Each time I walk through the Aquarium I see an animal I haven’t noticed before. The hi fin banded shark, however, caught my attention from day one. Here’s a little of what I’ve learned about the distinctive fish:
Of course, you can see hi fin banded sharks in the Lakes & Rivers gallery at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium . . . where your curiosity is only natural.
Big budget movies have encouraged us to be scared of sharks. In truth, there’s much more to revere than to fear when it comes to sharks. In fact, as their number one threat (humans kill an estimated 100 million sharks every year just for their fins), we need to protect these apex predators to keep aquatic ecosystems in balance. In honor of Fin Fest, our week-long celebration of sharks, I set out to learn more about sand tiger sharks.
You can see sand tiger sharks (and three other species of shark) in the 230,000-gallon shark exhibit at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, where curiosity is only natural.
Ask anyone who has been to the Greater Cleveland Aquarium to share a few of the animals saw during their visit. Chances are they will rattle off a list of highlights—sharks, stingrays, eels, lionfish, puffers, seahorses and Toby. The only fish in the Aquarium with a name, Toby’s impressive size and willingness to tolerate a seemingly endless stream of humans posing for “kissing” photos have made the giant gourami the star of many social media feeds. There’s more to Toby than distinctive lips, though. Here are five fish facts about a fan favorite:
Giant gourami are native to Southeast Asia, but you can learn more about them (and snap a selfie with Toby) at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium—where curiosity is only natural.
New to the Aquarium, little by little I am learning about aquatic life. This week the Banggai cardinalfish caught my eye. Apparently this little looker has caught many people’s attention because the live marine ornamental trade demand has its numbers dwindling. Conservatively 500,000 are being scooped up in the wild annually—more than half of which don’t even survive long enough to make it to a pet store. A 2015 survey estimated only 1.4 million fish were left in its small, natural range in Indonesia’s Banggai Islands.
Here are five things I’ve learned about the coveted species that the US National Marine Fisheries listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act last year:
You can learn more about the Banggai cardinalfish at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium—where curiosity is only natural.
— Sam Fryberger, Marketing Director
When I joined the Greater Cleveland Aquarium team, I realized I hadn’t even skimmed the surface when it came to understanding aquatic life. Now I am diving into learning about a different animal each week.
This time my lesson focuses on the shovelnose sturgeon, an animal that embodies that phrase “age before beauty.” According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, sturgeons pre-date many fish species—“appearing in the fossil record approximately 200 million years ago.” Here’s what I have learned about the prehistoric creature:
If you’d like to see a shovelnose up close, visit us anytime at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium—where curiosity is only natural.
When I joined the Aquarium marketing team, I realized exactly how much I didn’t know about sea creatures. That’s why I plan to dive into learning aquatic life by spending time in the exhibits and talking to our aquarists. Lesson 1? Lionfish. Here are five things I’ve discovered about this beautifully banded fish with a voracious appetite.
In the last week, researchers have released a recording of lionfish that sounds a little like a drumbeat. Want to hear it? Click here.
And of course, if you want to see the lionfish in the video from 360-degree views, visit us anytime at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium in the First Energy Powerhouse on the West Bank of the Flats.
African Sideneck Turtle
The African Sideneck Turtle is a freshwater turtle, originally discovered in Eastern and Southern Africa, with a lifespan of 25+ years. These turtles are most active during the day and in the wild they spend most of their time in the mud of shallow lakes and rivers. African Sidenecks mainly consume invertebrates such as: insects (crickets), mealworms, and worms. They got their name due to the fact that they cannot fully withdraw their head into their shell. Instead, the head is turned to the side and folded under the upper edge of the shell.
Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle
Similar to the African Sideneck, the Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle cannot fully withdraw its head into its shell. These turtles are native to the Amazon River basin and can be found in the amazon and Orinoco river systems in Venezuela, eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, the Guianas, Brazil, and northern Bolivia. They are omnivorous and feed on both vegetation and small animals. And they love to spend time basking along the riverbanks and in the calm waters of big rivers and streams. The oldest known Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle living in human care reached 23 years of age, but they can live up to 70 years!
Ohio Spotted Turtle
The Ohio Spotted Turtle is a small (less than six inches) black turtle with distinctive yellow spots on the top of the shell, or carapace. The Spotted Turtle populations have declined greatly throughout Ohio due to people altering wetlands and thereby destroying its natural habitat. These turtles have a preference for the shallow, sluggish waters of ditches, small streams, marshes, bogs, and pond edges – especially where vegetation is abundant. They feed on plant and animal matter taken underwater. If this turtle is disturbed it may quickly dive for safety, or it may leisurely walk into the water and swim to the bottom where it may remain motionless, burrow into the muck, or crawl beneath some sheltering object such as a submerged log.
The Spotted Turtle Project
Member organizations of the Lake Erie Allegheny Partnership for Biodiversity (LEAP) are dedicated to the protection and restoration of biological diversity in our region. LEAP members have formed the Save and Protect Ohio Turtle Diversity (SPOTD) committee. The goals of this committee are to:
There are many threats today that have a great impact on Spotted Turtle populations, such as:
During the months of March-May, if you see this yellow spotted, black turtle anywhere in Northeast Ohio as you are hiking through trails and natural areas, let the SPOTD committee know by emailing SPOTD@leapbio.org.
For more information on this project visit Leap’s website.
Archerfish
The female lays about six to eight eggs in a very secluded group of trees. Usually, it can find a very safe hollow within the roots, visible only by careful observation. These eggs are undeveloped, and are only about half a nailsbreadth in width. There are usually many more female eggs than male eggs, about a two to one ratio.
As soon as the eggs are hatched, the male leaves and the females are left to take care of the newborns. This process sounds difficult, but because of the rapid rate at which they mature, only about a month to reach full size, the mother is actually not unduly challenged. They must be very carefully as to not aggravate a female by not checking to make sure the tissue between their anal fins is still intact. This is almost never a problem, but if it does happen the female will answer by fiercely by blowing water in the face of the male.
Giant Pacific Octopus
Giant Pacific Octopus has one successful brood in her lifetime. After mating, a female will lay up to 74,000 eggs or more in a deep den or cave and live there for seven months watching over them. During this time, dedicated mothers won’t venture out for food, and shortly after the young hatch, the mother will die.
Banggai Cardinal fish
The female spawns a mass of up to 75 large eggs (a very small number for a marine fish). These are quickly swallowed by the male, and brooded in a special pouch inside the mouth. A unique feature of these cardinal fish is their manner of mouth brooding reproduction. Typically cardinalfish incubate their eggs orally until they hatch, at which point the fry swim away and enter the water column. Females aggressively defend its territory by immediately chasing any intruders that approach the brooding male.
Stingrays
Young stingray pups hatch from eggs inside the female and are released from her body alive. Its reproduction period is June through October. Cownose rays typically produce one pup per pregnancy, though there have been reports of six concurrent embryos in a female.
Did you know that there are animals at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium that have more than one jaw? Moray eels have been known to have a second jaw, or pharyngeal jaw. The aquarium is home to several moray eels, many of which you can find in the Shark Exhibit swimming right along with the sharks and other fish.
Green moray eels are a pretty amazing animal, full of secrets. Just about ten years ago researchers discovered that these curious animals actually have a second jaw. This jaw, known as a pharyngeal jaw, is how they are able to eat. Most fish use suction to swallow. They expand their mouths to create negative pressure. This negative pressure causes water and prey to rush into their mouths allowing them to swallow their prey. Moray eels do not have this ability. Instead, they lie in wait in caves and crevices for their prey to swim by. They then burst out and grab their prey with their oral, or first set, of jaws. Their pharyngeal jaws then move forward to grip it. They can then move these jaws backwards to swallow their prey whole. They typically eat fish, shrimp, squid, crabs and octopus.
Another secret that green moray eels have is that they are actually brown! Their bodies are covered with thick yellow mucus that gives them their vibrant green color. This mucus protects the eels from parasites and infectious bacteria.
Green moray eels are found along the western Atlantic and into the Gulf of Mexico. They’re frequently found in the Bahamas and the Caribbean and been found as far south as Brazil. When full grown they can get to be 8 feet long and weigh as much as 65 pounds. Green moray eels have few natural predators once they reach full size, although smaller eels must look out for sharks and other large predators.
Next time you are at the aquarium make sure you look for the green moray eels. They are nocturnal in nature so they tend to spend a lot of the day hiding in the rocky structures around the exhibit. You’ll see their heads and part of their bodies sticking out. However, we often see them swimming around throughout the day. They even like to visit the divers when we are in the exhibit. Also, be sure to visit the aquarium on a Sunday, Tuesday or Thursday at 3:30 to watch the shark feed! The eels are often seen coming over for a snack as well. Look fast! Maybe you’ll just catch that pharyngeal jaw in action!