Aquarium Cichlid

montereybayaquarium: Did you get a chance to see the...

Thu, 17 May 2012 06:21:45 -0400

Did you get a chance to see the Plesiosaurus we had on exhibit for April Fool’s day? It was amazing!

Four flipper-like appendages propel it through the water, while a long neck, snakelike head, and wide mouth armed with sharp teeth make it perfectly adapted to catching soft-bodied mollusks and small bony fishes. Some scientists have suggested that plesiosaurs had social family structures similar to whales and dolphins, and this made it a perfect addition to the Monterey Bay Aquarium—for one day only!

montereybayaquarium: Our Newest Otter Pup Gets an A-Plus on...

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:55:17 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Our Newest Otter Pup Gets an A-Plus on Exhibit

Imagine that you’re a 10-week-old sea otter pup on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. What do you do all day, while hundreds of happy faces press against the window?

Actually, your job is pretty simple, and consists of two main things: eat and grow.

Fortunately, it turns out that rescued otter number 572, who went on exhibit February 14, excels in both of these areas. He’s consuming shrimp, clams and squid, and now weighs almost 16 pounds. A small laceration—which we think came from a shark—is healing nicely.

Along the way, 572 has developed a great relationship with his companion, Joy, who happens to be an expert in all things otter pup. In her 13 years she’s helped raise 16 young sea otters, many of whom we have returned to the wild, where they’ve gone on to raise pups of their own. This grande dame of sea otter moms must be doing something right.

In addition to eating and growing, the young pup is doing some extracurricular work in the form of ice chewing and vigorously playing with enrichment toys like ice, Frisbees and balls. When he’s not jumping for joy, he’s jumping on Joy. The two like to wrestle and groom each other, which is a good practice for any sea otter, since well-groomed fur helps ensure it can withstand Monterey Bay’s chilly waters.

The pup will be with us for a while longer, but isn’t able to go back to the wild. He’ll find a permanent home later this year at another accredited public aquarium in the U.S.

You can see otter 572 on exhibit now, or via our live web cam!

montereybayaquarium: Remember our popular sea otter pup, Kit?...

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:26:30 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Remember our popular sea otter pup, Kit? She’s back on exhibit and she’s not so little anymore, weighing about 48 pounds! She’ll be two years old in January. You can view her on our live webcam with Toola and Joy!

Vancouver by Trolley: Stop 5 (Red) - Aquarium

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:23:01 -0400

Vancouver by Trolley: Stop 5 (Red) - Aquarium:

vantrolley:

Stanley Park has many things to offer, but a family favourite has always been the Vancouver Aquarium. A non-profit that focuses on conservation and providing learning tools regarding aquatic life to the public, the Vancouver Aquarium has been in operation since 1956.

When you walk towards the…

Aqua Lestari Danone: a multi-stakeholders approach to protect water resources in a stressed area

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:19:50 -0400

downtoearth-danone:

By Bernard Ducros, General manager of Danone Waters Asia

Harvesting with care a natural resource is not that simple. When it has to do with water in an environment which suffers from dryness several months every year it becomes highly sensitive. Moreover even if 26% of Aqua belongs to the founder’s family, Aqua Danone remains a foreign company.

Our approach has been to demonstrate that wherever Aqua operates, local communities have better access to water and by working together we can consolidate the long term sustainability of the resources. Easy to say and yet very challenging to achieve. Let’s say it’s simply a necessary condition to be “able to operate”, and it has become a full part of Aqua’s operational business model.

Read More

animalworld: Hybridized “FLOWERHORN” CICHLID posted by...

Thu, 17 May 2012 05:14:39 -0400

animalworld:

Hybridized “FLOWERHORN” CICHLID posted by pantherlax

Flowerhorn cichlids are ornamental aquarium fish noted for their vivid colors and the distinctively shaped heads for which they are named. Their head protuberance, or kok, is formally termed a “nuchal hump.” Like blood parrot cichlids, they are man-made hybrids that do not exist in nature. First developed in Malaysia and Taiwan, they are now kept by fish hobbyists worldwide. Some critics have questioned the impact of flowerhorn breeding programs.

As of 1999, there were four strains of flowerhorn available in the American market: regular flowerhorns, pearl scale flowerhorns (wite spots shown), golden flowerhorns, and faders. Commercial breeders proliferated, and fish were selected for appearance with little regard for terminology. Consequently, names became confusing and parentage became difficult to track.

Around 2000–2001, the Kamfa variety appeared. These hybrids of flowerhorn crossed with any species of the genus Vieja or with any parrot cichlid. These brought in some new traits, such as short mouths, wrapped tails, sunken eyes, and increasingly larger head bumps. Seeing this, those who bred the Zhen Zhus began line breeding their fish to develop faster and become more colorful, in order to compete with the Kamfa strains.

2010 Many states have started their own breeding organizations. Minnesota stands out as one of the leaders in flowerhorn breeding in the United States due to so many hobbyists importing fish regularly.

More plus a gallery of breeds here and here

Fact Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flowerhorn_cichlid

Other photos you may like:

Jaglion - Jaguar and Lion cross

Female lion with a mane

Frizzle Chicken

D.I.Y Nails: Water Marbling Tutorial!

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:18:01 -0400

D.I.Y Nails: Water Marbling Tutorial!:

diynails:

Right so a couple of months ago I tried marbling my nails a few times and it was rubbish, and I decided to just give up. But today I had painted my nails white and just thought “WHY NOT?!”. It worked out pretty well, although I think it takes some getting used to, be warned though, it’s very,…

atelier688: A very Nautical setting!

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:13:27 -0400

atelier688:

A very Nautical setting!

kimjongillookingatthings: looking at fish

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:09:57 -0400

kimjongillookingatthings:

looking at fish

kimjongillookingatthings: looking at fish

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:09:18 -0400

kimjongillookingatthings:

looking at fish

montereybayaquarium: Kids and families love the...

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:04:02 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Kids and families love the Aquarium—especially our Wave Crash exhibit, which pumps about 600 gallons of water and “crashes” every 30 seconds. Watch out! It’s also one of our most popular photo opportunities. Care to share your own Wave Crash photos here?

montereybayaquarium: New! Ocean Travelers Plastics Gallery in...

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:03:38 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

New! Ocean Travelers Plastics Gallery in the Open Sea Wing

Our newest gallery uses art installations and sculptures to explore the impacts of marine debris on ocean wildlife like Laysan albatross, humpback whales and green sea turtles. The stunning artwork is made from everyday plastic items that frequently find their way into our waterways and into the oceanic food web.

supergreat: office aquarium 画

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:03:14 -0400

supergreat:

office aquarium 画

montereybayaquarium: In Honor of a Remarkable Rescued Otter She...

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:01:18 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

In Honor of a Remarkable Rescued Otter

She was orphaned and found stranded, wedged in the rocks at the bottom of a cliff south of Carmel in March 1997. Rescued by the Monterey Bay Aquarium sea otter team, she was hand-raised by our staff and volunteers, and paired with other otters to “learn the ropes” before we returned her to the wild that summer.

As with all rescued sea otters, we hoped that Harmonie would survive and become a productive contributor to the recovery of California’s threatened sea otter population. Boy, was she ever!

Harmonie died in January, of infirmities and old age, after 15 in the wild. From her postmortem exam, it was clear that she had indeed successfully integrated back into the wild population.

She had been pregnant 10 times — and at the time of her death showed signs of recent mating. Her first pup, born in 2000, was the first documented birth to a sea otter that we had rescued as a pup and then returned to the wild. There have since been many more. (The photos above show Harmonie with her first-born pup, in Elkhorn Slough near Moss Landing.)

Although she was grizzled with age, had arthritis and ulcers, and carried a scarred-over pellet from a gun that someone had fired at her along the way, “We were all amazed by her beautiful teeth,” according to her death report.

“I spent several years following Harmonie after she was first released, watching her integrate back into the wild and rearing her first pup,” recalled Michelle Staedler, our sea otter research coordinator. “Once she lost her flipper tags, I’d always wondered — and had a hunch — that the silver-gray female in the slough was her. I’m happy to know that it was.”

We are saddened by Harmonie’s passing, and so glad that she contributed so much to the wild population.

montereybayaquarium: Boy oh Boy! A Sea Otter Pup on...

Sun, 06 May 2012 06:00:42 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Boy oh Boy! A Sea Otter Pup on Exhibit!

This fuzzy Valentine will certainly steal your heart. Say hello to a young male pup that joined our sea otter exhibit on February 14. At eight weeks old, he’s the youngest pup to date to join the exhibit. His hefty size – 15 pounds – is the result of a very healthy appetite since he came into our care at two weeks of age and weighing barely six pounds.

He was rescued on January 5 in Cayucos (San Luis Obispo County) by staff with the Marine Mammal Center. That same day, they transferred care of the pup into the capable hands of our Sea Otter Research and Conservation program as pup 572, which means he’s the 572^nd sea otter to be admitted.

During the pup’s first exam we found a small laceration on his right shoulder, which suggests his mother was bitten by a white shark while this pup was on her chest. If that’s true, he’s the seventh stranded pup to come to us under similar circumstances in the past two years.

Now the pup is under the tutelage of Joy, who will teach him what a young otter needs to know. Joy’s our most experienced surrogate mother, with a brag book of 15 pups (572 is her 16^th) – more than any other otter in our program.

Joy has cared for two other pups on exhibit. In 2010 she mentored pup 502 before that pup was transferred to her permanent home at Georgia Aquarium. In 2011 Joy raised pup 540 before she moved to her new home at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Washington.

Joy’s also the only available adult female to raise this pup, as her fellow surrogates and companion animals are busy behind the scenes with their own charges. We’ve received permission from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to prepare 572 for life in the public eye. He’s the fourth pup we’ll raise on exhibit, and the third who will eventually find a new home at another aquarium as an ambassador for wild sea otters.

For now he’ll keep his number and will eventually get a name from his new caretakers. Sea otters are intelligent animals that can understand and respond to many words and commands. Using a name helps greatly with training exercises, and it would confuse and frustrate pup 572 if we gave him one name and his new home another.

Be sure to come see him when you visit or watch him on our live Otter Cam. We’ll also post updates and images on our Facebook page. As in the past, we may move him behind the scenes with little notice if that’s in his best interests, so be sure to check if you’re planning a special trip.

kimjongunlookingatthings: looking at an aquarium

Sun, 06 May 2012 05:58:25 -0400

kimjongunlookingatthings:

looking at an aquarium

montereybayaquarium: Toola, the “Most Important Animal” in the...

Sun, 06 May 2012 05:55:03 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Toola, the “Most Important Animal” in the History of the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program, Dies

The Monterey Bay Aquarium regrets to announce the death of Toola, a female sea otter who was arguably the most important animal in the 28-year history of the Aquarium’s pioneering Sea Otter Research and Conservation program. Toola died early March 3 in the Aquarium’s veterinary care center, of natural causes and infirmities of age.

She was the first rescued sea otter ever to raise pups that were successfully returned to the wild; and was the inspiration for state legislation that better protects sea otters.

Toola was about 15 or 16 years old when she died. She was rescued as a mature adult (5+ years of age) when she was found stranded on Pismo Beach on July 21, 2001. She suffered from neurological disorders, likely caused by infection of her brain by the protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma gondii. The resulting seizure disorder required twice-daily anticonvulsant medication and prevented her release back into the wild.

But she quickly became a pioneer for the Aquarium – on exhibit and behind the scenes. Toola was the first otter ever to serve as a surrogate mother for stranded pups. She raised 13 pups over the years, including one that was weaned from her on Friday as her health declined. Of the 11 pups already released to the wild, at least 5 are still surviving – including the first animal she reared in 2001. Her pups have matured in the wild and gone on to give birth to 7 pups of their own, 5 of which have weaned successfully. Two more of her pups are still behind the scenes, on track for release later this year.

Toola’s most famous pup is the subject of a new feature film, Otter 501, which debuted in February at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

On exhibit, Toola’s story of exposure to the toxoplasmosis parasite that can be carried by cats inspired then-California State Assemblymember (now Insurance Commissioner) Dave Jones to introduce legislation to better protect California’s threatened sea otter population. His bill, co-authored with current California Resources Secretary John Laird, became law in 2006. Among other provisions, it created the California Sea Otter Fund that has generated more than $1 million in voluntary taxpayer contributions to support research into disease and other threats facing sea otters in the wild.

“Toola was without question the most important animal in the history of our program,” said Andrew Johnson, manager of the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation program. “She showed us that captive otters could successfully raise orphaned pups for return to the wild. She inspired a critical piece of legislation that is helping protect sea otters. And she inspired millions of visitors to care more about sea otters. We will miss her.”

“I will argue that there is no other single sea otter that had a greater impact upon the sea otter species, the sea otter programs worldwide, and upon the interface between the sea otters’ scientific community and the public,” said Aquarium veterinarian Dr. Mike Murray.

Although she was at the Aquarium for more than a decade, she remained a wild animal at heart, said Associate Curator of Mammals Christine DeAngelo – and a strong-willed one, too.

“It was clear to everyone on the sea otter exhibit team that Toola, not me, was really in charge,” DeAngelo said. “When she wanted to work on something in a training session, she’d give me a ‘look’ or vocalize and I’d immediately cave in and do whatever she wanted. Now that she’s passed, we’re in need of another ‘head trainer’ to run the place.”

The Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Sea Otter Research and Conservation program has been studying and trying to save the threatened southern sea otter since 1984. With the support of its research, exhibit and policy teams, and the backing of donors and members, the Aquarium has rescued nearly 600 ill and injured otters, raises and releases stranded pups, and has placed non-releasable animals on exhibit in Monterey and at other accredited Aquariums across North America.

The research team plays a key role in field studies of sea otters in California, Alaska and Russia. The Aquarium also works on behalf of policies at the state and federal level that will advance the recovery of sea otter populations.

montereybayaquarium: Every five years since we opened in 1984,...

Sun, 06 May 2012 05:50:48 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

Every five years since we opened in 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. The just-completed process includes several days of exhaustive on-site inspections and interviews, including animal care, veterinary, conservation, research, education, safety/security and pretty much everything we do! We’re so proud of this honor, and our team!

Nice and Cute Pics :)

Sun, 06 May 2012 05:39:13 -0400

Nice and Cute Pics :)

montereybayaquarium: For the first time ever, the Aquarium is...

Sun, 06 May 2012 05:17:14 -0400

montereybayaquarium:

For the first time ever, the Aquarium is exhibiting a sandbar shark (carcharhinus plumbeus), in our million-gallon Open Sea exhibit. The male shark, originally from Hawaii, has been growing up behind the scenes in our Animal Research and Care Center in Marina. The new shark is 43 pounds and measures four feet, six inches, and you can see it now on our live web cam!