Live Coral Reef

The Museum's live coral reef tank contains roughly 25 species of coral, in addition to a variety of other invertebrates and fishes.

Coral reefs are the basis of diverse communities of beautiful and fascinating organisms like giant clams, sea cucumbers, shrimp, and cowries. The coral themselves have a symbiotic relationship with the photosynthetic algae that dwell within the coral and produce food consumed by the coral. A number of factors, including water pollution and rising water temperatures are threatening the well-being of coral reefs around the world.

Amazon River Tank

This tank features fish species from the Amazon River and its tributaries. Covering over 4,000 miles in length, the river and the surrounding rainforest are host to an extremely rich and diverse ecosystem. For more information: The National Zoo

Lionfish Reef Tank

The lionfish is famous for its dramatic stripes and fins and its venomous spines, all of which have earned it many nicknames such as the zebra fish, turkey fish, lightning fish, and cobra fish. All of the fishes in this tank are from tropical seas, but the only real connection among them is that they can all get along with the lionfish.

Brackish Tank

Where freshwater meets the ocean, there is a rich area of diluted saltwater called brackish. Two of the more impressive species found here are the four-eyed fish that swim on the surface with split pupils allowing them to look up and down at the same time, and the archerfish (picture on left) that "spit" or propel drops of water to knock insect food into the water.

The Museum's touch tanks, fashioned after a tidal pool on the "North Shore," Gloucester, MA, invite visitors to examine sea stars, sea urchins, hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs. These invertebrates, while found in nearly every tide pool (except for the horseshoe crab which is found along sandy shores and in tidal creeks) are often difficult to find. Often hidden under rocks and seaweed, the sea urchin is a grazing vegetarian feeding on algae. It is related to the common sea star (picture on left), which is a predator of clams, mussels, oysters and scallops. Hermit crabs have a soft abdomen and seek the safety and shelter of abandoned snail shells. The horseshoe crab isn't a true crab, but is related more closely to spiders.

Invertebrates

Several other species of invertebrates, like this pencil urchin, can be found in the Aquarium's tanks. The pencil urchin is a common species found in the tropical Atlantic. A relative of sea stars, this species is mainly a vegetarian.