ASFB 50th: “Three trophic level observations in one moment.”
Two conference memories from 2016, and a life-or-death standoff between a water spider, whitebait and kokopu.
Delegates enjoy the final dinner at the 2016 ASFB-OCS joint conference, held at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania. © Andrew Katsis
This year, the Australian Society for Fish Biology celebrates 50 years of supporting fish and fisheries research in the Australasian region. We invite ASFB members, past and present, to help fill the gaps in our history by sharing their memories.
There are three ways you can contribute:
Tell us your favourite ASFB memory
Send us your favourite photo from an ASFB event, or a photo of yourself in action undertaking some fishy work (send your photos, with a descriptive caption, to asfb50th@gmail.com)
Answer 10 quick questions about yourself
Here are some of the submissions we have received so far.
Favourite ASFB memory
I became the society's Communications Manager in 2015, despite having no prior experience with fish research. As an ornithologist at my very first ASFB conference, I initially felt very much like a fish out of water (sorry). Every time I tried to explain my PhD research, the other person would nod along politely for several minutes, look confused about my research methods, and then finally exclaim, "Oh, zebra FINCH! Not zebrafish." However, it didn't take long for me to feel welcome amongst the fish folk. Chris Fulton, then the ASFB President (and hence my boss), seemed genuinely excited to meet me for the first time, after a year of email correspondence. I spent three busy days writing blog articles, interviewing conference attendees, and posting on social media. The 'Women in Ichthyology' session was a huge online hit, trending on Twitter at #8 in Australia and #5 in New Zealand.
Andrew Katsis
ASFB in pictures
“As the student representative for the ASFB-OCS conference in 2016, I had a lot of fun organising events like the student night. It was a fantastic evening meeting new colleagues and spending time with old friends.” Submitted by Madi Green.
Delegates mingle during the student night at the 2016 ASFB-OCS joint conference in Hobart, Tasmania. Submitted by Madi Green.
10 questions
Bruno David
Are you a robot fish? No
First ASFB conference: I can’t remember
Favourite fish: maybe New Zealand’s freshwater torrentfish— cool adaptations for living comfortably in ridiculously fast water
Main fish biology interests: Behaviour, life history
Memorable ASFB conference experience: ASFB Hobart 2006 — just a really good venue and great places to visit post-conference.
Memorable field experience: Observing (via headlamp) a water spider wrestling with a post-larval whitebait in the surface film at night, only for both to be consumed from below by a giant kokopu in one gulp. Three trophic level observations in one moment... Pretty cool.
Which fish would you most like to be? Longfin eel.
Which fish would you least like to be? A brown trout in the Oreti River.
Do you have any fishy aspirations? To rectify lost riverscape connectivity caused by the Anthropocene.
Favourite reads: That Pommie Bastard, an account of one man’s massive impact from illegally importing, breeding and releasing invasive coarse fish throughout New Zealand.