The Dallas World Aquarium

Description

Dallas World Aquarium
The Aquarium is home to a varied collection of approximately 6,000 aquatic animals, including marine and freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. The Aquarium also participates in a number of national and international conservation and research projects. It is a leader in the breeding of critically endangered Texas species, such as the Texas blind salamander and several desert fishes that are already extinct in nature.






Blind_Salamander
The “World of Aquatic Diversity” features unusual and bizarre aquatic animals including jellyfish, poisonous stonefish, “fishing” anglerfish and “luring” batfish. If these aren’t bizarre enough for you, there’s the Seahorse Rodeo with its nine displays of seahorses and their unique relatives.

Seahorse Rodeo
Seahorse Rodeo, which opened in September 2004, allows visitors to view one of the larger species of seahorses (pot bellies) down to the smallest (dwarf). Seahorses males are unique – they give birth to babies from their pouches and regularly spend the day entwined with their tankmates. Seahorse relatives on display include the monogamous blue stripe pipefish, paper thin shrimpfish and jumping alligator pipefish. A viewing window at the breeding lab for rare and endangered species provides the public a behind-the-scenes look at ongoing Aquarium conservation projects. Visitors can also see an alligator snapping turtle weighing 135 pounds, venomous lion fish, and a 5-foot-long electric eel. A 6-foot-long alligator gar and much more!

The aquarium gallery features coral reef and kelp forest ecosystems in large naturalistic displays including a 20,000-gallon walk-through tunnel exhibit which is home to hundreds of Indo-Pacific fishes.


Blackeye goby,
Blackeye gobies start life as females and later change to males. Males scrape bottom of rocks or crevices clean to attract females. After the female deposits her eggs, they are guarded by the male until they hatch. Males may form harem groups that include several females.

Harlequin shrimp,
The colorful pattern of the Harlequin or Clown shrimp makes this beautiful crustacean quite popular. Its white or cream colored body is covered with distinctive red and purple spots. It has ten legs; the first pair are modified large, flattened claws (chelipeds). The eyes are located on stalks. The first pair of antennae on the head resemble a flattened leaf that sense the smell of nearby prey.
They are between one to two inches (2.5 – 5 cm) in length; females are slightly larger than males.
Harlequin shrimp are mild tempered and shy. They prefer to hide during the day and feed at night. They are usually found in pairs. They move very slowly with ballet-like motion, as claws and antennae wave.Reproduction is sexual and mating usually starts soon after the female molts. Between 100 to 5,000 eggs are laid per season, with the female tending and cleaning the eggs until they hatch. Monogamous pairs are territorial.

Eschmeyer’s scorpionfish,
The Eshmeyer’s scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) has a deep, laterally compressed body, eyes that are set high on top of its head and two tentacles on the underside of its lower jaw. It has venomous spines on its back and fins, with a groove and venom sack (venom is secreted from the sack and coats the spines). It’s body color is usually uniform and can be brick red, lilac, orange or yellow. The skin appendages are unbranched and flattened. Like other scorpionfish, the Eshmeyer’s, is camouflaged well with tassels, warts and colored specks.They can reach a maximum length of 7.5 inches (19 cm).Eschmeyer’s scorpionfish are solitary creatures, living in caves or reefs, but may be found in pairs during mating season. They use camouflage to blend in with their surroundings. These fish rarely swim, but move about by hobbling along the bottom on their pectoral and pelvic fins. When hunting, they remain motionless and wait for their prey to approach within striking distance or use rocking movements that mimic debris. When they are close to their prey, they lunge or hop forward and suck in their meal. They are able to shed their outer epidermal layer (cuticle) to rid their body of algae, parasites or encrusting organisms.Scorpionfish are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. The eggs are laid in a clear or greenish, gelatinous mass that floats near the surface. The eggs hatch within five days.

If your ready for a break and a meal try one of the three themed restaurants available at the Dallas Aquarium, The Eighteen o one, The Cafe Maya and The Jungle Cafe,

Leafy seadragon,

The Syngnathidae family includes seadragons, seahorses and pipefish. Leafy seadragons are named for their leaf-like appendages that hang from their head, body and tail, resembling brown seaweed. Leafies are extremely well-camouflaged fish. Long, sharp spines running from the dorsal surface and enclosing the scaleless body, help protect these delicate, fragile animals. Most adults are green to yellowish-brown with narrow stripes across the body. Their normal coloration can change depending on diet, location, age or stress.Leafy seadragons can reach lengths of 14 to 18 inches (36-46 cm).Leafies are either solitary or in pairs. They appear to float slowly and aimlessly among the underwater vegetation, often moving back and forth like pieces of kelp being moved by gentle currents. Sometimes only the fluttering of these tiny translucent fins or the moving of an independently swiveling eye, reveals its presence. Camouflage is their main defense.

Giant clams
Giant clams (Tridacna gigas) have four or five large, inward, vertical folds in their thick, heavy shell. The shell does not have scutes and consists of two valves. Once they are fully grown they cannot close their shell completely. The mantle is usually yellow, golden brown or green, with many iridescent blue, purple, or green spots. They also have a number of pale or clear spots on the mantle, known as ‘windows’. These ‘windows’ allow sunlight to filter in through the mantle which is necessary for photosynthesis. The mantle is fused except for the two siphons (holes), an inhalant siphon and an exhalant siphon. The inhalant siphon is used to draw in seawater that is then filtered for planktonic food. The exhalant siphon is used to expel water during spawning. No two Giant clams have the same coloration.This is the largest living bivalve mollusk. The shell can reach up to 59 inches (1.5 m) in length and the clam can weigh more than 500 pounds (249 kg).

Black and white hawk eagle
The Black and white hawk-eagle as the name suggests, is a black and white eagle with a small crest that forms a “skullcap-like” black spot on its head. Its head, neck and body are white, the wings are brownish-black and the grayish-brown tail is barred. The cere is orange and the eyes are yellow. The beak has a black tip. The feet are bright yellow with black talons. The sexes are similar, but females are larger.The Black and white hawk-eagle is 20-24 inches (51-61 cm) long, with a wing span of 43-53 inches (109-135 cm) and weighs approximately 1.7-1.8 pounds

Antilles pink-toed tarantula,
Antilles pink-toed tarantulas are tree- dwellers. Even though they are quite shy, they can be very agile and quick. They spin intricate funnel-shaped webs in tree bark, in which they will spend most of their time. As with all tarantulas, they go through molts as they outgrow their existing skin.

Hours:
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Admission:
Adults (age 12-64) $15.00
Children (age 3-11) $12.00
Seniors (age 65 up) $12.00
Children (age 2 and under) FREE

For current hours and admission prices of this great attraction visit the official The Dallas World Aquarium