Not particularly advertised as a aquarium keeping product...but sure could be!
While wandering about the web searching to the great mystery of "wrasse mucus"

(RE: Mucus Covering...?) I came across this:


Perils Lurk for Outdoor Adventurers (NYT)
By JAMES GORMAN

"...There is one new development in prevention, at least of jellyfish stings. A new product called SeaSafe seems to protect against jellyfish stings. (Dr. Auerbach is an investor in the company.) It may, he said, mimic the mucus of the clownfish, which is immune to jellyfish stings. It is also a sunscreen..."

Found:

Trident Sea Safe Lotion SPF30
"...Safe Sea not only protects against UV rays, it also protects against marine stingers. The waterproof lotion has patented ingredients that deactivate the jellyfish stinging mechanism. Will protect against jellyfish, medusas, sea lice, sea nettles, and coral..."

Might just be a handy product to have near at hand when working around tanks that have some of stinging creatures...(keep next to that antihistamine for those with possible severe allergy reactions )

From now on will be a permanent fixture in my dive bag.


--------------------------

FYI

Also in above article (Perils Lurk for Outdoor Adventurers (NYT))





"... if you go to South America, do not urinate when you are standing in the water. That is how you encounter the catfish of the genus Vandellia, the candiru. The inchlong fish may be attracted to the chemicals in urine or simply swimming upstream. It normally attaches itself to the gills of larger fish to feed on blood.

Unfortunately, for both fish and person, when it finds itself in the urethra it opens its gill covers, and gets stuck. Fortunately, said Dr. Paul Auerbach, who has written a standard text and a popular book on wilderness medicine, huge doses of vitamin C may soften the spines. Then, he said, ''You pass the fish.''..."

Am wondering about the protective mucus blanket/bubble certain wrasses and other species known to form about themselves at night...

Presumably a somewhat toxic covering to protect self while sleeping.

How do they do it? --- Do they blow a bubble and crawl inside? Is it a secretion all over body? Spit it out on surface then roll around in it.

Fish not designed to cover self with slime from mouth. If they do, can't imagine how it is done.

Do they just shake it off or somehow crawl out of it when they wake up?

If toxic, could there be any adverse effect of this stuff floating around in a closed aquarium system?

Don't know if any answers to above...but for some reason I just got to thinking about...

 

-------

Been browsing thru web for answers...here is what I have come up with...


(Answers.com)

Animal Classification:
Labroidei II
(Damselfishes, wrasses, parrotfishes, and rock whitings)
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Labroidei
"...Parrotfishes, on the other hand, have their own presumably protective behavior. At night, these diurnal animals prepare for sleep by generating a tube of mostly clear mucus that surrounds the body. The tube forms in about 30–60 minutes. There is some debate over whether cocoon formation is a behavioral trait or simply the result of normal mucus secretions that accumulate because the fish is stationary. Either way, the mucus tube appears to provide the fishes with some protection from predators by masking them, and perhaps by surrounding them with an unpleasant-tasting barrier..."



(Fishchannel.com)

"...Fairy wrasses do form a mucus cocoon at night. Studies on parrotfishes, which also form a mucus sheath, have demonstrated that by enveloping their bodies in slime they may prevent olfactory stimuli from reaching nocturnal predators hunting nearby..."


(Journal of Fish Biology)
Volume 39 Issue 3 Page 383-392, September 1991
(abstract...)
"...A histological and ultrastructural examination of the opercular gland of the cleaner-wrasse Labroides dimidiutus has demonstrated that the slimy envelope which covers the animal at night is mainly produced by large mucous goblet cells in a folded epithelium; there is a high number of acidophilic secretory cells. At the ultrastructural level, both cell-types open at the surface of the epidermis. Preliminary experiments with pilocarpine, atropine and the α-blocker propranolol reveal a neural regulation of mucus discharge. Also, the rich vascularization of the gland could indicate a hormonal control e.g. by prolactin. The secretory products of both types of goblet cells are discussed in relation to their possible antibiotic properties..."
(- no idea whatsoever above is saying???...but kind of sounds similar to what our wrasses do )




The Bahamas: A Closer Look at the colorful and Unique Parrotfish
by Tim Smith

"...parrotfish retire to the reef bottom to sleep at night. Some burrow into the sand like wrasses while some species of Scarus have developed the ability to secrete a filmy mucus cocoon. Some individuals also produce mucus cocoons under anoxic conditions. The mucus envelope is secreted in thirty minutes and masks its scent, affording the parrotfish protection from coral reef night predators such as sharks and moray eels. Six series of experiments were performed to determine the effectiveness of the mucus envelope in reduction of predation using the common spotted moray eel and three species of parrotfish (Winn & Bardach, 1959). Only one of the parrotfish (Scarus croicensis) was capable of secreting a mucus cocoon. The results indicated an increased tendency for the moray eel to prey on the species of Sparisoma (apparently do not secrete mucus cocoons) rather than Scarus croicensis. The moray uses the senses of smell, taste, and touch in its feeding activities. A grasping reflex is initiated and the food is swallowed immediately upon touch. In these experiments, the grasping reflex was not initiated when the head of the moray was exposed to the mucus..."


Please feel free to add to if you come up with anything else...

Went to LFS yesterday in search of a replacement for my missing in action sixline wrasse.

 

R.I.P.
2002-2008

LFS had none and did not know if would get any for next couple of weeks.


BUT...he did have a FourLine Wrasse, he had recently received. Said it cost a bit more then a Sixline, usually much harder to get but had all the same characteristics of a sixline. Wanted $30.00 for it.

Very pretty fish...

Twelve/Four Line Wrasse
Pseudocheilinus hexataenia

 

Told him to put on hold for me while I went home and researched.

Don't ever recall being discussed here on 3Reef...

Is supposedly called either a 4line or a 12line wrasse depending on how you count the "stripes" -- Presumably, it depends on whether its four main stripes are considered a single stripe, or whether the bordering stripe above and below each white stripe is counted, thus making twelve stripes.

Characteristics and habits reported pretty much same as a sixline.

Anyone else have or hear about?

Will go and pick up this afternoon if I don't hear anything significantly adverse.

My tank seems exceedingly empty without some kind of a lined wrasse racing about.

LFS also had a 8 line, which is not nearly as nice looking, and apparently a much more aggressive species. Taking a pass on this one.

Any thoughts?

References:

The Marine Center

…Four, Six, Eight, Who Do We Appreciate?
Wrasses! Wrasses! The Genus Pseudocheilinus (ReefKeeping)

Lined Wrasses, the Genus Pseudocheilinus (webmedia, Bob Fenner)

Expect we all have different degrees of emotional attachment to creatures living on our created reefs.

I, for one, develop a much closer relationship with each critter, the longer I have it.

There are a number of fish that have been with me since I first got into hobby.

We are extremely close.

I know their habits, they know mine.

Ever notice how they learn feeding times and go into frenzy when you approach tank during regular feeding periods and just kind of wander about and do their thing when you come close during non-feeding periods. (expect this is much more pronounced if you generally feed at same times every day.)

Also ever observe how they will come up to glass to say hello(?) whenever you or family member comes into room or come near glass...but ignore or actually go into hiding when a stranger approaches? (esp. visiting children...they know, they know...) Even when my cats which like to perch on nearby chair and sit for hours watching and dreaming about getting in there with them, the fish used to go into hiding...but now totally ignore or put on shows for.

Losing a long held resident is a traumatic event.

Trip to LFS is best means to remedy sense of loss.

But even same kind of replacement fish is just not the same as lost one.

Its just looks different, habits are not the same and there is very little sense of attachment or emotional bonding for long period to come. Even to point of little regret if for some reason it does not make it for one reason or other, or if does not get along with other fish in tank...except of loss in $$ spent.

Usually I only give it a few days to adjust to other fish and new environment, or out it comes and goes back to LFS if does not. Existing fish have priority

Even while looking the same as lost one, other fish tank know it is a different fish and will generally harass it for a while till accepting new resident...

Enough blabbering...guess I am still in grief period over demise of my sixline.

R.I.P.

(Sixline Pics)
RE: I Love my Sixline!




Losing a long held fish makes me physically ill.

3Reef Post: DFS 25th Anniversary Photo Contest

  Bird Photo Contest Winners








Fish Photo Contest Winners
My fish pic entry did not make it in top 15 --- but up against some pretty tough competition. (of course in my opinion, mine better then most others there...)

Submitting this one for June for fish pic:

Fish Entry - June '08 )

"Mr. Grumpy" Spotted Shrimp Goby - Davis Family Aquarium (& 3Reef)


For Cat:

(Cat Entry - June '08 )

("Laughing Cat...")

Going to wait a month before sending in another bird pic...

I have seen many, upon many fish pics as good or better then winning ones this month in 3Reef posts...Lets give a good effort at getting all three top spots... GO 3Reef!!!

DFS 25th Anniversary Photo Contest Entry Form

(One entry per month only)

Win and you can afford to order a couple more T-shirts from Matt!!!

(Humbug & Corals)





(Blenny and Tang out wandering about...)





(Zoa's continue to expand...)





(Nano "buddies"...)





(The "monster" continues to grow!!!....)





(Coris showing off again...(as usual))






(Frogspawn will get along with anything...)





("Mr. Grumpy" out looking for trouble...)





(TwelveLine getting better adjusted to new environment)






(Watchman - "Watching"...)


Taking photographs of different views in tank, is much like when diving on a reef. Looking at it in its entirety is simply overwhelming. Concentrating on little sections of it at a time is only way to fully appreciate the glory of it.

Again, please forgive me. I just can't help it. I am a very, very sick person when it comes to my tanks...

It is!!!

Family Reef Aquarium - Coris Wrasse

Photobucket Pics
3Reef FOTM June '08 - Yellowtail Coris Wrasse (Coris gaimard)