As animals grow, different processes happen. Hermit crabs
find a new shell to call home. Lobsters shed their shells and grow new ones. Flounders have one eye migrate to the other side of their
body. For our three green anacondas on exhibit, it means it’s time to molt, or
shed, their skin!
All stretched out
To start the process, the snake first “loosens up” the skin along their
body by secreting fluid in between the old and new skin over the course of a
week or two. Once ready to go, the snake rubs their head against an object, snagging
their skin on a rock, tree root or some other obstacle, causing the stretched skin to split and start peeling off.
The perfect spot to take off that skin
The skin comes off in the same way
you might peel off a long sock-if you pull at the top, the inside becomes the
outside! The molted skin will sometimes come off as one piece, including the scale that
covers each eye!
The white part is the skin being shed
The New England Aquarium’s anacondas molt fairly often, depending
on how fast they have been growing. And with over 30 feet of snake on exhibit, there’s usually some molted skin to be seen.
Newly molted skin
When a particularly nice molt happens and the skin stays in
one piece, the aquarists will often lay it out
on the tops of tanks to dry it out. After some additional preparation and
cleaning, educators can then show it off to visitors and behind the scene tours.
And though the skins get stretched a bit, it still gives us an idea of how
big the snakes are!
A recent molt left to dry
Close-up of the scale
The aquarists will remove any pieces of skin that are left
over, but not before many fish in the exhibit have a snack. And
while the fish make for a colorful exhibit, as well as tiny snake skin vacuums,
these fish are part of an important conservation initiative.
Small fish, big project
Project Piaba works to foster sustainable trade at a commercial level for wild-caught aquarium fish in the Rio Negro basin of Brazil. By working with fishers in the area
to create a sustainable fishery for these common hobbyist species, this in turn
provides protection to this vital rainforest ecosystem from harmful practices
and habitat destruction. It ensures these fish, and the anacondas, have a
healthy home for future generations and supports local communities along the Rio Negro.
In the trees
With fewer visitors in the building, now's a great time to visit and "hang" out with the anacondas. You may see them with a new, brightly-colored skin and some fish with a tasty snack!
Love 'em or hate 'em, snakes are fascinating and important parts of our blue planet. Keep reading about these slinkly reptiles with a blog about anaconda check-ups with our vets.
Kerry McNally is a biologist in the Animal Health department. Sheblogged extensivelywhen she was with the Rescue department. Today she takes us behind the scenes to show how the resident yellow-spotted river turtles get their annual check-ups.
Did you know we have many species of turtles that live in the aquarium? Not only do we have our resident sea turtles including Myrtle the green turtle, but we also have several brackish water and freshwater species such as the diamondback terrapin that you can find in the Mangrove Exhibit or the Amazon river turtles in the anaconda exhibit. Like our sea turtles, these animals get annual physicals just like humans every year.
Yellow-spotted river turtle | Photo: Christine A. via Flickr
Recently, our Amazon yellow-spotted turtles came out of the Amazon Flooded Forest Exhibit for their exams by veterinarian Julie.
Turtle in its tank before the exam
The exam by our veterinarian is what you would expect at your own doctor. The turtles need a check-up just like us! First step is to get a weight on the turtle.
Peru, our 25 year old female, gets her weight taken.
Peru is not shy about it so I can tell you she weighs almost 23 pounds! Her son Oedipus, who was born here at the Aquarium in October of 2005, weighed in at 10 pounds.
Then the turtles get a full visual exam by our veterinarian. This includes looking at the eyes, in the mouth, and looking over the entire animal for any abnormalities.
Julie exams the eyes of Peru.
Julie examining the plastron, or bottom shell, of Oedipus.
The last part of the exam involves taking blood for analysis. The results allow us to make sure the animals are in good health. Where do you think we get blood from this type of turtle?
If you guessed the tail you are right! Above, blood is being taken from dorsal tail.
The turtles don’t seem to mind being out for their exams once a year. Their annual exams are important to ensuring they get the best care here at the aquarium. Until they visit the Animal Medical Center next year, you can find them in the Amazon Rainforest Gallery.
Oedipus hangs out in his make shift hammock, one of his favorite spots where you can find him.
Twig catfish (also known as farlowella) get their name from their elongated twig-like appearance. We have several in the anaconda exhibit that can usually be found right upfront, sticking against the glass by their mouths or creeping along the sunken logs. They are algae eaters, after all, grazing on the algae is how they earn their keep.
A male twig catfish protects its eggs
Some of the fish have paired off and are treating visitors to a very special sight: eggs! Twig catfish usually lay eggs on open vertical surfaces such as submerged vegetation or rocks—or in this case, the window. The eggs lie in a single layer and are guarded by the male.
You'll find this highlight in the anaconda exhibit. Which is more exciting—giant snakes or tiny fish eggs?!
The males have their work cut out for them. Large discus in the exhibit are eyeing the tasty clutch of eggs, so the farlowella are having to stay on guard. In this video you'll see how the catfish have to swat at the ever-present discus.
If the farlowella manage to protect their eggs from predators, the larva will hatch into the exhibit. Though, just like in the wild, most do not survive. Either way the eggs can only be seen on exhibit for a couple days.
Eggs, twig catfish and a hungry, hungry discus
A discus: Mmmm, fish eggs
The next time you visit the Aquarium, head up to the Amazon Rainforest exhibits. You might just see a very cool fish behavior right before your eyes! Plus, a glimpse of a steamy tropical rainforest is a great way to escape the snow. Just sayin'.
The lifecycle of these fish fluctuates on population booms and busts according to the wet season/dry season in the Amazon. Locals around the town of Barcelos harvest these fish for the aquarium trade in a low-impact sustainable way. This trade provides valuable income to the region, which in turn provides incentive to the residents to preserve the rainforest that supports these fisheries.
Besides the massive anaconda in the exhibit, you'll also find fish of many different sizes in the anaconda exhibit.
Did you know that many other Amazonian fish are also harvested in the same way? Learn more about this counter-intuitive conservation effort in this piece from Discover Magazine, which features senior aquarist Scott Dowd.
Now let's meet a couple other species currently on exhibit in the anaconda display of the Amazon Rainforest exhibits. This exhibit is now teeming with beautiful fish and an important conservation message: Responsible fisheries are an important way to help protect our blue planet.
Discus
Discus get their common name from their flat, round body shape which resembles the heavy disc thrown in track and field. Like most cichlids, they exhibit parental care, with both parents assisting with the young. The male and female adult discus both produce a secretion through their skin which the larvae live off- almost like nursing their young!
A discus, with those flashy neon tetras in the background. Photo via Instagram
Twig catfish (Farlowella)
These fish get their name from their elongated twig-like appearance. We have several in the Anaconda exhibit that can usually be found right upfront sticking against the glass. Like otocinclus, which you'll learn about below, they are algae eaters to earn their keep.
You'll often find the twig catfish stuck to the smooth glass surface of the tank.
Now see if you can recognize some of the fish in this video:
Marbled hatchetfish
These fish get their name because their body resembles the head of a hatchet. Their family name Gasteropelecus actually means hatchet-shaped belly. The hatchetfish’s claim to fame is that they can leap from the water and seem to fly through the air, pumping their large pectoral fins to catch flying insects. They are generally accepted as being the only true flying fish. There are a number of fish that can leap out of the water, but only these freshwater hatchetfish actually use their pectoral fins to aid in their flight. Hatchets usually occupy the top portion of the tank, and because they will not swim to the bottom to eat, all of their food must float.
Otocinclus
Otocinclus are a type of armored catfishes, and are commonly called "dwarf suckers" or "otos". They are popular aquarium fish, and are often used as algae eaters. Unlike most catfish, otos like company and live in schools. Their claim to fame is that they have a special adaptation at the junction of their esophagus and stomach that allows them to breathe air!
Splash tetra
Splash tetras are unique among fishes in that they lay their eggs out of water. The male positions himself beneath overhanging vegetation growing beside the river and puts on displays for passing females. When a female sees something she likes, she positions herself next to the male and the two leap out of the water together, attaching themselves to the bottom of a leaf by their fins. The pair then lay and fertilize their eggs before falling back into the river. Once the egg mass is complete, the male positions himself in the water under the leaves, watching the egg and occasionally splashing the eggs with his tail to keep them moist, which is how they get the name splashing tetra. Once the eggs hatch, the fry fall into the water and swim for cover.
Three Spot Earth Eater
Found near the bottom of the anaconda exhibit, these cichlids are bottom feeders who suck up gravel to sift for food, and then spit it back out. Their Latin name, however, is much more sinister—Satanoperca acuticeps—which compares them to Satan! Earthmover cichlids are mouth brooders, with the fathers sheltering the fry in their mouths (just like the Banggai cardinalfish). People in the Amazon noticed this unusual behavior and immediately compared it with a local mythological demon that slurps up her own children and then vomits them out.
So now that you know these fishes' amazing stories, head over to the anaconda or flooded Amazon exhibits. , tell these fishes’ amazing stories, and most importantly, how they are harvested and where they come from.
Buy a fish, save a tree!
This information was prepared by Aquarium educator Lindsay Jordan. Look for Lindsay and other Aquarium educators near the exhibits and come armed with lots of questions. They'll be able to answer those questions and share information about many other exhibits throughout the building!
Many people think about ocean animals when they imagine exhibits at the Aquarium — like sea turtles and stingrays and seals. But there are hundreds of freshwater animals at the Aquarium, too! Explore the teeming Flooded Amazon exhibit at the Aquarium and you'll see animals of all shapes and sizes.
The large window reaches almost to the floor, giving even the smallest visitors a great view of the exhibit. All the Amazon Rainforest exhibits together hold more than 4,500 gallons of water!
The Amazon rainforest is one of the most diverse habitats in the world.
The forests, rivers and lakes are home to uncountable numbers of
species, including animals and plants that have yet to be discovered.
The New England Aquarium’s Amazon exhibits feature hundreds of live
plants and life-like fiberglass replicas of gigantic rainforest trees,
vines and termite mounds.
