West Coast Weekend Report

[whuntley]

Hi all, I'm just back from Portland and a bit tired, but VERY satisfied.

I brought home 14 pairs of killifish, and replaced my depleted stocks of Boraras maculatum and brigitae (6 of each). I also picked up a dozen wild-caught Cory habrosus to join the lone survivor from my Singapore trip. [Latter species all from local Portland fish shops]

I got a half dozen Tiger Shrimp at the convention and 4 each bumblebee and cherry shimp at local shops. [US$5 each , which is why I didn't get more!]

I also have 4 bags of eggs yet to hatch.

Some of the fish were for my Napa wine-country friend Sue Bunte, who has been fighting cancer, and my local Bishop killifish buddy Howard Wu, acupuncturist and expert SA Annual Breeder. [I think he has had his strain of NIG for about 12 years.]

Programs by Ruud Wildekamp and Dr. Bruce Turner were simply marvelous. Even better was ample chance to schmooze with them over some excellent local brews or at breakfast.

Howard sent 4 Kryptolebias marmoratus (aka Kmar) and Bruce Turner, the original collector and speaker about them was blown away at what good prices they brought at the auction.

Ruud brought a bunch of the real ANN Monrovia Reds from Holland, and I was fortunate (rich) enough to get 3.5 pairs of them. Let's hope I can get them going, again, here on the West Coast. Ever since Robert Nhan and Wayland Lee quit breeding them, we have lost the strain out here (yes, two more expert oriental breeders, now lost to the hobby! ).

The Northwest Killifish Club will be hosting the AKA Convention in 2009, in Portland OR, and they are so well organized it is bound to be one of the best. We had Limousine tours of local fish shops and a wholesaler's, great dinner at a local brew pub, and fine accommodations at the hotel. Probably the last full weekend in May. Anyone who can afford it and can put up with the 20 hour flight should try to make it. We'll make it a lifetime experience for you. Guaranteed!

I got 4 hours sleep, last night*, and had all those fish to take care of. More when your questions arrive.

Wright

_______________________________
*It is an hour flight from Portland to Reno, but 4 hours or more of mountain driving to get home to Bishop! Then fish to get out of bags and acclimate to my soft water. [BTW, 100% survival, so far!]

[RonWill]

Hi Wright,
I can see you enjoyed the trip and a good score on the fishes, esp the red ANNs!!!! *ears perked up and rubbing hands in glee*

Ruud brought a bunch of the real ANN Monrovia Reds from Holland, and I was fortunate (rich) enough to get 3.5 pairs of them. Let's hope I can get them going, again, here on the West Coast. Ever since Robert Nhan and Wayland Lee quit breeding them, we have lost the strain out here (yes, two more expert oriental breeders, now lost to the hobby! )

Curious though. Are the ANNs descendant from the line of Nhan & Lee? Do these still show red in the dorsal & anal fins? If they are, please work on them! If there's anything to rekindle the killie-fire in me, this is it !!!. I shall remain hopeful for good news.

Howard sent 4 Kryptolebias marmoratus (aka Kmar) and Bruce Turner, the original collector and speaker about them was blown away at what good prices they brought at the auction.

Aren't these on a maintenance program that Au was involved in? Self-fertilizing hermaphrodite if I recall correct. So what prices did these buggers fetch?

Anyone who can afford it and can put up with the 20 hour flight should try to make it. We'll make it a lifetime experience for you. Guaranteed!

Well yeah... sure makes me wished I was still residing in the east coast, Brooklyn, NYC, to be specific. I'd be sure to get my butt to these meets.

Many thanks for the update. More, please, when you are rested and have the time. *still excited about the ANNs*

[A.Rashid]

blink blink.. dont forget me ok... i want a share in the ANN too.....

[whuntley]

This ANN strain came in in 1974 as ANN Monrovia. Many subsequent shipments from there have been given the same name. Alas Monrovia is a shipping point and not a valid collection location, which really screws up our location process.

The strain that Nhan and Lee had was identical to the picture of ANN in the Radda and Purzl book. Blue only in the dorsal, and red in all other unpaired fins plus the pectorals. [The latter are usually a bit more like orange.] It tends to be far more colorful than any more recent imports, since all the lower fins and center caudal are bright red; blue outer caudal stripes plus a weak blue in the dorsal. When healthy and happy, the body is a strikingly yellow and black bumblebee color. I think they are much more vivid than the current crop with gray and tan body colors.

This strain was fortunately kept alive in the Netherlands (and probably Germany). We are most fortunate that we can get them, again, and I hope I don't kill them off!

Do I gather that someone would like me to drop off a small breeding group on my next visit to SE Asia? No one knows when that will happen, so better hope I breed them and someone can come to the AKA Convention, next spring.

Wright

[whuntley]

Prof. Turner collected these hermaphrodites eight years ago, in Belize. While normally a brackish-to-saline fish, these were in a recently flooded mangrove forest in dead soft rain water. They do need about 50% sea water to breed.

I don't have a price list of what they brought, but I think it was in the realm of $10-15 per fish. Some of that was because Bruce Turner had just given a marvelous talk on the species, and he had piqued everybody's curiosity. There were only 5 in the auction. One from South America (probably) and the four I brought for Howard Wu from Dangriga Belize 2000.

Wright

[RonWill]

Wright, I'm overwhelmed by respect for the folks who persevered in killifish maintenance but 1974 is a little beyond my imagination (just how do they do it without feeling burnt-out???).

Can't wait for the ANNs to be stable in your tanks and ya, their pics too! [I don't have that Radda and Purzl book]. In any case, I'm hoping hard that yours will turn out to be more beautiful than those I bred before.

Do I gather that someone would like me to drop off a small breeding group on my next visit to SE Asia?

Ya gotta be kiddin' me!! Love to have you visit our shores again but in lieu of that, I can always look forward to a EMS-delivered parcel! *hint hint*