2015 was a banner year for advancements in the aquaculture of tropical reef fishes with at least 27 new species successfully reared in captivity for the first time. The Settlement Glassware line of affordable, quality art glasses was designed to both celebrate those achievements and inspire future successes. Each set contains both a 16-ounce pint glass with a full-color scientific illustration of an adult reef fish on it AND a three-ounce jigger displaying a larval form of the same species. Both are dishwasher-safe! Pre-Order now for a February delivery date with quantity discounts available only during the pre-order phase (see below).
Many reef fishes are difficult to raise in captivity because they are broadcast spawners that release both eggs and sperm into ocean currents. The tiny larval fishes that develop are then swept along until a small percentage finds a suitable reef on which to settle. Settlement Glassware celebrates this incredible journey, with the inaugural design featuring Karen's painting of a blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus).
Known to many as Dory from the Disney/Pixar film, this is a species that has yet to be bred successfully in captivity, meaning that every blue tang kept in an aquarium—and there are likely as many as 224,000+ traded annually—originated in the wild. Some worry the 2016 release of Finding Dory could put additional pressure on the species in the same way that Finding Nemo drove clownfish sales. With localized overfishing already a concern in some areas, aquacultured blue tang could help reduce pressure on wild populations, but rearing this species in captivity has proven very challenging. These glasses hopefully provide a platform to raise awareness and tell an important story about an iconic species.
Settlement Glassware is the second line of glassware launched by award-winning scientific illustrator and fine artist Karen Talbot. Building on the success of her Angler’s Pints, which feature full-color gamefishes, she’s developing this product line for those passionate about reefs and the fishes that inhabit them. Instead of using crowd-funding to launch the new line (as she did with the Angler’s Pints), Karen has teamed up with Larry DuPont, owner and operator of Larry’s Reef Service (LRS), to produce the first run of glasses. One of the greatest challenges with rearing reef fishes in captivity is finding the right food, and Larry’s foods have received high praise from both professional aquaculturists and marine aquarium hobbyists alike. Larry’s foods were named as the preferred food and project sponsor for some of Karen Brittain’s groundbreaking work with dwarf angelfishes, and more recently, LRS foods have been used in conjunction with some of the most promising research into culturing blue tang. To honor this collaboration, a limited number of Settlement Pints will display the LRS logo opposite the blue tang.
While any of your favorite beverages can be responsibly enjoyed in a Settlement Glass, each set includes a special list of tropically inspired “bomb shots” in case you want to make a night of it. Regardless of what you put in your Settlement Glassware, hopefully you will join hundreds of others in raising a glass in honor of both past and future aquaculture successes. Cheers!
http://stores.karentalbotartonline.com/settlement-glassware-set-blue-tang/
