Alaska SeaLife Center Alaska SeaLife Center species list

zoo_sipsik

zoo_sipsik

Active Member
Hi there,
This is an attempt to document all species seen at Alaska SeaLife Center at the time of my visit on August 8th. I have tried to photograph every single species sign, including the electronic rotating signs (which required me spending some time in front of each tank while the signs were changing). Some exhibits did not have any signs, or at least I did not find them (most notably, the aviary and the seal exhibit) and so I defer to ZIMS and my species photos for those.

Also, I did not record which species of fish and invertebrates shared each tank, but wherever possible I will break them down into exhibit tanks or broader sections (from memory or based on my photos):

The SeaLife Center has two floors, and the exhibit starts on the top floor. That floor has several tanks, and ends with top-level exhibits for sea birds, Steller's sea lions, and seals. The staircase then leads to the ground floor, which has underwater viewing areas for birds and pinnipeds, and more tanks. I believe that all species are local to Alaska coastal waters.
 
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The top floor had the following tanks:
  • California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus californicus), Coonstripe Shrimp (Pandalus danae), Graceful Decorator Crab (Oregonia gracilis), Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
  • Spot Prawn (Pandalus platyceros), True Star (Evasterias troschelii), Decorated Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus), Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii), Snake Prickleback (Lumpenus sagitta)
  • Graceful Decorator Crab (Oregonia gracilis), Humpy Shrimp (Pandalus goniurus), Coonstripe Shrimp (Pandalus danae)
  • Decorated Warbonnet (Chirolophis decoratus), Painted Star (Orthasterias koehleri), Quillback Rockfish (Sebastes maliger), Rock Greenling (Hexagrammos lagocephalus), Alaska Ronquil (Bathymaster caeruleofasciatus), Crimson Anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi)
  • Touchpool: Vermilion Sea Star, Pygmy Rock Crab, Rhinoceros Crab, Pacific Red Hermit Crab, Widehand Hermit Crab, Decorated Hermit Crab, Panted Anemone, Alaska False-Jingle, Spot Shrimp, Green Sea Urchin, Plumose Anemone, Red Sea Urchin, California Sea Cucumber, Hairy Triton, Sunflower Sea Star, Leather Sea Star, Ochre Sea Star, True Sea Star, Fish-eating Sea Star, Gumboot Chiton
  • A series of several smaller wall tanks: Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis), Giant Plumose Anemone (Metridium farcimen), Sea Pen (I did not get the Latin name for some reason), Penpoint Gunnel (Apodichthys flavidus), Black Katy Chiton (Katharina tunicata), Black Prickleback (Xiphister atropupureus), Burrowing Anemone (Anthopleura artemisia), Crescent Gunnel (Pholis laeta), Daisy Brittle Star (Ophiopholis aculeata), High Cockscomb (Anoplarchus purpurescens), Lined Chiton (Tonicella lineata), Smooth Pink Scallop (Chlamys rubida), Yellow Zoanthid Coral (Epizoanthus scotinus), Blackeye Goby (Rhinogobiops nicholsii), Crimson Anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi), Giant Barnacle (Chirona evermanni), Orange Cup Coral (Balanophyllia elegans), Grunt Sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii), Sailfin Sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus), Basket Star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis)
  • A series of tanks for Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) of different ages
 
The ground floor had a series of tanks with the following species (some of them were also sharing the sea birds' tank): Alaska Skate (Bathyraja parmifera), Starry Flounder (Platichthys stellatus), Walleye Pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Dover Sole (Microstomus pacificus), Pacific Ocean Perch (Sebastes alutus), Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis), Searcher (Bathymaster signatus), Silvergray Rockfish (Sebastes brevispinis), Yellow Irish Lord (Hemilepidotus jordani), Yelloweye Rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus), Great Sculpin (Myoxocephalus polyacanthocephalus), Red King Crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), Wolf Eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus), Blackspotted Rockfish (Sebastes melanostictus), Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus), Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops), Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger), Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), Prowfish (Zaprora silenus), Sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria)

There were also separate tanks for Moon Jellies and Giant Pacific Octopus. The Octopus was sharing its tank with Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and Red Sea Urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)
 
The aviary, unfortunately, was closed due to bird flu. However, I could still see many species through the windows, such as: Spectacled Eider, King Eider, Red-legged Kittiwake, Common Murre, Rhinoceros Auklet, Horned Puffin, and Tufted Puffin.
In addition to the above, ZIMS also lists Common Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Smew, Blackish Oystercatcher, Glaucous-winged Gull, and Pigeon Guillemot. I think most of these could also reside in the aviary, but I did not see them, and there was no sign listing species that I could see.

The sea mammals were represented by Steller Sea Lions and Seals. The seals, unfortunately, were unsigned (or at least I could not find the sign). ZIMS lists Harbor Seals, Largha Seals, and Ringed Seals for the facility. The seals exhibit had two animals, and I photographed them, but cannot really identify the species. They looked like harbor seals to me, but I am really hoping that they were ringed seals (which would have been a lifetick):)
 
I have checked the bird and mammal part, addition species are Steller’s Eider (one pair of juvenile and more seems to be adult off exhibit), harlequin duck, pigeon guillemot. For seals they have three individuals represent three species. Ring seal, Spotted Seal (for now is the largest one), harbor seal
 
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