The colorful artificial and living elements of aquariums are judged as the 98th annual Florida State Fair gets rolling.

By TAMARA LUSH, Times Staff Writer

© Copyright, published February 7, 2002 St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

The colorful artificial and living elements of aquariums are judged as the 98th annual Florida State Fair gets rolling.

TAMPA -- Jaap-Jan de Greef loves fish.

He loves the mottled brown farlowella, a 5-inch fish that looks like a twig. He loves the shimmering African lampeye that is graced with a neon blue eyebrow. He especially loves the Cubanichthys cubensis, also known as the Cuban pupfish. He loves those so much that he smuggled one out of Cuba several years ago.

"I'm a crazy fish person," admits de Greef, who said he had the proper paperwork to bring the fish into the United States.

De Greef is so crazy that he spent much of Wednesday stooped in front of 49 tanks clustered on tables at the Florida State Fair, which begins its annual 12-day run this morning. He was one of three judges assigned to the fair's Aquarium Beautiful contest.

Think the Westminster dog show. But with fins.

Or "finnage," to those in the know.