New England Aquarium New England Aquarium Formerly Kept Species

Iguana_Cabana

Well-Known Member
Does anyone remember any species that NEAQ used to keep? Here are some I remember:

- various jellyfish
- Northern fur seal
- Weedy sea dragon
- Leafy sea dragon
- Podocnemis erythrocephala
- Little blue penguin
- Chambered nautilus
- Red-eyed tree frog
- Vietnamese mossy frog
- Sand tiger shark
- Blacknose shark
- One of the leopard whiprays
- Bonnethead shark
- Suriname toad
- Mudskipper (unknown species)
- Viperfish (unknown species, I swear I remember seeing at least one or 2 in like 2010-11, correct me if I am wrong)
 
They also used to have some sort of dolphin species that lived in a boat that was permanently docked next to the aquarium.

Correct, bottlenose dolphins collected in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat or barge really, was decommissioned in 2005, but the last of the dolphins had moved out in the mid-90s or so. It was a paltry 100,000 gallons and far too small for dolphins.
 
Correct, bottlenose dolphins collected in the Gulf of Mexico. The boat or barge really, was decommissioned in 2005, but the last of the dolphins had moved out in the mid-90s or so. It was a paltry 100,000 gallons and far too small for dolphins.

Are there any other examples of aquariums that used a similar setup with a boat? It sounds like it would be very unique. I have vague memories of the sea Lion shows on the boat from when I was little.
 
Bottlenose dolphin, sea otter and grey seals were all kept.

Are you continuing the temporary exhibits? That opens up a bunch former species including 4 crocodilian species
Might as well include temps. Dang crocodilians tho which ones
 
Africa temp exhibit:
Nile croc
African rock python

Everglades temp exhibit:
American Alligator
American croc
Alligator snapping turtle
Ghost crabs

I forgot the name of the temp exhibit but it did feature young saltwater crocs. It was an "adaptations" type exhibit. There was more animals in all these exhibits that ill have to look through pictures but these i very well remember
 
When did these leave? I was under the impression all three species were still there.
Whiprays I haven’t seen for years. Only yellow spotted river turtles in flooded forest tank for years. Last time I went in November 2024 there were pot bellied seahorses and hulafish (I forget which species) in the sea dragon cylindrical tank.
 
I'll do a little asking around to confirm. I would not be terribly surprised if they don't have the podocs anymore but the himantura pair would be fairly surprising.

The sea dragons would be especially surprising to me though considering the aquarium hosted the annual symposium on their care just last month.

Alrighty, I checked in with an old friend who is a keeper there and can confirm:

-The red head river turtles are in fact gone from the anaconda exhibit. For now! There is a new individual in quarantine currently.

-The pair of whip ray are alive and well and still in the touchpool. Perhaps they were just hiding when you visited? I know when they were young they definitely preferred the deeper, out of sight parts of the pool.

-Weedy seadragon are not on exhibit, but there are still plenty bts both at the aquarium itself and at the offsite holding facility in Quincey.
 
Alrighty, I checked in with an old friend who is a keeper there and can confirm:

-The red head river turtles are in fact gone from the anaconda exhibit. For now! There is a new individual in quarantine currently.

-The pair of whip ray are alive and well and still in the touchpool. Perhaps they were just hiding when you visited? I know when they were young they definitely preferred the deeper, out of sight parts of the pool.

-Weedy seadragon are not on exhibit, but there are still plenty bts both at the aquarium itself and at the offsite holding facility in Quincey.
Interesting. Why did the weedys go off exhibit?
 
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