Animal Update – August 3

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions, and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

Bonnethead Sharks in New Home

Our two bonnethead sharks have moved from Wings in the Water to their new home in our Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit.

This move is due to preparations for our new exhibit, Blacktip Reef, opening in summer 2013. The new exhibit will be a vibrant new habitat replicating a salt-water Indo-Pacific ocean habitat featuring new animals including blacktip reef sharks, reticulated whiptail rays, and ornate wobbegong sharks! Click here to find out more about Blacktip Reef.

Golden Lion Tamarins

Our golden lion tamarin monkeys have been taken off exhibit for the time being as a precautionary measure due to nesting birds in the exhibit. Don’t worry, they’ll be back!

We have so many amazing animals in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit — it’s a great time to see some of them during your visit. Click here to learn more about some of the animals!

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!

Animal Updates – July 20

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions, and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

New Parrotfish

Eight princess, striped, and redband parrotfish have been added to our Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit.

 

Redband parrotfish in the Atlantic Coral Reef

 

Parrotfish have fused teeth that resemble a bird’s beak—hence their name. The teeth are specialized for scraping algae and invertebrates from coral and rocks. Another set of teeth (pharyngeal teeth) are on the floor and roof of the parrotfishes’ throats. These crush the ingested material.

 

Check out those chompers!

 

New Fish in the Amazon River Forest 

We’ve added tetras, hatchetfish, and plecos to our Amazon River Forest exhibit.

Tetras in the Amazon River Forest

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!

Animal Updates – June 1

Between our Baltimore and Washington, DC, venues, more than 17,500 animals representing 900 species call the National Aquarium home. There are constant changes, additions, and more going on behind the scenes that our guests may not notice during their visit. We want to share these fun updates with our community so we’re bringing them to you in our weekly Animal Update posts!

Check our blog every Friday to find out what’s going on… here’s what’s new this week!

300+ New Fish! 

More than 300 fish have been added to the Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit! This collection of juvenile Atlantic tropical species with the bright, beautiful colors of the Caribbean were introduced earlier this week.

Queen Angel

Make sure you come visit the blue tangs, French grunts, pork fish, squirrel fish, queen angels, French angels, Spanish hogfish, bi-colored damsels, sergeant majors and creole wrasse as they adapt to their new home!

French Grunts

Blue Tang

Be sure to check back every Friday to find out what’s happening!

Happy holidays from our family to yours

Santa and his elves dropped by the National Aquarium to spread some holiday cheer earlier this week! We caught these holiday helpers in our Atlantic Coral Reef exhibit cleaning up the tank and hanging out with the animals. Santa even paid a visit to our very own green grinch lurking in his cave…

Later that day we noticed that they left a few special presents behind for our animals to enjoy!

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!