Dr. Rick Stuart-Smith, Reef Life Survey, Australien
Info
We sincerely thank Rick Stuart-Smith of Reef Life Survey for the photo and Dr. Ronald Fricke who confirmed by e-mail,
that the pictured animal is indeed a female of Enneapterygius howensis.
Enneapterygius howensis is found on rocky substrates in shallow water zones
Males have a black head with a tiny suborbital blue spot, black dorsal fin and black anal fins.
The body is gray with three 3 dark vertical bars and triangles in the posterior part of the body.
Originally Enneapterygius howensis was endemic to the Tasman Sea around Lord Howe Island, there are now records from New South Wales (east coast of Australia) and New Caledonia.
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
that the pictured animal is indeed a female of Enneapterygius howensis.
Enneapterygius howensis is found on rocky substrates in shallow water zones
Males have a black head with a tiny suborbital blue spot, black dorsal fin and black anal fins.
The body is gray with three 3 dark vertical bars and triangles in the posterior part of the body.
Originally Enneapterygius howensis was endemic to the Tasman Sea around Lord Howe Island, there are now records from New South Wales (east coast of Australia) and New Caledonia.
Jumping guard
A jumping guard prevents (nocturnal) fish from jumping out.
Wrasses, blennies, hawkfishs and gobies jump out of an unprotected tank in fright if their night rest is disturbed, unfortunately these jumpers are found dried up in the morning on carpets, glass edges or later behind the tank.
https://www.korallenriff.de/en/article/1925_5_Jump_Protection_Solutions_for_Fish_in_the_Aquarium__5_Net_Covers.html
A small night light also helps, as it provides the fish with a means of orientation in the dark!
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
