aquarium
gregladen | October 12, 2016There aren't any. But, aquaria have many times tried to make it so, and it always goes bad for the shark. The basic problem is that great white sharks are pelagic, and it is very hard to keep pelagic creatures in a confined space, and the largest aquaria are very confined from the point of view of a large pelagic animal.
Another problem would eventually become important in the event that an aquarium managed to keep a great white shark alive long enough. When they are young, great white sharks dine on fish. When they are adults, they seem to prefer mammals. So, imagine feeding time at the…
dr. dolittle | April 18, 2014Sounds kind of like an oxymoron doesn't it? Who knew sponges could be carnivorous? Scientists have described four new species of carnivorous sponges in a newly published article in Zootaxa. Check out this video from the lead author of the study, Lonny Lundsten who is a Senior Research Technician at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute:
Lundsten L, Reiswig HM, Austin WC. Four new species of Cladorhizidae (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the Northeast Pacific. Zootaxa. 3786 (2): 101–123, 2014.
zooillogix | June 21, 2010Stunning footage of deep-sea squids from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), where researchers use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to observe and record deep-sea animal behaviors.
rallain | May 31, 2010We went to the aquarium, the kids like it. In the Amazon river section, they have an electric eel. Here is the sign next to the Eel.
Sorry for the poor image quality. I took the picture with my crappy phone and didn't even realize it was bad until later. I used some magic on it to make parts of it readable, but if that was not good enough, here is what it says:
The Electric Eel is the most powerful of all the electric fishes. It can discharge up to 650 volts: six times the power of a household current. A shock can fend off attackers or stun prey so the eel doesn't risk getting hurt in…
sb admin | May 17, 2010So a week back or so, a number of friends read an article about death by rectal eel and immediately thought of me. For those of you who missed the story, it went a little something like this:
* Chinese man gets drunk with friends and passes out
* Friends think it would be hilarious to insert a large living swamp eel into the man's butt while he is unconscious
* Hilarity does not ensue. In fact, the man dies. Chinese doctor says the eel "consumed the man's bowels"
The article was widely reported in major news outlets like CNN and the Times, but I am linking instead to the UK edition of…
zooillogix | August 18, 2009Who, I ask you, is the coolest human being on the planet? Well yesterday (continuing through today and possibly tomorrow) it was Beth F. for sending me this rocking shot glass from the Oakland Zoo.
Awesome things in this photo include: Oakland Zoo Shot Glassitude, my thumb, waffle-weave polyester couch.
Additionally, I also recently acquired a Honolulu Zoo shot glass. So that brings the collection up to 39! I'll tell you this... whoever supplies me with my 40th zoo or aquarium shot glass will get something really special. I won't divulge exactly what it is, but it will involve glitter and…
zooillogix | May 6, 2009I cannot train my dog Mathman not to pee on the damned carpet but New England Aquarium's senior trainer, cryptically known simply as "Erin", can teach a lobster to score higher on the GRE than me.
As some readers of this blog may know, I have long been concerned with growing Lobster / Human tensions as illustrated in this alarmist Geocities site I created in 2000 while hungover in Belgium at "work." So the question I pose is this: will training lobsters lead to mutual understanding or merely create more efficient killers ala the CIA and Taliban circa 1985?
Although it might not make…
zooillogix | April 1, 2009I cannot train my dog Mathman not to poop in the house, but an aquarist named Lindsay at the New England Aquarium has a Lumpfish named Blondie to do tricks (no flaming hoops yet).
Note that this is not an April Fool's joke. If it were, Blondie would also be performing Under the Sea in its entirety.
Learn the secrets of fish training from the master herself and impress stoned friends with your goldfish wrangling!
Thanks to Jeff Ives of the NEAQ for sharing.
zooillogix | March 20, 2009For the last few months, a killer stalked the streets of Cornwall... or more specifically, the water of Cornwall, and even more specifically, the living reefs exhibit at Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium. Day after day, aquarists would return to the award winning exhibit, only to find once healthy coral ripped apart - in some cases literally ripped in half.
Clues were few and a variety of traps yielded no results. When a gentle tang fish was found greviously injured, they called in Scotland Yard. On a side note, tang is delicious.
Reluctant to remember the incident, Curator Matt Slater finally…
zooillogix | February 22, 2009As many of you know, I collect zoo and aquarium shot glasses. I have the world's largest and probably only collection and it is my pride and joy. When I die, my children will most likely be left poor in "money" but rich in shot glasses. A legacy we can all be proud of.
I have two additions to announce. First and foremost, this beauty sent by Beth F from the awesome Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. For those of you unfamiliar with this fine institution, you should know that it is the only aquarium with sevengill sharks (I think) and it has the most fancy pants website this side of not-…
zooillogix | December 22, 2008From ABC4.com: A shark managed to jump out of its aquarium and onto a water slide at a hotel swimming pool used by guests. No one was in the pool at the time. The female reef shark leapt over the one foot high barrier and slid down the slide known as the Leap of Faith at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.
Slide goes in the water?
You go in the water.
Shark's in the water.
Sadly the pool chlorine and the shark didn't mix and the reef shark died shortly thereafter... but I can only hope that when it is my time to go, it is via a waterslide.
zooillogix | October 26, 2008Thanks to a few recent generous donations, the World's Largest Zoo and Aquarium Shot Glass Collection is coming along quite nicely. I know you were all burning to know. Below is a picture of the fabulous collector's case I have stuffed most of them in. You will see it doubles as a shrine to lobsters.
Please remember, I happily accept donations and will thank you in the sidebar leading to certain fame and fortune. So here's the count:
Adventure Aquarium
Baton Rouge Zoo
Bronx Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo
Cleveland Metroparks Zoo
Florida Aquarium
Georgia Aquarium
Knoxville Zoo
Lincoln Park…
zooillogix | October 23, 2008Still trying to figure out where the dividing line is between my new project, ZooBorns, and Zooillogix, but this definitely spans the two.
Sixteen-month-old Pacific walrus Akituusaq shows off his new set of titanium crowns at his home in Sea Cliffs at the New York Aquarium. "Aki" was fitted with these crowns by Wildlife Conservation Society Global Health Program veterinarians working with a dental consultant to protect his tusks from damage during growth. Aki seems to be adjusting well to his new armor.
zooillogix | October 20, 2008Some times I find myself in random corners of the Interweb, pleasantly lost, and then I come face to face with the piglet squid!
Unaccustomed to Earth's atmosphere, the visitor quickly perished.
The following info is from a short press release provided by the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium when they found this little tyke.
Piglet Squid, Helicocranchia pfefferi
This funny looking squid is about the size of a small avocado and can be found most commonly in the deepwater (greater than 100 m or 320 ft) of virtually all oceans. Its habit of filling up with water and the funny location of its siphone…
zooillogix | October 15, 2008One of the Vancouver Aquarium's resident belugas, Qila, gave birth to a healthy calf back in June. Now four months old, the calf is beginning to play with her trainers and especially enjoys tongue rubs, which the aquarium staff say is kind of like a massage... for your tongue...
From the video info section: "Look closely for her frilly tongue. It helps forms a tight seal while she's nursing. Beluga calves don't suckle; instead, the mother squirts milk into her calf's mouth.
The calf will have a name by the end of October. Her name will be chosen from entries to the Aquarium's Name the Baby…
zooillogix | September 30, 2008Aquarium staff at Kinosaki Marine World in western Japan recently noticed that their dolphins were less acrobatic in their performances and more lethargic in general. Concerned about their health, the dolphins were weighed and found to be significantly heavier since only a few months prior. Apparently a fattier mackeral, their typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner, was to blame. Aquarists quickly started calling the dolphins "fatty" and "fatty-fat-fat" and telling them no one would love them in an effort to get them to throw-up their meals after eating them. When that failed, they tried…
zooillogix | September 16, 2008I stumbled into a meeting my brain and experience are wholly unqualified to report on, so instead, I will tell you about this much more exciting piece of information. Today, from 4PM-7PM, the AZA will be holding a live auction of paintings created by animals. Anyone can join the auction online but be aware you must register first. Thanks to reader JuliaGoolia for cluing clueless me in.
Check it:
Art by Mishindi the Rhinoceros from the Denver Zoo
Art by Hari and Hakuna the Meerkats from the San Diego Zoo
more below the fold
Art by the Chubs Raccoon Family from the Huchinson Zoo
Art by…
zooillogix | September 16, 2008I'm sitting in the keynote speaker session listening to Nigel Martin, host of Prehistoric Park, Penguin Safari, Shark Week and other Discovery/Animal Planet shows, discuss the parallels between his job and that of zoo and aquarium employees.
He offered a number of examples including figuratively transporting people to places and introducing them to animals they could never have met otherwise. Without knowing these animals, viewers and visitors won't support conservation efforts, so the logic goes.
Listening to him speak, I could not help but also notice contrasts between his work and that of…
zooillogix | September 16, 2008You may have noticed a dearth of Zooillogix posts over the last two weeks. This is due in large part to Benny buying a bar, and me buying a puppy. They are the same amount of work. Well I aim to make it up to you today and already I have forced myself out of bed at 5:00 AM and boarded a train to Milwaukee to spend the day covering the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Annual Conference.
I'll do my best to make the posts real-time but this might not always be possible, as is the case at the moment, sitting on the train, surrounded by loudly snoring sales guys. They probably think I'm a sales…