Dr. Toshiyuki Suzuki, Japan
Info
Dr. Suzuki Toshiyuki was kind enough to allow the Meerwasser-Lexikon to use his photo of Ostorhinchus ishigakiensis, for which we would like to express our sincere thanks.
The small cardinalfish was first described 50 years ago after it was collected in shallow water zones between Zostera seagrass colonies.
The IUCN Red List gives the status of the cardinalfish as “Least concern”, yet no photos of live fish can be found on the internet.
In general, Ostorhinchus ishigakiensis is said to prefer seagrass beds with adjacent coral colonies as habitat.
Japan is considered to be highly endangered as far as the decline in seagrass habitats is concerned.
On Iriomote Island, there has been a rapid decline in seagrass meadows since 2013, possibly due to overgrazing by the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), which has led to a decline in the abundance and diversity of seagrass fish in the grazed areas.
Remark:
The only creature known to us (apart from humans) that actively destroys its environment is the elephant, which even knocks down living trees in search of food in order to reach fruit or young leaves.
Synonym: Apogon ishigakiensis Ida & Moyer, 1974 - unaccepted
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".
The small cardinalfish was first described 50 years ago after it was collected in shallow water zones between Zostera seagrass colonies.
The IUCN Red List gives the status of the cardinalfish as “Least concern”, yet no photos of live fish can be found on the internet.
In general, Ostorhinchus ishigakiensis is said to prefer seagrass beds with adjacent coral colonies as habitat.
Japan is considered to be highly endangered as far as the decline in seagrass habitats is concerned.
On Iriomote Island, there has been a rapid decline in seagrass meadows since 2013, possibly due to overgrazing by the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), which has led to a decline in the abundance and diversity of seagrass fish in the grazed areas.
Remark:
The only creature known to us (apart from humans) that actively destroys its environment is the elephant, which even knocks down living trees in search of food in order to reach fruit or young leaves.
Synonym: Apogon ishigakiensis Ida & Moyer, 1974 - unaccepted
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".
