December 10, 2003 - Raising Clownfish -

[theshad]

At the Next MAST MEETING:
http://www.mastcanada.org

Guest Speaker: Robert Di Marco

Raising Clownfish” The development and methodology used to raise marine fish in a basement hatchery, compounded by merciless ice storms, snow, frigid cold and hard to control temperature swings, punctuated with anecdotes, misadventures, failures and fortunately successes

Robert Di Marco has been in the marine hobby since the early seventies. He was one of the first members of MAST. He is also a member of both French and English Montreal aquarium clubs, the Breeders’ Registry and various other societies in Canada and USA. Since 1992, Robert has raised nine different varieties of Anemonefish. The Amphiprion Ocellaris, common name Percula Clown, A. Clarkii, commonly (although erroneously) referred to as Sebae Clown, A. Frenatus, c.n. Tomato Clown, A. Epphipium, c.n. Red Saddleback Clown, Premnas Biaculeatus, c.n. Maroon or Spine Cheek Clownfish (white and gold bars), A. Polymnus, c.n. the Saddle(back) Clown, A. Melanopus, c.n. the Cinnamon Clown and Amphiprion Percula.

Robert has given numerous presentations and held workshops over the last thirteen years on the saltwater hobby to aquarium societies in Quebec, Ontario, Vermont and (Oui, in French!) to La Société d’Aquariophilie de Montréal. He was also the Marine speaker at the 1996 Annual Conference of Quarium Societies of New England, in Connecticut and the 2003 Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) in Louisville, Kentucky.

He has appeared in television interviews, an educational video to assist students of a local high school and, after being challenged by Charles Delbeek, produced his first article for Atoll, the newsletter of MAST. He subsequently authored numerous other articles for such publications as the Breeders’ Registry, aquarium club newsletters and Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine.

For the past seven years, Robert has been a consultant to Rolf C. Hagen Inc.’s H.A.R.S. facility (Hagen Aquatic Research Station) and also assists their web site in responding to Internet questions sent by hobbyists.

A closet Clownfish breeder by night and insurance broker by day, Robert offers an informative and entertaining presentation.