April 2 Meeting – The Wild Side of Bettas

APRIL 2006
VOLUME 15 z ISSUE 4
NEXT MONTH’S MTG: MAY 7
April 2nd Meeting – The Wild Side of Bettas
A Presentation by Steve Ehrlich
The names do not roll off the tongue with the ease of long-time use, the
comfort of familiarity. The family is Belontiidae (that was a surprise to
me—I thought it was Anabantoidae), the subfamily is Macropodinae,
but most of us look no farther than the principal genus name: Betta.
With the incredible design work done to create the iridescent crepe de
chine fins of the Betta splendens, few look beyond that famous Siamese
fighting fish. That preconception of these labryinth fish costs us an
exploration – or even an awareness – of the many beautiful and
interesting Bettas that Nature has created.
Steve Ehrlich will be giving us some examples of what we’re missing:
fish such as Betta akarensis and B. balunga from Northern Borneo,
© Zhou Hang 2004
SPECIES PROFILE – Rasbora einthovenii
2
AQUASCAPING – THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE
7
SUMMARY OF MARCH MEETING
2
KID’S CORNER – A HIDDEN PICTURES PUZZLE
8
ANNOUNCEMENTS; FOR SALE
3
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
9
REVENGE ON S. PAHANG, MALAYSIA by Zhou Hang
4
WHEN AND WHERE WE MEET
9
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
7
FISH OF ENDAU RIVER DRAINAGE SYSTEM
2
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 1 OF 10
which can reach a length of seven inches; B. burdigala, B. coccina, and B. persephone with their rich russet,
burnt orange and apricot coloring; the ivory and tan Betta fusca with chocolate stripes and metallic baby-blue
highlights, caudal rays, and ventral fins. We’re really missing bettas like Betta enisae with its orange-gold
latigo-leather colored body and fins rimed in turquoise blue and black, and operculi tiled in a mosaic of peacock
green. There are bubble nesters and mouthbrooders, big ones and little ones, plain brown ones and
breathtakingly beautiful jewel-toned ones, shiny ones and sueded ones. They live in habitats of stagnant
evaporating pools or fast flowing streams, mountain heights or drainage ditches, bare sandy bottoms or
underwater forests.
Check out some of the species photos on http://photobucket.com/albums/v81/MrTree/Labyrinth%20Fish/Betta/
then come listen to Steve and find out whether or not bettas have been quietly waiting to become your next
obsession.
---------------------------------------------Answer to hidden picture puzzle
Other fishes besides bettas live in the area Zhou
Hang explored is Southern Pahang.
In Zoological Studies 38(3): 350-366 (1999), Heok-Hee
Ng (E-mail: [email protected] , Fax: 65-7792486)
and Heok-Hui Tan of the Department of Biological
Sciences, National University of Singapore reported the
fish they found in the Endau River drainage system.
In addition to identifying two new species of catfish, they found
that several fish thought to exist only north of the area had a
range extending farther south than anyone expected. There is a
listing on page 10 of some of the fish they found; the article cited
also lists the rivers from which fish were collected or observed
and other pertinent data. Included in the article are distinguishing
characteristics of new species and changes to genus names.
----------------------------------------------
Summary of March Meeting
An incredible film, superb chili, friends we don’t often get to see.
March Program: Brian Downing ordered William Heijn’s remarkable film, “Cichlids of the Craters”, all the
way from Holland and was sitting on pins and needles as the day of the club meeting drew closer without any
package showing up. Finally, it was delivered, with a half a day to spare. The film proved to be worth the
anxious wait. Brian played it through our new digital projector so that it displayed on the movie screen in crisp
focus and large enough for all to enjoy. Photographed by Heijns and Ad Konings and showing the cichlids in
lakes that formed around the volcanic craters of Nicaragua, the film provided varied and clear detail of
behaviour and habitat, as well as tidbits about diet, breeding preferences, survival pressures, and cohabitants.
Tom Varin brought a veritable cauldron of homemade chili with meat and beans, “toned down”, as he says, to
be just a bit hot. Ordinarily, he says, his chili is known as “self-heating”. The batch he brought for us was
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MARCH 2006
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incredibly good and very nearly worth coming to a fish meeting for, all by itself. From conversations later in
the meeting, I inferred Tom is into competitive chili – if so, he’s got to be a winner.
Long term members that don’t get to come often anymore were a pleasure to see this meeting. Chuck Mateo,
Janice Hazeltine, Bill Moreno, and Frank Chang were all able to attend this month. Poor Frank – it seemed
every board member who stopped by to say hello also reminded him his membership was past due, not knowing
he had taken care of it the instant he arrived.
Announcements:
1. Business portion of meetings starts at 1:00. Speaker Presentation starts at 1:30.
We have been keeping an eye on the success of starting our speaker presentations at 1:15 p.m. sharp.
Although the starting time has improved people’s habits in showing up on time, this start time has left too
little time for people to greet friends, get a plate of food, preview auction lots and just get settled. The
president put it to a vote and the majority of the club approved of starting the meeting at 1:00 as usual, but
having the speaker presentation start at 1:30 p.m.
2.
3.
4.
6.
7.
Many people come near the end of the speaker’s program solely to participate in the auction, which is, of
course, perfectly okay to do. The interruption of the speaker’s program caused by latecomers arriving,
putting new lots on the table, and initiating conversations, however, is not okay. It belittles the speaker, and
it denies prospective buyers time to examine the lots. Please take a seat and wait until the end of the
program before start activities when you’re a latecomer.
Ride Pool from San Diego to Costa Mesa: Any people in the San Diego area interested in ride pooling to
the meetings should contact Brian Downing. He has some space available in his car and would be happy to
give a couple of people a ride.
Zoogeneticus tequila, the first fish in our new Species Maintenance Program, has spawned for Brian
Downing and for Tom Varin. Two of Brian’s fish have each given him a small batch. The fry in all spawns
are keeping under cover in plants, taking baby brine shrimp and egg yolk, and growing well.
Mamie Nash is searching for contact information on our sponsors so she can start the raffle program again,
as she is the new Corresponding Secretary this year.
John Skocilic has promised to donate a new laptop to the club to replace our old one, which went belly up in
February. Tom Varin is donating MS Office and MS Access software for it. We hope to have it up and
running in time for the April meeting; in the meantime, Ron Nash is generously using his own computer to
keep the auction records and check-out on track.
Treasurer’s report, submitted by Pauline Jackson, was accepted. Her records show the club remains
financially sound and would benefit from the raffle being brought back regularly.
----------------------------------------------
For Sale
Two tanks and stands for sale at great prices!
Ron Jackson has a 50 gallon acrylic tank with oak wooden stand and canopy for only $250. Contact him in
Garden Grove at [email protected] or 714-638-8445 if you’re interested.
Barbara and Kirk Bean have a 540 gallon acrylic tank (8’ × 3’ × 3’) on a custom steel tube stand, complete with
sump and some of the equipment needed to run the tank, tank has never been used. Original price all told was
over $6000; they are selling it for $2500. They are relocating, and the tank must go, as neither will have room.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 3 OF 10
An article on collecting bettas in the countryside and the forest
streams…
Revenge on Southern Pahang, Malaysia
by Zhou Hang from his website http://www.ikanpemburu.com/ from Aquarticles
Copyright(c)Zhou Hang 2004
(City, river labels added by Showfish editor.)
Endau River
Drainage System
EndauRombin Natl
Park
Endau R.
Mersing
Semberong R.
Jemaluang
Kahang R.
15th & 16th May 2004
At last I was able visit this place again. I had caught
Betta waseri and Betta tussyae during my previous
trip, but only one of each. This time, as well as bettas,
I also hoped to find Parosphromenus nagyi (dwarf
licorice gourami). Edwin, Simon and Marcus from
AquaticQuotient (Singapore forum) joined me on this
trip. We met early Saturday morning (I was late) and
picked up a rental car in Johor Baru. Marcus was our
main driver, with Edwin as the back-up. Simon was
the photographer. I didn't take any pictures on Day 1,
since Day 1 wasn't that interesting. This is the area we
covered during the two days.
On Day 1, as always, we stopped by the Cryptocoryne
cordata point near Mersing, but didn't wet our nets.
After some discussion during lunch at Padang Endau,
we decided to move up north along the coast.
Then we stopped at an abandoned paddy field
somewhere around the Kampong Lebang Condong.
Due to the thick vegetation it was quite difficult to
obtain fish, and a Boraras maculata and a juvenile
Betta imbellis were all we could find.
We headed towards Kuantan on Highway 40.
Sometimes we could see the South China Sea on our
right-hand side, but to catch freshwater fish we had to
stay away from the sea.
The second point we stopped at was another paddy
field. We could see a swampy forest quite far away and decided to walk to its edge, but that was a mistake.
The long walk under the hot sun wasted lots of our time and stamina. When we finally reached the edge of the
forest we found that the whole area was already dried up. We were tired and frustrated.
We continued our journey. Soon we came to a road that turned the left. It looked good, but the small stream
flowing along the road was a brackish stream. However, we kept going along, and finally found a nice
blackwater stream. Obviously, professional fish collectors were collecting fish from here.
While the three fellas were happy catching their favourite Puntius hexazona (six-banded barb), I bashed into the
forest and found a small stream. Bingo! I managed to catch about ten Betta tussyae in a tiny pool and also two
juvenile Betta waseri. We called it off. I was happy, and they were happy too!
This was our hotel (top left, next page). RM80 (US$21) for a room with 1 twin bed and 2 single beds, hot
shower and cool air-con. What else did we need?
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 4 OF 10
▼We were to cover Road 63 on Day 2. We visited the busy morning
market after breakfast. Dried gouramis (probably two-spot gouramis) and
kissing gouramis were sold for food.
Live Pangasius sp.
(catfish) were sold
too. (They are
farm bred, and
might be hybrids.)
▲ An old man selling traditional medicines.
This is the first point where we stopped in the morning. It was a pool where cows come to drink. The water
didn't smell good, and I actually didn't want to wet my net. But I was soon proved wrong.
◄ We collected many fish in this tiny pool: Rasbora
einthovenii (a rasbora), Boraras maculata (dwarf rasbora),
Belontia hasselti (Malay combtail), Betta waseri, Betta tussyae!,
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides (chocolate gourami), Betta
imbellis, Kryptopterus macrocephalus (a glass catfish), swamp
eels, and more.
It was still very early. I already had enough Betta waseri, and
could call it off anytime!
So we switched our radar to Crypto-mode. As we moved on, we
saw a small mountain to our right. There was a small road
leading to it, and this is a small pool we found (top left, next
page) which the locals use to do laundry and to bathe in. It was
clear water, and only a couple rasboras were found there.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 5 OF 10
I went into the forest a little bit, and saw
this Cryptocoryne on the ground. ►
Soon the others joined me. Despite
trying, we couldn't find any flowers.
Many of the crypts were surviving under
the damp fallen leaves. We had to
remove the leaves to observe the crypts.
Everything was going a little bit too
smoothly. We simply got whatever we
wanted. But something was missing!
Paros!!
It didn't take too long
to reach a small blackwater stream. ▼and ►
We managed to collect
Belontia hasselti, Betta
waseri, Trichogaster
trichopterus (blue
gourami), Anabas
testudineus (climbing
perch), Kryptopterus
macrocephalus, Bora-
Finally, something caught in
my net – a dead Parosphromenus nagyi !
(Dwarf licorice gourami) ►
ras maculata, Rasbora einthovenii,
Rasbora pauciperforata (red-stripe rasbora), Sphaerichthys
sphromoides (a
gourami), and Wallago leeri (a catfish)!
Water parameters:
pH: 4.5, KH: < 1,
Temp: 26.8°C
Johor Baru. I would like to
thank everyone. It was great
fun traveling with you guys.
Endure!!!!!!!!!
We went to the lower stream, which
was covered with Barclaya.
►
We collected a few more Parosphromenus nagyi and that was it! Fantastic
trip! There were other streams that
looked promising, but we just recorded
their locations and rushed back to
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 6 OF 10
Membership News
Gossip
Linda Sweet,
former member and
Showfish editor,
called friends and
reported she was
happily resettled in
Texas.
New MembersWelcome!
Kevin Hromin of Costa
Mesa (No. 348).
RenewedThank You!
Janice Hazeltine
Frank Chang
Rick, Charlotte Marelius
Pam Harris
Richard Lin
Joshua Tenbroek
One Month Past DueThis is Your Last Newsletter
Alan Blum
Scott Daeschner
Craig Fries
Martin Gee
Gary Lange
Wook Lim
Anthony Mazeroll
John, Anne Niemans
Nathan Okawa
Matthew Perry
Alfred and Selma Paul
Alberto Restreppo
Elissa Ritt
Phil Rodriguez
Gary Chow
Due in April
Charles Pratt
Two Months
Past Due
Ron, Mamie Nash
Jim Tello
Kenaan Tabikh
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aquascaping – Finding the focal point of your tank
DD
A
H
A strategy of tank layout
ÇBottom left side
of tank floor
Popularized by the densely planted “Dutch
Aquarium” style of aquascaping, the socalled “golden intersection” is the point
Focal point
where your eye seeks/ is most comfortable
X Axis
F
with visual emphasis. It can be identified
with simple geometry. The diagram shows
Y-Axis
one focal point identified on the floor of the
ÈBottom front of tank floor
tank; four such points can be developed,
C
which is useful for creating a path through a
B
layout instead of a single focal point.
Rectangle ABCH represents the tank floor.
Draw Line AD and Line CE.
Swing an arc, centered at point D and
Line AD = Line AB/2
G
reaching point A, until it crosses Line DB.
Line CE = Line BC/2
Point F is where the arc intersects Line DB.
Line segment DF = Line AD
With compass centered at B and touching F,
Line segment EG = Line CE
E
swing an arc through the tank wall. This
creates the starting point of the X-axis. Use
the same technique to establish point G on Line BE and swing an arc through the tank wall to create a starting
point for the Y-axis. Where the X and Y axes intersect is the prime focal point. Vertical focal points can be
established in this manner as well.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 7 OF 10
Kid’s Corner – It’s never too early (or too late) to take a
careful look at what’s in the water.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 8 OF 10
Brian Downing
John Skocilic
Rahul Kumar
Ron Estrada
Ron Jackson
Scott Kroeger Steve Ehrlich
Tom Varin
Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Brian Downing
[email protected]
858-759-4841
EDITOR
Charlotte Marelius
[email protected]
818-360-7102
DIRECTOR
Ron Estrada
(email)
949-488-8082
VICE PRESIDENT (vacant)
PROGRAM CHAIR Steve Ehrlich
[email protected]
310-398-4103
DIRECTOR
Ron Jackson
[email protected]
714-638-8445
TREASURER
John Skocilic
[email protected]
714-225-3491
(On medical leave —
Pauline Jackson is filling in:
[email protected]
714-638-8445)
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT AND ADMIN
Tom Varin
[email protected]
714-962-8541
Rahul Kumar
[email protected]
310-824-1787
DIRECTOR
Scott Kroeger
[email protected]
949-701-0429
SECRETARIES
Recording:
Ron Nash
Corresponding:
Mamie Nash
[email protected]
714-226-0045
MEMBERSHIP
AUCTIONEER
Duncan Mahoney
[email protected]
310-391-3704
AUCTION CHAIR
Charlotte Marelius
Ron Nash
PUBLISHER
Mike McCabe
[email protected]
562-868-1992
When and Where the COAST Club Meets
COAST meets the first Sunday of the month from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Meeting agendum:
12:30
Board Meeting
1:00
Meeting begins; general announcements
1:30
Presentation begins
2:45
Auction begins
4:15-4:30 Auction usually ends; check-out begins
5:00-5:30 Vacate the room
Scheduled meeting dates are:
March 5
Topic: Cichlids of the Craters
August 6
Topic:
April 2
Topic: Bettas of the Wild
September 3
Topic:
May 7
Topic: TBD
October 1
Topic:
June 4
Topic: TBD
November 5
Topic:
July 2
Topic: TBD
December 3
Topic:
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
We meet at the Costa Mesa Neighborhood Community Center at 1845 Park Ave, Costa Mesa 92627; usually
in the Victoria Room, alternatively in the Harper Room. The Center is a dark brick building between the fire
station or library and the Lion’s Park. The closest large intersection is Harbor Blvd. and 19th Street.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
PAGE 9 OF 10
Species Profile – Rasbora einthovenii
Einthoven’s Rasbora – A Slender Gold and Purple Malaysian
We don’t get to see much in the way of rasboras beyond the incredibly common and ubiquitous ones.
Occasionally we see a scissor-tail rasbora, but for local fish stores, that’s about as unique as you’re going to get.
Maybe this one, also known as the Brilliant Rasbora or Long Line Rasbora, is unique enough and subtly
enchanting enough that some of our guys will go to Malaysia and collect it. Hint hint.
As with most rasbora, its upper body is gold toned; in the right light, the scales will refract hints of abaloneshell green and blue. A thin black line, sometimes broken, runs from the mouth, through the eye, all the way to
the edge of the tail. The back half of the body is a pastel purple, similar in color to a kribensis’ purple belly.
Under stress, the fish is just another beige fish with a black line (whoopee), and is sometimes imported as a
contaminant rather than a species that was ordered.
The fish lives in forest streams and ponds of Thailand, Borneo, Singapore and Malaysia right along side some
of the wild bettas. Their preference for breeding is for mildly acidic water (6 ot 6.5 pH) with a dH of 2 to 5, but
for general keeping they can do well in neutral, moderately hard (7 or 8 dH) water. They are much more
sensitive to the cleanliness of the water than the aforementioned parameters. They don’t stay healthy in water
that is dirty or high in dissolved organic waste. They benefit from a sandy substrate, planted, with room to
chase food (be it flake or insects) and each other. Tank size: 30 gallons or more; keep in small schools.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------Acanthopsoides molobrion
Barbodes schwanenfeldii.
Pristolepis grootii
Acantopsis dialuzona
Belodontichthys dinema
Pseudogobiopsis oligactis
Achiroides sp.
Betta pugnax
Pseudogobiopsis siamensis
Pangio cuneovirgata, doriae, filanaris,
Akysis hendricksoni
Brachygobius xanthomelas
kuhlii, malayana, piperata, shelfordii
Akysis microps
Chaca bankanensis
Anabas testudineus
Channa gachua
Trichopsis vittata
Barbodes schwanenfeldii
Channa lucius
Scleropages formosus
Channa micropeltes, striata
Neohomaloptera johorensis
Silurichthys hasseltii
Chela maassi
Macrognathus aculeatus
Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
Chitala lopi, lopis
Monopterus albus
Sundasalanx cf. praecox
Ompok hypophthalmus
Mystacoleucas marginatus
Tor tambra
Systomus banksi, johorensis,
Puntius schwanenfeldii
Mystus nigriceps, singaringan
lateristriga, partipentazona
Clarias batrachus, teijsmanni
Pseudomystus fuscus, stenomus
Crossocheilus langei, oblongus
Nandus nebulosus
Trigonostigma heteromorpha
Dangila festiva
Mastacembelus erythrotaenia, favus,
Vaillantella maassi
maculatus
Wallago leerii
Cyclocheilichthys armatus, repasson,
apogon
Nanobagrus nebulosus
Xenetodon canciloides
Rasbora bankanensis, caudimaculata, cephalotaenia, dorsiocellata, dusonensis, einthovenii, elegans, gracilis, kalochroma,
pauciperforata, paucisqualis, sumatrana, trilineata
Dermogenys cf. pusilla
Hampala macrolepidota
Osphronemus goramy [gourami]
Doryichthys deokhatoides, martensii
Hemibagrus gracilis, nemurus
Oxygaster anomalura
Glossogobius giuris
Notopterus aff. Chitala, notopterus
Oxyleotris marmorata
Glyptothorax aff. major
Nemacheilus masyae, sealangoricus
Pangasius sp.
Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus
Parachela cf. maculicauda
Excerpts from The Fishes of the Endau
Drainage, Peninsular Malaysia with
Homaloptera nebulosa, nigra, ogilviei,
Osteochilus cf. enneaporos, hasseltii,
Descriptions of Two New Species of
orthogoniata, tweediei
microcephalus
Catfishes (Teleostei: Akysidae,
Leiocassis cf. micropogon
Parakysis longirostris
Bagridae). The article has extensive
Luciocephalus pulcher
Phenacostethus smithi
and useful information for those
Luciosoma setigerum
Poropuntius deauratus
interested in collecting Malaysian fish.
http://www.coastfishclub.com/
MARCH 2006
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