Fish/Expert Profile

Expertise

I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.

Experience in the area

I am an Assistant Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.

Publications

Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes

Education/Credentials

PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)

What do you like about this subject?

I find all fish fascinating, particularly their behavior. Besides questions about the fish themselves, I can answer questions about the study of fishes as a career.

What do you still hope to achieve/learn in this field?

Even though I work with fish everyday, there are still tons of things to learn!

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know:

There are over 28,000 species of fishes and they are incredibly diverse in how they reproduce. Surprisingly, many of them take wonderful care of their kids, ranging from guarding the eggs, to mouthbrooding and even to live birth in some species.

Something controversial or provocative about this subject

Unfortunately there is a lot of misinformation out there, both in pet stores and on the internet. Too often people reach for medicines to treat "sick" fish. Often the fish is not suffering from disease, rather it has been attacked by another fish. Only use medications as a last resort -- they can cause as much harm as good!