Ron Coleman - Fish - Pet Fish - Animals/Pets

About > AllExperts
	Search for

Main Menu

Login (Experts Only)

About Us · FAQ · Tell Friends About Us · Link To Us · Free Encyclopedia · Disclaimer · Tech Support

You are here: AllExperts > Animals/Pets > Pet Fish > Fish

Expert Profile: Ron Coleman

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 ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, 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. Thanks.

Experience in the area
I teach 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.

Organizations belong to
American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc

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)

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

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.

Something interesting about this subject that others may not know: There are over 25,000 species of fishes and they are incredibly diverse in the ways that they reproduce and, surprisingly, many of them, take wonderful care of their kids. Parental care in fishes can range from guarding the eggs, to mouthbrooding and even to live birth in some species.

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!

Average Ratings
Prestige Points: 26002
Knowledge	9.84 Best of the best
Clarity of Response	9.83 Best of the best
Timeliness	9.84 Best of the best
Politeness	9.96 Best of the best
Number Of Questions (in Past 24 Hours)		1
Max Questions to be Asked (in 24 Hour period)		6
Total Questions (since joining AllExperts)		4611

Recent Reviews from Users

Knowl	Clarity	Time	Politeness	Date
8	10	10	10	05/16/08
10	10	10	10	05/16/08
10	10	10	10	05/15/08
10	10	9	10	05/15/08
10	10	10	10	05/15/08

User Comments

Thanks Ron. I was so worried for this little guy. This morning I awoke to find only a little piece of the sac attached to his body and the air bubble
(Christina on 05/16/08)

thank you so much
(cindy on 05/16/08)

thank you so much for taking the time to answer my ?
(Amy on 05/15/08)

Thankk you Ron for your advice. It has now been a little over a week and my beta's eye is almost completely healed... for awhile the growth just conti
(Robin on 05/15/08)

Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.
(pethouse on 05/15/08)

View All Comments

Ask a Question	View Past Answers	View Ratings

Recent Answers from Ron Coleman

2008-05-14 Cichlid with eggs in mouth: Hi Pethouse, It is up to you. Once the female releases the kids, the other fish in the tank are going to look at the kids as snacks. So, if you want many of them to survive, isolate her in a separate...

2008-05-14 cichild: Hi Alison, I'm glad to hear that the kids are doing well. Yes black mollies will eat small fishes. And yes, plecostomus catfishes will also eat small fishes. -- Ron rcoleman@cichlidresearch...

2008-05-14 Help! somethings wrong with my cichlids!!!!: Hi Stacey, The fish are not stupid, they are just frightened and confused about now living in a new home. It is also clear that one of them is beating up the others. -- Ron rcoleman@cichlidresearch...

2008-05-13 my fish: Hi Kiyahna, You want to isolate the fish with the bacterial infection and treat with a broad-spectrum antiobiotics like penicillin or streptomycin. For fungus, one of the fish "medicines" with...

2008-05-13 oscar bleeding out her gills: Hi Lakisha, I have never heard of this before. Is she alone in the tank or could another fish have attacked her? Sadly, I don't think that there is anything that you can do about it. I'm very...