, AAZPA - Introduction; - Chris Andrews, National Aquarium in Baltimore - The Role of Aquatic Collections in Conservation; - Dan Moreno, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo - Progress in Breeding the Australian Lungfish; - Paul Loiselle, Aquarium for Wildlife Conservation (New York Aquarium) - The Conservation Needs of the Fishes of 'Lemur Land'; - Jack Williams, Bureau of Land Management - North America's Threatened Freshwater Fishes; - Phil Pister, Desert Fishes Council - The Practice and Philosophy of Federal Recovery Programs; - Noel Burkhead, National Fisheries Research Council - Appalachian Stream Fishes and Invertebrates - Part 1; - George Benz, Tennessee Aquarium - Appalachian Stream Fishes and Invertebrates - Part 2; - Doug Warmolts, Columbus Zoological Gardens - A Recovery Plan for Western Banded Killifish; - David Schleser, Dallas Aquarium - The Conservation of Texas Fishes and Amphibians; and - Mike Smith, Center for Marine Conservation - Temperate Marine Habitats. A number of other sessions at this 5-day meeting will be of interest to both the professional and amateur conservation aquarist. For registration information, contact Randy Wisthoff, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 South 10th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68107, U.S.A. Tel: (402) 733-8401. Discus Study Group The Discus Study Group "Symposium V" will be held on October 1-3, 1993 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. Speakers include Jack Wattley, Joe Gargas, Terry Fairfield, Dr. Ken Reeves, Dr. Anthony Mazeroll. Yet to be confirmed is a planned tour to the National Aquarium in Baltimore. For further information contact Curtis Kafer, 28280 Verdin St. N.W., Isanti, Minnesota 55040-9803, U.S.A. Tel: (612) 444-6029. 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 were provided in the March 1993 issue of Aquatic Survival. For information contact Jean-Fran^Çois Gu^Âgan or Didier Paugy, ORSTOM, DEC, 213 rue La Fayette, 75480 Paris c^Âdex 10, France. Tel: 40-79-37-31; Fax: 40-79-37-71. <14> 23/11/93 ag508 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ICHTHYOLOGISTS AND HERPETOLOGISTS by Rob Huntley This year's annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) was held in Austin, Texas (May 27 to June 2, 1993). Approximately 1,350 were in attendance in the pleasant surroundings of the University of Texas at Austin campus. The meeting was actually a joint gathering of several organizations including: - The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists; - The Herpetologists' League; - The American Fisheries Society, Early Life History Section; - The American Elasmobranch Society; and - The Neotropical Ichthyological Association. The main focus of the meetings was the presentation of papers. Hundreds of often highly technical papers were the objects of 15 minute summary presentations. In many cases these papers represented years of individual and group research. They were presented in eight concurrent sessions during five, nine-hour days. The program containing the agenda and abstracts was a mere 350 pages in length. The potential for information overload was great, plus the anxiety of wondering if you were in the right place at the right time meant there was a continual need for consulting the "encyclopedia" and cross referencing speakers with abstracts to verify that the content was something in your league. It was often a welcome relief just to get out into the hallway and find someone who wished to speak with you at your own level. In fact, it would not surprise me to discover that as much knowledge and experience was shared in the hallways and at the well catered social events as in the technical sessions - at least in an immediately digestible form. In addition, there were poster sessions and what appeared to be some very interesting field trips. I spent most of my time in the sessions devoted to "Fish Ecology in Latin America". This symposium was organized by Dr. Kirk Winemiller (Texas A&M University) who is to thank for obtaining financial support for several of the representatives from Latin American countries. Although many of the slides were difficult to read and several of the speakers were hard to understand (simultaneous translation, although costly, would have been far superior), these sessions were nevertheless indicative of the serious research being undertaken in places that many North Americans would normally not expect. Another focus of the meeting was a tribute to Clark Hubbs who recently retired to emeritus status in the Department of Zoology of the University of Texas at Austin. During his career, Dr. Hubbs has contributed greatly to ichthyology as a researcher, teacher, and conservationist. This tribute was apparently a well-kept secret and he was quite surprised when the announcement was made at the plenary session on the first day. A number of sideline meetings took place, particularly those of special subcommittees and business meetings of the organizations sponsoring the conference. Two of these I attended: the Neotropical Ichthyological Association meeting (which is the subject of a separate article in this issue of _Aquatic Survival_) and the ASIH Environmental Quality Committee meeting which met in conjunction with the Conservation Committee of the Herpetologists' League. The ACN was promoted to conference participants in two ways. At an early stage of the symposium planning, arrangements had been made to include an ACN brochure, an introductory letter and a sample front page from _Aquatic Survival_ in every registration package. An ACN booth was also set up, providing additional display information and occasions for personal responses to questions. For further details about this conference and how one can obtain a copy of the proceedings contact Dean Hendrickson, ASIH, Curator of Ichthyology, Texas Memorial Museum, University of Texas at Austin, 200 Trinity, Austin, Texas 78705, U.S.A. Tel: (512) 471-9774. Fax: (512) 471-9775. Internet: deanhend@utxvm.cc.utexas.edu Rob Huntley is a director of the Aquatic Conservation Network and can be contacted at 540 Roosevelt Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K2A 1Z8. Tel: (613) 729-4670. Fax: (613) 729-5613. CompuServe: 71022,3537. Internet: rob@pinetree.org <15> 23/11/93 ag508 ACN MADAGASCAR PROJECT - UPDATE by Rob Huntley Work is progressing on establishing an ACN pilot project with respect to the endangered endemic fish species of Madagascar. Late in May, "ACN Madagascar Project - Circular No. 2" was distributed to those persons currently contributing to the project, a group which is largely comprised of persons identified as already having a specific interest in Madagascar freshwater fishes. Currently the participants include: Jean-Marc Elouard, ORSTOM, Madagascar Rodney Harper, University of South Alabama, U.S.A. Alan Hill, North West Cichlid Group, UK Rob Huntley, ACN, Canada Roger Langton, American Killifish Association, U.S.A. Paul V. Loiselle, New York Aquarium, U.S.A. Jacques Moreau, ENSA, France Peter Reinthal, Eastern Michigan University, U.S.A. Patrick De Rham, Switzerland Mark Rosenqvist, Aquatic Research Organisms, U.S.A. Allen Scher, University of Washington, U.S.A. Melanie Stiassny, American Museum of Natural History, U.S.A. Kai Erik Witte, University of Constance, Germany Madagascar Project Resource Document - Draft 1 A draft Resource Document has been circulated for review and input by Madagascar Project participants. Copies have also been sent to members of the ACN Steering Committee and several other individ- uals. This resource document has been initiated for the purpose of maintaining a regularly updated source of information (as is available) on such things as: ^G Issues of aquatic habitat and species loss in Madagascar particularly as they relate to endemic species of freshwater fishes; ^G Aquatic Conservation Network programs proposed, planned and/or implemented in support of conserving habitat and freshwater fish species of Madagascar; ^G Independent (non-ACN) studies pertaining to conservation initiatives directed towards Madagascar freshwater fish species; ^G Profiles of the professional and amateur aquarist resources dedicated to the success of the ACN program; and ^G Other information as appropriate. The current version contains draft "terms of reference" for an ACN conservation breeding initiative, participant profiles, a biblio- graphy pertaining to Madagascar freshwater fishes, background information regarding IUCN (World Conservation Union) and AAZPA (American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums) protocols and guidelines, as well as other information submitted by program participants (e.g. a Pond Breeding Strategy submitted by Patrick de Rham). When the review process is complete the document will most likely be made available to the aquatic conservation community at a nominal cost to increase public awareness of this initiative and to encourage participation by others. It is also felt that such a document will be useful in support of applications for financial support and affiliations with "official" conservation programs. Periodic updates will undoubtedly be required as the resource status changes, as we become more knowledgeable on the subject matter, and as the ACN project and other initiatives develop. The Madagascar Project is serving as a "pilot project" for the ACN. Therefore, the "terms of reference" attempt to address not only the specific project requirements, but also some general items which will hopefully facilitate the development of future ACN conserva- tion initiatives. Reading Material For anyone who's interest has been stimulated and wishes to warm up to the prospect of participating in the Madagascar Project when the time comes to enlist broader support, here is a brief list of some recent papers from hobby and scientific publications. A comprehen- sive bibliographic listing is also available to ACN members upon request. Loiselle, P.V. 1993. Paratilapia polleni Bleeker 1868, A Threatened Cichlid from Madagascar: Part 1 - Natural History and Husbandry. _Cichlid News_ 2:2,11-16. Loiselle, P.V. 1993. Paratilapia polleni Bleeker 1868, A Threatened Cichlid from Madagascar: Part 2 - Reproductive Biology. _Cichlid News_ 2:3,17-20. Nourissat, J.C. and P. de Rham. 1992. Madagascar. _Aquarama_ 125,6-16. Nourissat, J.C. 1993. Rediscovering Madagascar: A Quest for New Cichlids - Part 1. _Cichlid News_ 2:3,6-9. Reinthal, P.N. and M.L.J. Stiassny. 1991. The Freshwater Fishes of Madagascar: A Study of an Endangered Fauna with Recommendations for a Conservation Strategy. _Conservation Biology_ 5:2,231-243. Stiassny, M.L.J. 1993. Cichlids are different. _Tropical Fish Hobbyist_ 41:7,84-98. Call for Papers There is an ongoing opportunity for interested persons with a flair for research and writing to contribute to the Madagascar project by contributing topical articles on the freshwater fishes of Madagascar and related habitat issues. The ACN project is currently examining the prospects for conservation breeding of endemic species of catfishes, sleeper gobies, glass perches, silversides, rainbowfishes, killifishes and cichlids. 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 considered for publication in _Aquatic Survival_ and will be reproduced in the ACN Madagascar Project Resource Document as appropriate. 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. <16> 23/11/93 ag508 CAPTIVE BREEDING - SOME PRECAUTIONARY NOTES by Dr. Chris Andrews There are, of course, a variety of different types of captive breeding programs, and these may be undertaken for a number of very different reasons, such as for domestication, food, sport/restocking activities, research, the pet trade, exhibition in zoos and aquariums - and as part of a coordinated conservation effort. However, and as delegates at the recent annual meeting of the Society of Conservation Biology (Phoenix, Arizona; June 7-13, 1993) discussed, there are a number of potential problems which have to be taken into account before developing a conservation propagation program for a particular species. These potential problems seem especially pertinent to the situation facing fish conservationists, who now know that it is likely that at least 30% of the 10,000 or so species of freshwater fish are threatened with extinction. To begin with, an assessment has to be made as to whether the creation of a self sustaining captive population of the species is likely to be feasible, and then subsequently generate a surplus of suitable animals for return to the wild. Most, if not all, conservation propagation efforts should be linked to a habitat restoration and/or preservation program, which will also secure the future of a wide range of other species. The synergistic relationship which often develops between _ex situ_ conservation efforts such as captive breeding programs, and _in situ_ conservation initiatives like habitat restoration, is very important to emphasize, but is sometimes overlooked. Artificial selection (domestication, if you will) can inadvertently occur as part of any captive breeding project, and this can lead to a range of physiological and/or behavioral 'deficiencies', which may result in the animals being less well adapted to their natural habitat. Obviously this needs to be minimized, preferably eliminated, when breeding endangered species under artificial conditions. Disease control within the captive population is also vitally important, especially if the captive stocks are to be released to the wild at some time in the future. If so, they should be bred and raised under conditions that prevent the introduction of novel and/or potentially devastating pathogens to the remains of any wild population. This is becoming of increasing concern with regard to a range of reintroduction programs. Properly organized captive breeding projects are expensive and, if they are to succeed, require a high degree of long-term commitment from the participants. The costs to conduct the program in a correct and professional manner, and the need for administrative continuity, should not be underestimated. Of course, the goals and time-line for each project must be clearly defined and agreed to by all those involved. Despite the above potential problems, conservation propagation programs can and do have important impact on the conservation of threatened species, and the preservation of their natural habitats. Such programs must, however, be part of a well coordinated and multifaceted approach to all of the relevant issues, involving the full range of interested parties. Dr. Chris Andrews is the Senior Director of Husbandry and Operations, National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Chair of the IUCN Freshwater Fish Specialist Group as well as an Advisory Director of the ACN. He can be contacted at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Pier 3, 501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202 U.S.A. Tel: (410) 576-8239, Fax: (410) 576-8238. <17> 23/11/93 ag508 "RIVER CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT" - NEW BOOK Edited by P.J. Boon, Nature Conservancy Council for Scotland, Edinburgh; P. Calow, University of Sheffield; and G.E. Petts, University of Technology, Loughborough, U.K. This book is publicized as follows: This book is intended for all those with an interest in achieving greater integration of conservation in the management of river systems. Following the introduction, which outlines the objectives and applications of river management, the book is organised into four sections. The first sets out the case for conservation, using examples from specific river systems around the world. The second discusses ways of classifying rivers and assessing their potential for conservation. Detailed examples of recovery and rehabilitation are described in the third section and the final part outlines various means of river protection within a legal framework, based on the experiences in the United Kingdom and North America. Throughout the book a number of broad themes are reiterated: the need for a holistic, whole-catchment approach, for improved techniques of observation and data collection, for a greater appreciation of the naturally dynamic character of river ecosystems and for a more thorough understanding of river systems in general. The book evolves from the content of an international conference on the Conservation and Management of Rivers, sponsored by the Nature Conservancy Council (Great Britain) and held at the University of York in September 1990. It is international both in subject matter and in authorship and highlights a range of perspectives and priorities which should be addressed in order to further our understanding of this complex, multidisciplinary subject. Contents Introduction: River Management - Objectives and Applications The Case for Conservation: - Essential Elements in the Case for River Conservation; - The River Vistula and its Floodplain Valley (Poland): its Ecology and Importance for Conservation; - Conservation and Management of the Coastal Streams of Israel: An Assessment of Stream Status and Prospects for Rehabilitation; - Degradation of Australian Streams and Progress Towards Conservation and Management in Victoria; - The Rivers of Northern Trinidad: Conservation of Fish Communities for Research. River Conservation and the Assessment of Conservation Potential: - General Principles of Classification and the Assessment of Conservation Potential in Rivers; - Catchment Characteristics and River Ecosystems; - Anticipating the Consequences of River Management for the Conservation of Macroinvertebrates; - Use of a Geographic Information System in the Conservation of Rivers in Virginia, U.S.A.; - Non-traditional Applications of Instream Flow Techniques for Conserving Habitat of Biota in the Sabie River of Southern Africa; - Importance of a Habitat-level Classification System to Design Instream Flow Studies; - Assessing the Natural Value of New Zealand Rivers; - Alternative Ways of Classifying Rivers in Southern Africa. Recovery and Rehabilitation: - Catchment Disturbance and Stream Response: An Overview of Stream Research at Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory; - Vegetation and River Channel Process Interactions; - Effects of Weirs on the Littoral Environment of the River Murray, South Australia; - A Building-block Model for Stream Restoration; - Habitats as the Building Blocks for River Conservation Assessment; - Rehabilitation of Streams in South-west Germany; - Recovery and Restoration of Some Engineered British River Channels; - Restoration of Salmonid Rivers in Finland; - Strategies for Conservation of a Danubian Fish Fauna. Protecting Rivers - Legislation and Public Participation: - River Conservation and Catchment Management: A UK Perspective; - Catchment Planning: the Way Forward for River Protection in the UK; - Conservation of Rivers in Scotland: Legislative and Organizational Limitations; - The Amenity and Environmental Value of River Corridors in Britain; - River Protection in Ontario, Canada: A Case for Holistic Catchment Management. Conclusion: - River Conservation - Future Prospects. This book is priced at US$138.30 or ^Ü65 in the U.K. For information about ordering this book contact John Wiley & Sons Ltd., Baffins Lane, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 1UD, England, Fax: (0243) 775878. <18> 23/11/93 ag508 INTERNATIONAL TRADE - CANADA'S EVOLVING PERSPECTIVE by Rob Huntley The "Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act" received Royal Assent on December 17, 1992. This Act supports the fight against poaching and smuggling of species, especially endangered ones, an initiative of "Canada's Green Plan" for a healthy environment. The Act will be proclaimed and enter into force once the regulations have been made. Alternatives for these regulations have been summarized very generally in a "Regulatory Options" document. This document indicates sensitivity on the part of the Canadian government to the needs of "legal trade". Insight has also been demonstrated with respect to the needs of captive propagation programs, while maintaining that there is also the need to prevent loophole situations which permit illegal specimens to find their way into the commercial market. However, it is not clear whether the Canadian government will pursue an approach which largely restricts trade and then provides certain exemptions, or an approach which permits trade and then introduces certain prohibitions. My understanding is that this has been a significant issue in other countries where new regulations "prohibited" most species of aquarium fishes from entering the country, and "permitted" only a few. Admittedly, my understanding in this area is quite limited by the fact that we are only just now crossing this bridge in Canada. Thus, I would like to invite discussion on this topic from persons who have had experience with the implementation of strict wildlife trade regulations in their country. The deadline for comments on the "Regulatory Options" document was mid-June. Consequently, I have already submitted a letter to the Canadian Wildlife Service in response to their invitation to participate in the review process. I have raised concerns that the aquarium trade not be unnecessarily restricted, that regulations regarding possession and the interprovincial transfer of aquarium fishes not be overly burdensome, and that the regulations pertaining to captive breeding specifically recognize the importance of breeding endangered fishes in captivity for conservation. I understand that there will be further opportunities to comment as the drafting of the regulations proceeds. The schedule for subsequent implementation is expected to be as follows: - Draft Regulations - September 1993 - Consultation with provinces and territories on draft regulations - October 1993 - Final regulations to be approved - January 1994 The ACN has not been established on the premise of being a lobbying organization. We have, however, been invited to take part in the consultation process on the proposed new regulations. Anyone who wishes to become involved in the next step of this process should contact me: 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. For further information on the Act and the regulatory program contact the Canadian Wildlife Service, 3rd Floor, Place Vincent Massey, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0H3. Tel: (819) 9533-8850. Fax: (819) 953-6283. <19> 23/11/93 ag508 NEOTROPICAL ICHTHYOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION The Neotropical Ichthyological Association (NIA) was founded in 1989 during the meetings of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the NSF-sponsored workshop (National Science Foundation) on Neotropical Fish Biogeography. The NIA's mission is to promote the study of Neotropical fishes and to facilitate communications among colleagues who share this interest. Members of the NIA are involved with various projects relating to Neotropical fishes through their own institutions. Some of these include: - Catalogue of Recent Species of Fishes: a computerized catalogue of fish species under the direction of Bill Eschmeyer at the California Academy of Sciences, Ichthyology Dept., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118, U.S.A.; - "NEODAT": an international project building a centralized database of museum collection records of Neotropical fishes (see section below); - Newsletter of the International Association of Fish Ethologists: contact person is Dr. Jeffrey Howe, Museum Specialist, National Museum of Natural History, Division of fishes NHB WG-12, MRC 159, Washington, D.C., 20560, U.S.A.; - Newsletter of Systematic Ichythology: contact Tomio Iwamoto and Bill Eschmeyer at the California Academy of Sciences, Ichthyology Dept., Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA 94118, U.S.A.; - Colombian Fish Survey: a project to collect freshwater fishes in Western Colombia under the direction of Carlos E. Fernandez, Apartado Aero 71-94, Cali, Colombia; - Internet Biodiversity & Biological Collections Gopher: using the Gopher information service on Internet, a number of databases can be accessed including the type specimen catalogues of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (Harvard) and the Cornell University fish collections, the NEODAT project newsletters, and the Tropical Biological Diversity Database (at Campinas, Brazil). It is expected that other databases will be added to the Biodiversity Gopher in the future including the NEODAT database as it takes form. Persons with collections data, taxonomic authority information, software, documentation or project descriptions which are appropriate for making available through this Gopher should contact either: Jim Beach, Data Administrator, MCZ, Herbaria, Arnold Arboretum, 22 Divinity Avenue, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138, U.S.A. Tel: (617) 495-1912. Fax: (617) 495-9484. Internet: beach@huh.harvard.edu or Julian Humphries, Section of Ecology and Systematics, Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, U.S.A. Internet: jmh3@cornell.edu NIA at Austin In conjunction with this year's annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) held in Austin, Texas (May 27 to June 2, 1993), the NIA conducted a business meeting one evening to establish programs and direction for the coming year. It was decided that the next meeting will take place at the ASIH meeting in Los Angeles (June 1-7, 1994) at the University of Southern California. Both a symposium and workshop are planned on the subject of "Biodiversity of Neotropical Fishes: Documenting Trends and Impacts." Jonathan Baskin (address at end of article) is doing the initial planning for the symposium and workshop. Michel Jegu (INPA), Brasil) announced plans for a 1995 NIA meeting and symposium in Manaus, probably in July. Naercio Menezes (Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasil) indicated that the Brasilian Society of Ichthyologists supports this meeting, and the NIA membership voted to support this meeting also. Antonio Machado-Allison (Universidad Central de Venezuela, Inst. Zoo. Trop., Apartado 47058, Caracas 1041-A, Venezuela) announced that the papers presented in this year's symposium in Texas, "Fish Ecology in Latin America", organized by Kirk Winemiller (Dept. of Wildlife & Fisheries Sci., 210 Nagle Hall, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2258, U.S.A.), will be published in a dedicated symposium volume of _Acta Bilogica Venezolana_. Five hundred copies will be donated to the NIA for sale to support student awards. Information on how to acquire a videotape of the symposium can be obtained from Brian Dyer (Fish Div., Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, U.S.A. Tel: (313) 747-2192). The first annual NIA Award for best student paper was won by Cristina Cox Fernandes (permanent address - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, Manaus, Brasil), doctoral candidate at Duke University studying with Dr. John G. Lundberg (address at end of article). Future meetings will also have awards for best student paper. The eligibility criteria are: oral presentation of original research by a single author, currently enrolled in a degree program and properly registered at the meeting. NIA-NET As a result of the meeting of the NIA in Austin, Texas, a group has decided to set up an electronic mailing list to enhance communication among NIA participants. This mailing list is intended to provide an efficient way to exchange information, post newsletters, short articles or general announcements. It is also expected to encourage group discussions on the many topics of neotropical ichthyology, as well as helping to establish new contacts. NIA-NET is now operational at Oregon State University. As a first step, an e-mail directory of NIA members is being compiled. Anyone interested can become a member of NIA-NET. General directions and commands for access to the network can be obtained from Paulo Petry, Neotropical Ichthyological Association Network (NIA-NET), Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries, Lab. of Ichthyology, Nash Hall 104, Corvallis Oregon 97331, U.S.A. Internet: petryp@ucs.orst.edu NEODAT - Neotropical Database Project The Neotropical Database Project is a multi-institutional effort to build a centralized database of collection records on neotropical fishes. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the project's purpose is to make available systematic and geographic data on neotropical freshwater fish specimens deposited in various collections in North, Central and South America as well as Europe in order to improve the infrastructure for research on neotropical freshwater fishes. All institutions with neotropical fish collections are invited to participate. NEODAT has expanded from 13 participant institutions originally targeted in the proposal to 27 institutions in North, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Europe. These collections comprise over 350,000 records of neotropical freshwater fishes and represent much of the world's research resource for neotropical systematic ichthyology. Master NEODAT Database The ultimate product of the NEODAT project will be a multi- institutional database of collection records on neotropical freshwater fishes. Julian Humphries (Cornell University) has produced a multi-institutional version of MUSE (Natural History Museum Data Management software) for NEODAT (known as NEOMUSE). Researchers will be able to easily identify which specimens are available for study and which museums currently hold them. Museums will have an additional means to advertise their collections. The database, however, goes much beyond. It is being enhanced by geographic dictionaries, and will be associated with an electronic atlas of neotropical type localities. These enhancements will allow for geographic and taxonomic data retrieval in ways that are not currently possible at individual institutions. The data will be accessible in several formats. At present a prototype version of the program is being used which consists of assembled records from several North and South American participants. In the next year all available NEODAT records will be assimilated into the database. A guidelines document titled "NEODAT Reference Manual for Data Exchange" has been prepared to assist project participants in the selection and preparation of data for incorporation into NEODAT. Other Features - Eight institutions in Latin America are receiving computer hardware, software and support for computerizing their neotropical freshwater collection records; - Geographic standard dictionaries have been implemented for place names and drainage names. An advantage in using these standards is the ability to automatically map the collection records at their approximate positions even if they do not have actual geographic coordinates; - A taxonomic dictionary is being created for handling synonyms and higher classification. This will provide a unified way for performing taxonomic searches of the NEODAT databases while simultaneously providing a mechanism to relate the various (often erroneous) variants of a taxonomic name as they exist in the electronic catalogues of participating institutions; - A type species database is being assembled with information on all primary type specimens of neotropical freshwater fishes. The type locality data associated with this data base is directly accessible through FishMap, an electronic mapping program (see below); - A bibliographic reference database is also being developed for original publications of all nominal neotropical freshwater fish species and which is linked to the taxonomic dictionary. More than 3,000 publications have already been filed and photocopied and are available to the research community; - A graphic mapping utility interface (FishMap) has been developed for use on a PC microcomputer. The software is capable of producing fish species distribution maps and, by accessing the NEODAT Geographic Dictionary, can utilize approximate positions for mapping records that do not yet have exact geographic coordinates; - Remote access capability through computer networks will facilitate access to all project-related databases by the international research community; - Access by mail (email or letter) is already available on a trial basis. Only simple requests will be answered at this time as the project is still in development. The NEODAT project is now prepared to accept data from project participants in the NEODAT master database. For a copy of the "Reference Manual for Data Exchange" please contact Paulo Buckup at the address below. Those institutions which have not yet been contacted by the project and wish to participate should also get in touch. Detailed information and a NEODAT application form will be provided. References: Neotropical Ichthyological Association, Communique 2, March 1993. NEODAT Newsletter, Number 3, May 1993. ----------------------------------- For more information about the Neotropical Ichthyological Association contact John G. Lundberg, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, U.S.A. or Jonathan Baskin, Biological Sciences Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768-4032, U.S.A. Tel: (909) 869-4045. Internet: JNBASKIN@CSUPOMONA.EDU For information specifically concerning the NEODAT Neotropical Database Project contact Paulo Buckup, Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, PA 19103-1195, U.S.A. Tel: (215) 299-1002. Fax: (215) 299-1028. Internet: mvelho@mail.sas.upenn.edu <20> 23/11/93 ag508 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - Caroline Estes and Capitol Aquarium Society of Austin, Texas for inviting Rob Huntley to speak at their convention and for contributing to travel and accommodation expenses. This greatly facilitated attendance at the annual meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists which coincided with the CAS convention in Austin; - The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists for the opportunity to promote the ACN at this year's ASIH meeting with ACN materials enclosed in the registration packets and the setting up of an ACN booth. Particular thanks go to Dean Hendrickson, Tod Reeder and Lee Fuiman; - Dennis Hough for his article in _Freshwater and Marine Aquarium_ titled "Extinct in the Wild" and the particular emphasis on the ACN. The article is primarily an overview of the Columbus, Ohio meeting of last fall titled "Conservation Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology - A Case Study of the Cichlid Fauna of Lake Victoria". - Aqua Geographia magazine for free ACN advertisements; - The Water Garden Network for promoting the ACN in their newsletter and for distributing ACN brochures at a recent meeting; - The International Betta Congress and the American Livebearer Association for reproducing Roger Langton's paper "Breeding Fish for Conservation - The Role of the Aquarist" from the September 1992 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. This article was reproduced in _Flare_ (Vol. 26, No. 6) and _Livebearers_ (No. 125) respectively; - The Aquarium Club of Edmonton for reproducing Roger Langton's paper "In Defense of Captive Breeding of Endangered Fish" from the March 1993 issue of _Aquatic Survival_. The article was placed in the May 1993 issue of _Aqua Babble_; - The Ascot International Tropical Fish Databank for reproducing Alex Parker's article "Inbreeding and Victorian Cichlid Conservation: A Cooperative Study" from the March 1993 issue of _Aquatic Survival_ in the June 1993 issue of _Ascot Aquatic Monthly_. <21> 23/11/93 ag508 AQUATIC CONSERVATION NETWORK 1993 Donors Eric Bjornson Capitol Aquarium Society Eizo Kimura Marian Lea Allen Scher James Schroeder Mike Zach New Members Norval Collins CEF Consultants Ltd. 2085 Maitland St., #5 Halifax Nova Scotia B3K 2Z8 Canada Bradley Cooper R.R.#1, Box 11 Racine Minnesota 55967 U.S.A. Federacion Iberica de Sociedades Acuariofilas Apartado de Correos 50466 Madrid 28080 Espana Julie Fowler and Kerry Thompson 42-20 Kitchener Avenue London Ontario M5Z 2B2 Canada Erling Holm Royal Ontario Museum Dept. of Ichthyology and Herpetology 100 Queens Park Toronto Ontario M5S 2C6 Canada Dr. Amnuay Jondeung Assistant Professor Kasetsart University Department of Genetics Laboratory of Conservation Genetics Bangkok 10900 Thailand Christian Leveque ORSTOM 213 rue Lafayette Paris 75480 Cedex 10 France Timothy J. McCarthy 19 Fairview Ave. Westview Pennsylvania 15229 U.S.A. Mrs. Wanpen Meenakarn 41/21 Soi Revadee 77/2 Rathanatibeth Road Nontaburi 11000 Thailand Richard H. Muller 519 Gaston Drive Spartanburg South Carolina 29307-1941 U.S.A. Native Fish Australia (Victoria) P.O. Box 162 Doncaster Victoria 3108 Australia John Opsomer 700 Warren Road, #15-3A Ithaca New York 14850 U.S.A. Bernard Ramsay 16802 E. MacMahan Rd. Spokane Washington 99207-9634 U.S.A. Sea World Education Department Sea World of California Attn: Beth Curran 1720 South Shores Rd. San Diego California 92109 U.S.A. Ray Spahn Central New York Aquarium Society, Inc. P.O. Box 44 Sackets Harbor New York 13685 U.S.A. Claude Touzet Nemausus 1, Apt. A111 4 Cours Nemausus 30000 Nimes France Peter Unmack 161 High Street Doncaster Victoria 3108 Australia 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 2 - Aquatic Survival