KillieNutz Online

A very recent article in the Miami Herald has reported the Asian Swamp Eel has become a major problem in the Everglades and is capable of spreading throughout the United States. The information originally was posted by Scott Schlueter on the UNYKA Facebook site.

A paper released by the Florida International University – and published in the journal Science of the Total Environment details the loss of many species of crayfish and fish including the Florida Flagfish (Jordanella floridae) 99% loss, Fundulus heteroclitus 91% loss and the Golden Topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus) 62% loss as well as Mosquitofish (gambusia) 66% loss.

According to the article populations of the Asian Swamp Eel have been identified in Tampa and Sarasota bays along with other states from Georgia to New York.

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I’ve been caught between three major projects which each require considerable time to complete.

First is the obvious one – updating everything for KillieNutz Online. There are over 1,000 species of killifish which each need to be added individually. Then there is adding articles to the library (Knowledge Base). I have to write the article or copy them from other sources (such as my book “Encyclopedia of Killifish Vol 1.”

At the same time, I am in the process of completing Vol.2 of the Encyclopedia – African Annuals. As I write each section on care and breeding, I am adding excerpts from the new manuscript to the website. So I write in one place and then copy and paste parts to the website.

On top of writing the Encyclopedia, I have two novels I have to spend more time on – The Noctis (an end of the world novel) and Afterlife (a paranormal novel). It takes hours of concentration to complete a scene in this type of work … rewrite … clean up and more.

Then there is the fish-room. While I have one rack of 5-gallon tanks up and running, I need to build a few more stands to hold more smaller tanks as well as some 20- & 30-gallon tanks. It all takes time. Anyone who wants to show up some weekend, I can put you to work. This getting old slows me down a lot, not to mention all of the leg and foot surgeries I have gone through since 2022.

Oh yes, I also have to do normal life things like shop for groceries, clothes etc. I also attend fish club meetings almost every weekend. I guess it is true what they say about retirement. You are more busy than when working.

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MARCH 13, 2023 – Most days lately I have done some additional work on KillieNutz Online.

At the moment I am slowly, but consistently building the Species Index, adding the subgenus or specific groups to its representative category. Individual species are also being added, but primarily as placeholders until I can focus on the 1,000-plus Species.

I admit, photography is a bit of a problem. Sadly, my skills are limited, and I really need to purchase a decent macro (150mm) lens to upgrade my skills, or lack thereof. I certainly appreciate any donations in this area.

With the number of entries I need to make, and the loss of previous data, it should be noted this will take considerable time to complete. I just ask that visitors return on a regular basis to see the latest updates.

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FEB. 21, 2023 – I have begun working on the Index of species today. My first group will be Nothobranchius, which are my personal favorite killies. I follow that up with all other African killies before work begins on South American, North American and Euro-Asiatic, most likely in that order.

I have also done a ton of work in the background design including creating new graphics, adding forums and the overall appearance of the website. I hope you like it and find it easy to navigate.

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Welcome back to KillieNutz Online. Hopefully this will be the last breakdown in the service. I am starting over from scratch and my intent is to include some information from my Killifish Encyclopedia as well as the upcoming second volume.

This will take a little time, so I ask you to bear with me, but it is my intent to be fully up and running shortly.