New Jersey State Aquarium Announces Two First-Time Successes in Goby Research.CAMDEN Camden, borough, Greater London, England Camden, inner borough (1991 pop. 170,500) of Greater London, SE England. Within the borough, residential Hampstead is popular with writers and artists. , N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 19, 1997--The New Jersey State Aquarium has made two important research strides that will impact the preservation of coral reefs coral reefs, limestone formations produced by living organisms, found in shallow, tropical marine waters. In most reefs, the predominant organisms are stony corals, colonial cnidarians that secrete an exoskeleton of calcium carbonate (limestone). and other fragile tropical ecosystems. The institution's Research Biologist Alejandro (Alex) Vagelli has discovered a new species of goby goby, common name for a member of the family Gobiidae, small marine fishes familiar in shallow waters, especially along southern shores. Gobies may be either scaled or scaleless; all species have the ventral fins modified into a sucking disk, as in the clingfish of , and has successfully bred several species of gobies that have never been bred before. The gobies bred are as follows: -- Shark-nose goby (Elacatinus evelynae) -- Cleaning goby (Elacatinus genie) -- Red-head goby (Elacatinus puncticulatum) -- Naked goby (Gobiosoma bose) -- Rusty goby (Priolepis hipoliti) -- Code goby (Gobiosoma robustum) -- Catalina goby (Lythrypus dalli) -- Yellow-nose goby (Elacatinus randalli) -- New Species: "Golden" goby (Elacatinus figaro) Vagelli's research in goby embryology embryology Study of the formation and development of an embryo and fetus. Before widespread use of the microscope and the advent of cellular biology in the 19th century, embryology was based on descriptive and comparative studies. , reproduction and evolution are a large part of the New Jersey State Aquarium's Conservation Breeding Program A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations. Breeding programs are commonly employed in several fields where humans wish to manage the characteristics of their , which strives to preserve the biodiversity of marine ecosystems through ecological, reproductive and systematic research. "Commercial collecting of gobies and other tropical fish tropical fish Any of various small fishes of tropical origin often kept in aquariums. They are interesting for their behaviour or showiness or both. Popular varieties include the angelfish, guppy, kissing gourami, sea horse, Siamese fighting fish, and tetra. that live in coral reefs often damages or kills portions of the delicate corals," said New Jersey State Aquarium Director of Husbandry Robert Fournier. "By learning how to breed gobies and other tropical fish, the New Jersey State Aquarium hopes to contribute to the creation of commercial salt-water breeding programs that will eliminate the need to collect from the wild, keeping nature's supply of both the animal and the reefs unharmed." He added that the New Jersey State Aquarium already provides several goby species to other aquariums in the nation. In addition to its value in preserving the natural supply of fish and corals, Vagelli's goby research is valuable in the quest to conserve entire marine tropical ecosystems. "By knowing more about gobies' life cycle, present geographical distribution the natural arrangements of animals and plants in particular regions or districts. See under Distribution. See also: Distribution Geographic , ecology and phylogenetic phy·lo·ge·net·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to phylogeny or phylogenetics. 2. Relating to or based on evolutionary development or history. relationships, we can better understand the current status of the coral reef coral reef Ridge or hummock formed in shallow ocean areas from the external skeletons of corals. The skeleton consists of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), or limestone. A coral reef may grow into a permanent coral island, or it may take one of four principal forms. communities," said Vagelli. "This basic knowledge is essential to plan and implement conservationist projects, and to create policies and legislation designed to protect and steward coral reef and other marine ecosystems." Vagelli's embryological and evolutionary research on gobies has been presented at two consecutive conferences of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) is an international organization devoted to the scientific studies of ichthyology (study of fish) and herpetology (study of reptiles and amphibians). . His research has also recently captured the attention and collaboration of the Smithsonian Institution and New York's Museum of Natural Science, among others. In addition to his breeding success with gobies, Vagelli discovered a new goby species, which arrived at the Aquarium from an unknown Caribbean location. In his quest to identify the "Golden" goby, he successfully cross-bred it with the Neon species (E. oceanops), proving that the two were closely related. Using Vagelli's theories, the "Golden" goby was found in the wild and officially identified recently by a team of researchers in Brazil. Located on the Delaware River Waterfront in Camden, the New Jersey State Aquarium is a private, non-profit institution whose mission is to educate and excite the public about marine life and inspire them to assist in its conservation. CONTACT: New Jersey State Aquarium, Camden Denise Venuti Ablaza, 609/365-3300 ext. 307 |
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