Training fish and aquatic invertebrates for husbandry and medical behaviors.

Fishes and aquatic invertebrates are highly diverse groups of animals that are well adapted to their aquatic environments. For the past 200 years, researchers have been studying the learning potential of fishes and have shown them to be extensive. By using these animals' abilities to learn, caretakers can use operant conditioning with an emphasis on positive reinforcement to train behaviors aiding in dietary management, capture techniques, and medical procedures.

Effects of full-stream carbon filtration on the development of head and lateral line erosion syndrome (HLLES) in ocean surgeon.

Head and lateral line erosion syndrome (HLLES) is a common but very poorly understood disease of marine aquarium fish. One suspected etiology is the use of granulated activated carbon (GAC) to filter the water. Seventy-two ocean surgeons Acanthurus bahianus were distributed among three carbon-negative control systems and three GAC-treated systems such that each tank contained approximately the same total body mass.