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Ocean Realm

Be amazed by life under the sea and mesmerized by schooling fish, camouflaged flounders, and much more!

What Will You Discover?

Come face-to-face with weedy scorpionfish, spotted garden eels, and more awesome species as they dart in, out, and around thriving habitats. 

Banggai Cardinal Banggai Cardinal

Banggai Cardinal

Banggai cardinalfish are beautifully ornate fish often found hiding among the spines of sea urchins for protection. They are the only diurnal species of cardinalfish, which means they are mostly active during the day.

Conservation Status

Endangered

Diet

Zooplankton, copepods

Habitat

Coral reefs, seagrass beds

Range

Banggai Archipelago in Indonesia

Did You Know?

Like a fingerprint, the dot pattern on every banggai cardinalfish is unique to each individual.

Blackcheek Tonguefish Blackcheek Tonguefish

Blackcheek Tonguefish

Named for the black spot near its gill opening, the blackcheek tonguefish is a small, flat fish with a curved mouth and two small eyes on the left side of their body; it is commonly found resting eye-side up on soft sediment. Juveniles occur in shallow marshes and estuaries, with adults moving to deeper water as they grow, though typically less than 100 feet. Mature adults spawn inshore and move shore afterward.

Size

Up to 8 inches

Diet

Crustaceans, worms, mollusks

Range

Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico

Did You Know?

The blackcheek tonguefish can tolerate a very wide range of water salinity, from 0 parts per thousand, which is freshwater, all the way to 43 parts per thousand! The average salinity in the ocean is 35 parts per thousand, so this fish is remarkably adaptable to varying environmental conditions.

Lyretail Anthias Lyretail Anthias

Lyretail Anthias

The birds of the reef, lyretail anthias can often be found congregating in large schools above the coral, fluttering their pectoral fins allowing them to hover almost motionless. Male anthias are typically bigger and more colorful than females, though both are among the most beautiful fish on the reef.

Diet

Zooplankton

Habitat

Coral reefs

Size

Up to 6 inches

Range

Indo-Pacific region

Did You Know?

Territorial male anthias guard a harem of up to ten females. If the male dies or disappears, the dominant female will change sex to replace the missing male.

Longnosed Batfish Longnosed Batfish

Longnosed Batfish

Longnosed batfish are some of the most unusual looking fish. They don’t swim well, instead they spend most of their time using their thick pectoral fins to “walk” slowly on the sea floor. Typically found solitary over sand or other soft substrate, they will often cover themselves with sand to rest and hide, and seem to prefer small boulders or crevices to hide next to.

Size

Up to 9 inches

Diet

Worms, crustaceans, mollusks

Range

Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico

Did You Know?

As this species is slow moving and spends their entire life on the seafloor, they are a prime target for parasites. Many individuals carry an enormous burden of gastrointestinal parasites like tapeworms, as well as skin parasites like leeches.

Spotted Garden Eel Spotted Garden Eel

Spotted Garden Eel

Spotted garden eels are often found on sandy slopes with strong currents in colonies of several hundred or even thousands of individuals. These eels use their muscular tail to dig into the sandy seafloor, then secrete a slimy mucus that acts like cement to keep their burrows from caving in. During the day, they orient their head into the current and wait for passing zooplankton to flow by. When alarmed, garden eels withdraw tail-first into the holes they’ve created to avoid predators. Shy and cautious, they will slowly extend their heads out of the burrow once the danger has passed.

Diet

Zooplankton

Size

Up to 16 inches

Range

Indo-Pacific region

Did You Know?

These eels have huge eyes, which gives them excellent eyesight to locate tiny, fast-moving zooplankton and spot approaching predators.

Weedy Scorpionfish Weedy Scorpionfish

Weedy Scorpionfish

The weedy scorpionfish is a master of camouflage. Not only do they look like a piece of algae with their intricate patterns and leafy appendages, but they will even sway back and forth, mimicking a piece of algae on the bottom, allowing them to remain undetected by predators and prey. Most active at night, the weedy scorpionfish may wait in one spot for days for an unsuspecting fish or invertebrate to stray too close before striking with lightning speed, using their large mouths to engulf their meal whole.

Venomous

Yes

Size

Up to 9 inches

Diet

Fish, crustaceans

Range

Indo-West Pacific region, Indian Ocean of South African coast

Did You Know?

Since weedy scorpionfish don't move much, they can accumulate parasites and even algae on their skin. To combat this, they will shed their cuticle, or outer epidermal layer, and all the unwanted pests with it.

Zebra Moray Zebra Moray

Zebra Moray

The zebra moray can be found holed up in crevices and under ledges on the wave-swept outer edges of coral reefs. It comes out to hunt at night, prowling the reefs for crabs, clams, and other hard-shelled prey. Their teeth are blunt and molar-like, designed for crushing, not sharp and needle-like for snagging fish as in other moray species.

Size

Up to 60 inches

Diet

Crustaceans, mollusks, urchins

Range

Indo-Pacific region, eastern Pacific Ocean

Did You Know?

Tucked into crevices with only their heads sticking out, moray eels look menacing as they constantly open and close their mouths. But they're not making threats; that's just how they breathe.

Neon Goby Neon Goby

Neon Goby

The neon goby has symbiotic relationships with other marine creatures. The fish remove ectoparasites from other marine creatures' bodies and, in return, receive an easy meal.

Habitat

Coral reefs

Size

Up to 2 inches

Diet

Parasites, fish scales, and mucus

Range

Western Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea

Did You Know?

Neon gobies typically mate for life and are fiercely protective of their partner. If a goby is widowed by the loss of their mate, they will usually leave the cleaning station they shared in search of a new partner.

Copperband Butterflyfish Copperband Butterflyfish

Copperband Butterflyfish

This beautiful fish can easily be identified by its tube-like mouth, gold bands and black eyespot on the dorsal fin; the copperband butteflyfish is usually a peaceful reef inhabitant seen alone or in monogamous pairs, but can also be found in turbid inshore areas near river estuaries.

Size

Up to 8 inches

Range

Indo-Pacific region

Diet

Worms, mollusks, crustaceans, zooplankton, corals, anemones

Did You Know?

Utilizing its elongated and delicate mouth, this fish is a master in the removal of small invertebrates from cracks, holes, and crevices.

Sea Walnut Sea Walnut

Sea Walnut

The Sea Walnut is a planktonic organism that drifts in the water column, using rows of beating, hairlike combs of cilia for movement and feeding. When feeding, they swim in a spiral pattern, searching for other comb jelly species, chemically sensing when they are nearby. When prey items are plentiful, the Sea Walnut may eat four times its body weight daily!

Diet

Comb jellies

Size

Up to 6 inches

Range

Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea

Did You Know?

Recent research suggests comb jellies may be the most recent common ancestor of all animals, dating back 700 million years!

Purple Sea Urchin Purple Sea Urchin

Purple Sea Urchin

Purple sea urchins can sometimes be found in large groups, especially around the bases of giant kelp. They eat through the stems of the kelp, which can be devastating to both the forest and the species that rely it as a home.

Diet

Algae

Size

Up to 4 inches

Range

Eastern Pacific Ocean

Did You Know?

Located on the underside of their body, or test, an urchin's mouth consists of a strong jaw apparatus called Aristotle's lantern, consisting of five bony teeth that are instrumental in scraping algae off the substrate.

Swirling Pinstripe backdrop

Woah! The Aquarium sounds like alotl fun! But what are you doing all the way down here with the axolotls – some of the most secretive salamanders in the world?!

Did you know the Great Smoky Mountains are considered the Salamander Capital of the World? Salamanders are abundant in the Smokies and outnumber human visitors on even the park’s busiest days!