150 Animal Species Are on Display in Our
Marine Hall and Utah Waters Hall
Click on a region below to find out more about the Aquarium's exhibits,
features, animals and wild habitats.
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UTAH WATERS GALLERY
Tiger Salamander
Size: Can grow upwards of 13 inches in length.
Habitat: Marshes, damp forests, and higher altitudes near
ponds.
Diet: Worms, insects, other amphibians and small animals.
The largest land-dwelling salamander in the U.S., the Tiger salamander is named for its striped pattern. Loss of habitat, acid rain, pollution and the addition of game fish all negatively affect Tiger salamander populations.
June Sucker
Size: Between 17-24 inches
Habitat: Utah Lake and Provo River
Diet: zooplankton
The June sucker is endemic to Utah Lake, Utah. Throughout the year the fish occurs in Utah Lake and then migrates to Provo River for spawning. Five refugee populations of June sucker exist outside of Utah Lake. Populations are at Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Springville Hatchery, Camp Creek Reservoir (a private holding), Red Butte Reservoir, and at the Ogden Nature Center. The Ogden Nature Center site consists of two ponds, Arrowhead and Teal Ponds approximately 0.5 acres each. A June sucker population is also being held at the Fisheries Experiment Station (FES).
Least Chub
Size: Only a few centimeters in lenght
Habitat: Native to Bonneville Basin, found in rivers and streams near the Great Salt lake and Salt Lake City
Diet: Algae and small invertabrates such as mosquito larva
The Least Chub is only found in the state of Utah and has been on the IUCN Red List since 1994.
During the 1940s and 1950s there was a substantial drop in population caused mainly through habitat loss and over grazing of stream shorelines. Also the introduction of fish into areas cause chub populations to drop. These fish include types of trout, bass, and cab which complete for food with the least chub. Many measures have been taken to help increase chub populations including; The Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation commission set aside land during the 1990s for chubs.(Muck, Jim 1999) Today, the least chub is still on the IUCN Red List for Threatened Species. (Gimenez, D, 1996)
Lake Trout
Size: Can grow upwards of 4 feet and 70 lbs.
Habitat: Deep cold water lakes
Diet: Insects, small fish, crayfish and frogs
Lake trout are slow-growing fish but very long lived; sometimes reaching the age of forty years. In the far north, it may take 15 years for a Lake trout to reach two pounds. This species was introduced to Utah.
Rainbow Trout
Size: Can grow upwards of 3 feet 5 inches and 40 lbs.
Habitat: Freshwater rivers, lakes and streams
Diet: Insects, small fish, crayfish and frogs
The Rainbow trout is rated one of the top five sport fish in North America because of the hard fight they put up. This species spawns from March to August in smaller streams. The female digs and spawns in several nests depositing 800-1000 eggs in each.
Tiger Trout
Size:
Habitat: Shallow lakes and reservoirs
Diet: Fish and invertebrates
The tiger trout is a hybrid fish produced by the breeding of a male brown trout with a female brook trout (Utah Fish Finder, n.d.). Managers of Utah’s fisheries have high hopes that the Tiger Trout will keep the chub from out-competing and overrunning other gaming fish in Utah’s waters especially in Scofield Reservoir and Joe’s Valley (Utah Fish Finder, n.d.).
Woundfin
Size: Usually only about 9 cm. in length
Habitat: Small to medium rivers with swift moving currents. Prefer a sandy river bottom and warm water. Young can be found in smaller pools adjacent to the river where algae forms. (Nature Serve 2007)
Diet: Insects, algae and larva
Currently on the Endangered Species list. Decrease in population is mainly due to habitat loss and introduction to non-native species. (Leo, 2007) The woundfin has been reintroduced to a number of different rivers in Arizona but none have been able to live and thrive.
Boreal Toad
Size: Up to 5 inches in length
Habitat: Spruce and fir forests, alpine
meadows, lakes, marshes, ponds and bogs
Diet: Worms, insects and small animals
The Boreal toad is listed as a sensitive species in the state and is a candidate for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act. Once very common in Utah, the Boreal toad underwent a severe decline in distribution and abundance from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Red-Spotted Toad
Size: Up to 3 inches in length
Habitat: Mostly in rocky canyons in cold
desert areas, prefers dry climates
Diet: Small terrestrial invertebrates,
mostly insects
The Red-spotted toad is the only species of toad to have
parotid glands as large as its eyes. The parotid glands are located
just behind the eyes and release an irritating chemical that is harmful to
predators. This prevents the toad from becoming another animal’s prey!
UTAH WETLANDS
Is there more to a wetland
than just water and land? A wetland is made up of four unique ingredients
which include water, saturated soils, water loving plants, and bacteria and animals. Limited
oxygen due to water logged soils makes organisms in this environment specially
adapted to survive here.
Pond and Lake Marshes
Exhibiting Mosquito Fish, Whirligig Beetles,
Giant Water bugs, Gilled and Lunged Snails. Focus on predacious macro-invertebrates
and the pond community.
Bullfrog
Size: Can grow upwards of 8 inches in length
Habitat: Quiet or slow-moving water with
dense vegetation in eastern U.S. Widely introduced in western U.S. and Hawaii
Diet: Worms, insects, other amphibians
and small animals
Bullfrogs pose considerable ecological threats. They
are also considered to be voracious
predators because they will eat anything that is smaller than themselves. In
Canada and the US they are driving native frog populations to extinction
and are negatively affecting biodiversity. In the state of Utah, the
collection, possession, transportation and/or importation of bullfrogs is
prohibited. For more information, please contact the
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
Giant Water Bug -Lethocerus americanus
Giant Water Bugs, also known as toe-biters, are famous for their painful
bite. They feed on small fish, tadpoles, salamanders, and frogs. While
giant water bugs are great swimmers they also have a set of wings that
allow them to fly to other ponds in search of mates.
Small Whirligig Beetle -Gyrinus
The Small Whirligig Beetle swims in circles on the surface of the water using
oar like hind legs. When frightened however, this beetle will dive under
the surface, breathing air trapped under it’s abdomen. The Whirligig
Beetle has compound eyes that allow it to see above and below the surface
of the water.
Great Salt LakeEstuary
Exhibiting Brine
Shrimp and Brine Fly Larvae (in season)
Brine Shrimp
Brine shrimp are a type of primitive aquatic crustacean. They are found worldwide
in saltwater, though not in oceans. They feed on phytoplankton. Brine Shrimp
are sold as novelty gifts, most commonly under the marketing name Sea-Monkeys.
Brine Fly Larvae
These brine flies are found in the millions along the shores of Great Salt
Lake in Utah. Their larvae feed on the algae that grows in the warm shallows
of this salty lake. Adults feed on other insects who land on the water
but are generally preoccupied with the reproductive tasks at hand. Their
abundance along less salty bodies of water makes them an important food
source for fish.
Vernal Pools and Potholes
Vernal Pools are usually temporary pools that fill with water during snowmelt and spring runoff. Potholes are water filled depressions in rock, often found in southern Utah deserts. Triops are crustaceans that live in Utah’s vernal pools and potholes. In these temporary habitats, the life cycle is focused on reproducing eggs that can survive for many years in drought conditions. Adults live about 20-90 days and grow to be 1-3 inches long.
Triops
Fossilized triops that lived millions of years ago look almost exactly like
the ones we see today. Triops dwell at the bottom of shallow bodies
of water, feeding on organic debris or preying on small aquatic animals
and larvae. Their eggs may survive in the soil for many years after temporary
pools have dried up; they hatch when the pools have refilled with water.
OPEN OCEAN
Moray Eel
Size: The average length of a Moray eel is approximately
3 feet, but a few species can grow to be more than 5 feet in length
Habitat: Shallow reefs, rocky crevices
and caves
Diet: Octopus and squid, small fish, crabs
and lobsters
There are over 100 species of Moray eels, many of which
are vividly colored. Morays
are successful ambush predators; they are able to hide well among rocks and
reef crevices. With razor sharp teeth and very powerful jaws capable of locking,
Morays
are able to inflict major wounds upon other creatures, including humans.
Moon Jellies
Size: Saucer can grow upwards of 16 inches across
Habitat: Harbors and coastal waters ofall
oceans
Diet: Small zooplankton such as larval
mollusks, crustaceans and fish eggs.
The most common of jellies, the Moon jelly has stinging
cells, called nematocysts,
which immobilize prey. The food is picked up by the arms and carried into
the gastric cavity where it is distributed throughout each of its four stomachs.
Sea Nettles
Size: Bell to more than 3 feet in diameter, mouth-arms 12 to 15 feet
Habitat:Coastal waters off Alaska to California, Japan, Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Sea
Diet: Larval fishes, zooplankton, other jellies
Sea Nettles h ave round bells that range in color from orange to purple. Their long, trailing tentacles and rhythmicmovements make them mesmerizing to watch!
Upside Down Jellies
Size: Up tp foot across and about 2 inches high
Habitat:Shallow lagoons or among mangrove forests
Diet: See below
When very young the upside-down jelly will use its bell like a suction cup and sticks to the bottom. They like to spend their time upside-down facing the sun because they have a symbiotic relationship with an algae living inside of their tissue. The algae photosynthesizes, which produces most of the food for the jelly. The upside-down jelly will also feed on zooplankton, but they do not have a central mouth. Instead its eight oral arms are fused and folded together into frills that have hundreds of tiny mouth openings. The mouths are connected by channels that lead to the central stomach. By pulsing the bell they can force zooplankton into their mouths
Giant Pacific Octopus
Size: Can grow over 16 feet in length and upwards of 100
lbs.
Habitat: Intertidal zone and coastal waters
Diet: Crabs and a variety of shellfish
such as scallops and abalone, small fish
and smaller octopuses
Octopuses have a few tricky defenses against being eaten. They can change the color and texture of their skin in seconds in order to blend in and escape from predators or ambush prey. Color change is also used as a form of communication with other octopuses. Octopuses only live about 5 years “in the wild.”
Northern Lobster
Size: Up to 3 feet and over 40 lbs.
Habitat: Rocky, sandy bottoms in deep coastal waters
Diet: Clams, other crustaceans, fish, scavenges decaying matter
Lobsters use special hairs on their feet to "taste," helping
them to find food on the ocean floor. Lobsters will eat anything they can
catch. While hunting for food, a lobster uses its large crusher claw to crackinto
thick-shelled food such as clams, mussels, crabs or other lobsters.
A coral reef, like the one seen here, is a massive limestone structure which
provides shelter for over one-third of the earth’s marine life. Although
it is often mistaken as rock or plant life, coral is actually a living organism
made up of tiny fragile animals called polyps, which are both plant
and animal.
Coral reefs develop in shallow waters and cover approximately 20% of the
oceans area. Two well-known residents of the coral reef are the clownfish
and the sea anemone. These creatures live together in what is known as a
symbiotic, or mutually beneficial relationship. The anemone feeds on fish
paralyzed by its tentacles and the clownfish feeds on the leftovers, dead
anemone tentacles, and plankton.
Seahorse
Size: Of the approximately 35 species of seahorse most are
between 2 - 6 inches long; can be nearly 12 inches in length in some species
Habitat: Shallow waters among coral reefs
and vegetation especially sea grass and algae areas
Diet: Small crustaceans, fish larvae
Seahorses have a unique system of reproduction. The female seahorse will deposit up to 200 eggs in a pouch on the male’s abdomen. The male will fertilize the eggs and will then carry them for two to six weeks until they are fully developed and ready to be born.
Lionfish
Size: Can get up to 14 inches in length
Habitat: Inshore coral reefs near caves
Diet: Crabs, small fishes and shrimp
The beautiful fins of the Lionfish are also spines, which can be used to inject a painful poison into its prey. The Lionfish uses its wide pectoral fins to trap prey into a corner and then swallows it whole.
TOUCH POOL
Southern Stingray
Size: Up to 5 feet across
Habitat: Shallow coastal waters with sand or sandy bottoms
Diet: Clams, crabs, fish, shrimp, worms
Southern stingrays have many incredible adaptations to help them detect prey. They use their strong sense of smell, their sensitivity to touch and electro-reception to find prey buried in the sand.
White-tip Reef Shark
Size: Up to 7 feet in length
Habitat: Tropical inshore waters off continental shelves and near coral reefs
Diet: Mostly bony fishes but will also eat spiny lobsters, crabs, and octopuses
Although it looks like an open ocean shark, this species is actually more of a bottom dwelling shark. They specialize in capturing prey that lives on the bottom of the ocean in caves and crevices and are one of the few types of shark that hunt in packs.
Leopard Shark
Size: Up to 6 feet in length
Habitat: Shallow offshore waters
in bays and kelp forests, intertidal zone
Diet: Small fishes, a variety of
crabs and lobsters, sea urchins, shellfish
The leopard sharks unique patterned skin helps them to blend into their surroundings by breaking up their shape. This camouflage allows the shark to hide from predators as well as sneak up on prey.
Nurse Shark
Size: Up to 14 feet in length
Habitat: Shallow offshore waters, intertidal zone, caves and coral reefs
Diet: Bony fishes, a variety of crabs, sea urchins and octopuses
Why is it called a Nurse shark? In the 1550’s the term “nusse” or “nurse” was used to describe any large fish, especially a shark. Thus, the “nurse” may be a holdover from an Old English word first applied to this New World species hundreds of years ago.
CORAL COMMUNITY
The Coral Community is a coral wonderland…including the stern of the Sunken Ship with a 900 gallon tank exhibiting large coral reef fishes. Built into the Children’s Coral Community are two smaller tanks, displayed at children’s eye level.
BIO-FACTS STATION
Sponsored by XMISSION, the Bio-Facts Station is an interactive exhibit where visitors can see and even touch some of the ocean's most fascinating creatures, like sea stars, pencil and pincushion urchins, sea cucumbers, horseshoe crabs and more unusual and exciting artifacts.