The East Anglia Cichlid Group has announced that Ad Konings, the renowned Rift Lake cichlid expert will be giving two presentations at their event on Sunday February 27 2011.
The presentations are entitled ‚'Feeding Mechanisms of Malawi Cichlids' and 'Feeding Strategies of Tanganyika Cichlids', (the EACG will be the first to hear this talk).
Ad Konings has devoted most of his life studying the remarkable fishes from Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. He also has a great interest in Central American cichlids, especially those from Mexico. As an accomplished biologist, author and photographer he set up Cichlid Press and has written more than 15 books about cichlids, including the Cichlids Yearbook. Many of his cichlid articles have been published internationally and he has used his own superb photographs for all of these, as well as in his excellent books.
His first visit to Malawi was in 1980 where he stayed with Stuart Grant, who was running his Malawi Cichlid export business. Since then on his expeditions to Africa, usually two or three a year, he admits he has spent around 2000 hours under water! These experiences have enabled Ad to pass on his amazing knowledge and observations of cichlids in their natural habitat to people during his numerous presentations in more than 20 countries.
Opportunities to listen to him do not occur very often in the UK, so the EACG hope many people will attend.
The event is at: Barrow Village Hall, Barrow, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP29 5AP.
Doors open at 09.30, no membership is required, entry fee is £5 and there will be a 250-lot auction with cichlids, livebearers, catfish and dry goods, plus a raffle, prizes include a Juwel Aquarium, an external canister filter and fish food etc. and refreshments will be available.
The British Livebearer Association will also be giving a ten minute presentation of who they are and what they are about.
In addition, the EACG is going to raise some funds for the Stuart Grant Foundation which will go to conservation work in Malawi. To raise these funds there will be a three pronged programme on the day; anyone who wishes to donate cash on the day will be able to by putting their cash in the donation box at the entrance.
There will also be an auction of donated fish between Ad's two talks and lastly some of the Rift forums are organising fund raising on their own forums and the proceeds will be presented by them to Ad on the day.
Anyone wishing to donate fish to the auction will have to bid for lots. Total numbers will be restricted to 50 lots for this mini auction and will be on a first come first served basis. All paperwork will have to be separate from the main auction and as the fish are being auctioned separately they will have to be in separate packaging from the main auction.
The EACG is anticipating a very interesting day and hope to see you there.
More details on the EACG website.