The cover of CORAL Magazine Volume 16, Issue 1 – REEF TRIGGERS – January/February 2019. On the cover: A female Bluethroat Triggerfish, Xanthichthys auromarginatus, by award-winning Australian photographer Gary Bell. In the background, an “Acan Lord,” Micromussa lordhowensis, by Daniel Knop.
CORAL Magazine‘s first trendsetting issue of 2019 highlights the amazing diversity of the highly collectible corals we once knew as “Acans,” Micromussa lordhowensis and kin. Page after page of beautiful Micro Lord photos will leave every enthusiast on the hunt at frags swaps and the LFS eager to add just one more variant to their collection. Insights from Dieter Brockmann, Daniel Knop, Kris Cline, and Jeffrey Slemp create a must-have entry for every aquarist’s library.
In the age of reef aquariums, our fish selections have changed. Gone are the domineering fishes from iconic saltwater fish families such as the triggerfishes, which many an aquarist came to know long before they ever owned a stony coral. But with better understandings of their biology, it should be no surprise that there is a fairly wide selection of Balistid species that can make fine residents, if not centerpieces, in an appropriately-sized reef tank! Scott Michael and Daniel Knop reveal the secrets.
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Get some surprising good news from the Great Barrier Reef by Bayley Freeman. Join Nate Wilson as he takes us on a Fijian dive highlighting the “Soft Coral Capital of the World.” Learn about the pathogens of our beloved Giant Clams, the Tridacnids. Experience Heinz Hartwig’s Wine Cellar Reef. Push the boundaries of aquarium fish husbandry with Part II of Matt Pedersen’s Butterflyfish Chronicles, keeping the “Impossible Corallivores.” It’s all waiting for you as we kick off CORAL’s 16th year in print!
The magazine is printed and on its way to subscribers, local aquarium shops, and select bookstores—on sale January 1st, 2019, at the best marine aquarium retail stores and leading Barnes & Noble stores everywhere.
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HEREWITH, a sampling of articles and opening pages for readers curious about what the issue will bring.
The Table of Contents for the January/February 2019 issue of CORAL Magazine. You can view this TOC online.
How will the aquarium community at large deal with the change from Acanthastrea to Micromussa for our beloved corals? Daniel Knop offers some ideas in his Letter From Europe.
“As marine aquarists we are all citizen scientists to some degree,” writes CORAL Editor-in-Chief James Lawrence, “and some of us have a growing awareness that environmental issues in far-flung places can reach even into our own homes and aquariums. A resolution for this New Year: Be informed, stay vigilant, share your own citizen science observations, plant more of those bee-and-butterfly-friendly plants.” Discover the inspiration for this resolution at https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/27/magazine/insect-apocalypse.html
Great Barrier Reef to Earth: Not Dead Yet! Bayley Freeman brings you the story of unforeseen resilience among corals of the iconic reef following back-to-back years of bleaching. Discover additional stories such as “Nocturnal fishes have smaller brains” and “The pH of the Pacific is Decreasing,” and learn how 2019 is celebrating corals in both art and design, all in this issue’s Reef News.
Learn all about “Micro Lord” Corals, Micromussa lordhowensis, from the experienced perspectives of two industry insiders: Matt Pedersen interviews Kris Cline (Carolina Aquatics, importer & wholesaler) and Jeffrey Slemp (Cuttle Fish and Corals, retailer).
Daniel Knop offers a fresh look at the Australian Lord corals, formally called “Acans” but no longer in the genus Acanthastrea. Learn more in his article, Micromussa Rising.
Dr. Dieter Brockmann offers a crash course in Micro Management: A quick guide to keeping Micromussa, Acanthastrea & Co.
Scott Michael is Trigger Happy when it comes to choosing Balistids (Triggerfishes) suitable for reef aquariums. Find out why some species of these seemingly out-of-place predators may, in fact, be welcomed reef-safe residents of your reef tank.
Daniel Knop showcases the iconic Niger Triggerfish, Odonus niger. It’s easy to keep and hardy, but did you know it’s generally considered coral-safe in a reef aquarium? Find out why in our Species Spotlight.
Even if you’ve never set foot in a fin or donned a mask, you can swim with Nate Wilson as he dives what some consider the “Soft Coral Capital of the World” in Fiji.
Pinched Mantle Syndrome? Clam Perkinsus? Dr. Dieter Brockmann reveals these and other parasitic problems encountered in Tridacnas and their relatives, discussing prevention and treatment options with these difficult-to-detect Tridacnid diseases which afflict our beloved giant clams.
Care for some coral with your wine? Aquarist Heinz Hartwig returns to the pages of CORAL Magazine as we feature the wine cellar installation of his 1,250-gallon reef aquarium.
Discover the best way (and some far riskier methods) to propagate Micromussa corals in this issue’s Reefkeeping 101 column.
Have some extra holiday cash in your pockets to start off the New Year? Check out the very best local fish shops around the county in our Sources directory. If they’re smart enough to carry CORAL Magazine in their shops, you know they value the same things that make you a CORAL reader! Bookmark the online list and plan your next fish shop road trip!
If you think that getting the expert-only or “doomed” obligatory corallivorous butterflyfishes to eat in captivity is the biggest hurdle to their long-term success, Matt Pedersen has some surprising viewpoints to share in Part II of The Butterfly Chronicles.
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Those triggers are indeed amazing.