Rich Ross

We do the weird stuff

CITES and Seahorses – Why What Happened at Steinhart, (Kinda) Stays at Steinhart

July 4, 2014 No Comments

From reef2rainforest.com
by Matt Pedersen

Adult Pygmy Seahorse, Hippocampus bargibati, on pink coral, Muricella- it was unknown if they would venture onto the pink coral. Image by Richard Ross

Adult Pygmy Seahorse, Hippocampus bargibati, on pink coral, Muricella – it was unknown if they would venture onto the pink coral. Image by Richard Ross

Opinion by Matt Pedersen

We just shared the news of the first successful captive-breeding of Hippocampus bargibanti at the wet hands of Steinhart aquarists Matt Wandell and Richard Ross. Marine breeders, and more specifically seahorse propagators, are no doubt ecstatic (Dare I borrow a line from from Ross: “Their heads are falling off”).

Of course, why didn’t this happen until now, and why can’t we all rush out to buy a captive-bredBargibant’s Seahorse? (more…)

Steinhart Team Breeds Rare Bargibanti Pygmy Seahorse For The First Time

June 21, 2014 No Comments

From reef2rainforest.com
by Matt Pedersen

An adult Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse, behind the scenes at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences - image courtesy Richard Ross.

An adult Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse, behind the scenes at the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences – Image courtesy Richard Ross.

Matt Wandell and Richard Ross are two professional aquarists who need no introduction to serious marine aquarium audiences. This dynamic duo of public aquarists has the kind of job most all of us would gladly commit manslaughter to have, working for the Stienhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences. Wandell and Ross get to work on the type of aquarium systems most of us can only dream of and certainly will never afford.  As if that wasn’t enough, they get to galavant around the globe on expeditions looking for new and interesting animals and husbandry challenges that many of us will never have the opportunity to tackle – like keeping and breedingHippocampus bargibanti, Bargibant’s Pygmy Seahorse. Can you smell, can you taste, the envy? (more…)

Baby Pygmy Seahorses Are Even Cuter Than You Think

June 17, 2014 No Comments

From WIRED
BY NICK STOCKTON

10 day old baby Pygmy Seahorse hunting copepods
10 day old baby Pygmy Seahorse hunting copepods

For the past three weeks, Richard Ross has been spending his mornings next to a small tank in a back room at the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. He leans in close. Not only is the room dark, but the fish inside this tank are masters of hiding in plain sight. They are Bargibant’s pygmy sea horses, and their orange, studded bodies twitch and sway just like the piece of coral they’ve wrapped their tiny, tiny tails around.

They are the first pair of pygmy sea horses to ever see the inside of an aquarium, and Ross is the first biologist to watch their daily pair bonding in a controlled environment.

As the lights slowly turn on, Ross can see that the two fish, each barely an inch long, are facing each other and twitching in unison. They rub snouts and butt heads. This ritual is part of their mating cycle, which culminates every 14 days with the birth of 60 to 70 babies. Immediately afterward, the pair detach from their pieces of coral, wrap their tails tightly, and the female deposits her eggs into the male’s belly sac, where he’ll fertilize and incubate the clutch.

Sea horse researchers call this the copulatory rise. ”The whole thing is very awkward,” says Matt Wandell, Ross’ colleague at the Steinhart Aquarium. On June 22nd, Ross and Wandell expect the pair to give birth for the third time since they arrived at the aquarium on May 20th. (more…)

Reef Threads Podcast #175

March 31, 2014 No Comments

From Reef Threads

rtheader

It’s our 175th podcast, also known as the Queen’s Plasma Centennial Jubilee podcast. This week we bring you a small bucketload of semi-interesting to absolutely fascinating discussion items about the reef-aquarium hobby, including NERAC events, Long Island Aquarium, collecting shore shrimp, Todd Gardner, Richard Ross and designer/feeder clownfish, instant-cycle goop from the Tanked people, and bottled bacteria. Download the podcast here, orsubscribe to our podcasts at iTunes. Also, follow us on Twitter at reefthreads.—Christine and Gary

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MBI Species Firsts

March 31, 2014 No Comments

From Reefs.com, by Tal Sweet

Part of the MBI’s goal is to promote captive breeding of new species that haven’t been done before and to recognize the efforts of those that succeed. To be granted a species first award, the breeder must be able to provide proof of the date of the success via a verifiable third party publication including, books, scientific journals, online forums, or the MBI system. Extremely detailed Journals within the MBI are required for this award. When granted a Species First Award, a star medal will be applied over regular success icon to indicate that it is a Species First. The MBI Council is proud to register and confirm the following Species First awards:

Sepia bandensis: Richard Ross, 2007

Sepia bandensis 1st MBI Species Firsts

TFH 5 of 6 300x199 MBI Species Firsts

http://www.mbisite.org/DReview.aspx?ID=89

http://www.mbisite.org/Forums/tm.aspx?m=47829

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CEPHALOPOD BREEDING

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