We would like to invite our readers to help celebrate our 20th anniversary! Doctors Foster and Smith, along with LiveAquaria.com are sponsoring what is probably our biggest contest ever. One lucky winner will win a prize worth $4,000: a Perfecto 180-gallon Standard Prestige Super System, $500 in livestock from LiveAquaria.com and $500 to spend at Doctors Foster and Smith (www.DrsFosterSmith.com)! Entering is easy — just see page 58 and 59 to find out how. And please make note of the deadline to enter, which is May 20, 2008.
In addition to the grand prize, we have an online contest going, and two winners will be chosen in a raffle to win $50 every month, starting in January 2008. Winners of the $50 raffle will be announced on FishChannel.com. Again, please see our contest announcement for details on entering.
Now, let’s take a look at the rest of this issue. We all agree that there’s some beautiful life underwater (both freshwater and saltwater). Yet the displays at public aquariums that often draw the biggest crowds are the ones housing animals not that are beautiful, but rather are unique or even odd in some way. There’s a certain intrigue associated with anything out of the ordinary, including fish — and there are plenty of interesting creatures that live in aquatic environments, even ones that can be kept in aquaria. This issue happens to have many of them, in some way, shape or form.
What about an animal that appears to have an anteater’s nose and the body of a fish? This is the elephantnose (Gnathonemus petersi); no, the common name is not “anteaternose,” but it does look like an anteater, too. See the article “Weird and Wonderful” by Neale Monks, Ph.D. (page 60) to find out about other fascinating fish, as well.
How about some lesser-known cyprinids? Oliver Lucanus covers some barbs, sharkminnows and more, that are not kept as often. Just see “African Cyprinids: A Diverse Group” starting on page 84. Enjoy!