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Thank you, Kurt, for your kind words in the December issue.  I am happy to take over authoring this column, however, you left some very big shoes for me to fill!  For starters, you did a lot more reading and reviewing than I’ll be able to do at this point in time, but I’ll do my best. 

As always, if you find anything in this column that you would like to read for yourself,   please notify our Tank Tales editor and he will happily supply you with a copy.  Specify the title and date of the newsletter with each request.  If you find something that stirs your interest that you’ve read in any other publication, I invite you to “talk fish” and  be included as a guest writer for this column.   I will gladly share this space with you.

Okay, let’s get started………

In the April 2009 edition of GRAVEL GOSSIP, the Diamond State Aquarium Society, the state I was born and raised (Delaware), Bob Berdoulay wrote about The Gold “Mickey Mouse” Platy.  This interested me because I recently acquired a trio of these cool looking platies.   The platy does well in a community tank, it’s peaceful and friendly.  Bob writes that these fish are exceptional as to the well-defined pattern that gives them their nickname.  These are the gold variety with the black spot on 

the caudal peduncle creating a perfect rendering of Disney’s mouse.  The dorsal fin is an orange-red that really enhances the overall appearance.  Did you know that the story of the platy, Xiphorphorus maculates, began in the early 1860’s when it was found in Central America?  The original specimens are still preserved in the British Museum.  The platy was brought to Europe in the early 1900’s,  and before long there were many varieties produced by crossbreeding and hybridizing platies with swordtails.  Bob traces the origin of this fish and the different scientific names it was given over the years.  He also discusses breeding and tank conditions.  This is a delightful little fish that adds a lot of color to the aquarium.  They look fantastic with my red swordtails which are doing very nicely June and Walt!

The next two short articles are from the May 2009 issue of the North Jersey Aquarium Society.   Propagating Cryptocorne Lutea written by Izzy Zwern, talks about this very easy and quite hardy plant.  We’ve all tried this plant in our own aquariums, but were you aware that the name cryptocorne lutea is a commercial name that was invented by the aquarium industry?   The correct name is C. walker.  Interesting.

I don’t want to leave out our marine fish.  A new    species, a kind of frogfish of the genus Histiophryne has been rediscovered.  The research has determined it to be a new species.    This fish squirts jets of water that propel it along in irregular, arcing hops.  It’s nickname, ‘psychedelicia’, is because of the swirling stripes that decorate the fish’s body.  Google “A bizarre new species of frogfish” and read all about it.