Club Meeting - February 2012

Attachment 605February 26th, 2012 Speaker: Doug Sweet.

Doug has been a fish hobbyist for 40 years. He started with a goldfish bowl, then a ten-gallon tank, a dozen tanks, and finally culminating in 42 fish tanks in a “fish room” at his previous residence. Currently his fish hobby comprises 23 fish tanks indoors and three outdoor ponds. Doug is most fond of domesticated fishes such as Siamese fighting fish and fancy goldfish. He also has a long term passion for finding the spawning triggers of kuhli loaches.

Doug’s previous position (for 19 years) was Curator of Fishes for the Belle Isle Aquarium-Detroit Zoological Institute. He oversaw the breeding and rearing of more than thirty-six species of endangered fishes including: Mexican Goodeids, pupfishes, Lake Victorian Haplochromines, and some southwestern U.S.imperiled species. He also became involved in freshwater mussel conservation and culture; conducted freshwater mussel surveys in southeastern Michigan; and propagation trials of several native freshwater mussels (fat-muckets, lilliputs, purple lilliputs and wavy-rayed lamp mussels).

The last five years he has held the position of Superintendent for the London State Fish Hatchery, Ohio Division of Wildlife, ODNR.