A SMASHING NEW JOURNAL

I got a very cryptic email this morning. It read:

'The new, second issue of the online journal eggspots is now available at

http://www.worldfish.de/eggspots.html

At present you have to scroll down to find it, but I've suggested to management that the latest issue should appear at top of page to make life easier.

MB'

I checked it out, and found a very well produced magazine about cichlids. The opening paragraphs of the editorial read:

'A journal on fishes with eggspots? Isn't that something very specialised? Indeed, it is an online journal that will deal primarily and above all else with fishes that possess eggspots. By this we understand cichlids from Africa and the Near East belonging to the group that includes Haplochromis, Pseudocrenilabrus, Pseudotropheus, Tropheus et al. But aren't there already enough magazines dealing with fishes on the market? Absolutely not! There can never be too many!

Competition not only invigorates business but also spurs authors and editors to greater effort, and each new magazine permits the reporting of a little more information on a fascinating and virtually inexhaustible subject.'

And then the penny dropped. `MB` was Mary Bailey, doyenne of the British Cichlid world, and someone with whom I worked during my ultimately fruitless time with Tropical World magazine between 2004-2007. Also on the masthead is Dr Peter Burgess, someone I also remember from my time as deputy editor to the late semi-lamented Simon Wolstencroft. I don't know the other three main movers and shakers but from the quick look I have had so far this seems to be an absolutely smashing periodical.

Well done, guys.

CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE

• What are eggspots, really?
• The phylogenetic relationships of the cichlids and the groups that are the focus of this journal
• All beginnings are difficult - first tropical experiences in Uganda (part 1)
• New research on the genus Melanochromis
• Species profile: Haplochromis aeneocolor
• Eggspots Elsewhere