I've finally gotten around to compiling a species list for the Florida Aquarium in downtown Tampa, from my visit in June of this year. As is the nature of Aquariums, a lot moves around from time to time, and many species switch on or off show. Many are also not signed, but I did my best for identifications, those with question marks (?) indicate a perhaps surprising or rare species that I'd like to get additional confirmation on. Some enclosure names are official, others are descriptions I made, but to most, I just assigned numbers. As always, there will be some errors here or there, but I hope this provides a nice baseline for the aquarium, which I really did enjoy, the collection and exhibitry here is great! I would recommend the aquarium for any fish enthusiast.
SNS = Signed, not seen
Unsigned = ID made
(f),(r),... = Captive lifer fish, reptile, etc.
1. Wetlands of Florida
1. Large reef tank
6. Reef Secrets
Once again, an excellent aquarium and collection that I enjoyed thoroughly, with a number of major rarities, such as some of the Butterfly and Angelfishes and native gulf coast species. Morph’d was a fun gallery as well, and reminded me a bit of the amazing, now closed, Underwater Beauty exhibit at Shedd.
SNS = Signed, not seen
Unsigned = ID made
(f),(r),... = Captive lifer fish, reptile, etc.
1. Wetlands of Florida
1. Spring-fed Stream
2. Spring-fed Stream
3. Spring-fed Stream
4. Alligators
5. Box Turtles
6. River Otter
7. Terrarium
8. Asian Water Monitor
9. Free-flight
10. Mangrove Shallows
11. Shallow Reef
12. Turtle Pond
2. Lemur Lookout- Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)
- Florida softshelled turtle (Apalone ferox) (r)
- Florida gar (Lepisosteus platyrhincus)
- Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
- Long-nose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
- Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
- Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus) (f)
- Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) (r)
- Golden shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
- Killifish sp.
- Darter sp. SNS
- Red eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) SNS
- Hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
- Ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis)
- Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
- Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
- Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
- Yellow perch (Perca flavescens) SNS
- American flagfish (Jordanella floridae) SNS
- Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna) SNS
- American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
- Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)
- Florida Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina bauri) (r)
- North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)
- Florida Ivory Millipede (Chicobolus spinigerus) (i)
- Asian Water Monitor (Varanus salvator)
- Western Cattle-Egret (Ardea ibis)
- Roseate Spoonbill (Platalea ajaja)
- Blue-Winged Teal (Spatula discors)
- Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis)
- Fulvous whistling-duck (Dendrocygna bicolor) (b)
- Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus)
- Canvasback (Aythya valisineria) (unsigned)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
- Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
- Black-bellied whistling duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)
- Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
- Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea) (b) unsigned
- Green heron (Butorides virescens) SNS
- Hardhead sea catfish (Ariopsis felis) (f)
- Common snook (Centropomus undecimalis) (f)
- Spotted Seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) (f)
- Black margate (Anisotremus surinamensis) (f)
- Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) (f)
- Black drum (Pogonias cromis) (f)
- Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) (f)
- Mangrove Gray Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) (f)
- Mullet sp.
- Schoolmaster snapper (Lutjanus apodus) (SNS)
- Atlantic stingray (Hypanus sabinus) (SNS)
- Atlantic Horseshoe Crab (Limulus polyphemus) (SNS)
- Milk Conch (Strombus costatus) (SNS)
- Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)
- Striped Burrfish (Chilomycterus schoepfii) (f)
- Foureye butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
- Banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) (f)
- Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) (Unsigned)
- French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
- Damselfish sp.
- Yellow stingray (Urobatis jamaicensis) sns
- Rigid Slipper Lobster (Scyllarides nodifer) sns
- Reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius) sns
- Sunshinefish (Chromis insolata) sns
- Florida Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni) (r)
- Barbour’s Map Turtle (Graptemys barbouri) (r)
- Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) (r)
- Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
- Cottonwick grunt (Haemulon melanurum) (f)
- Smallmouth grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum)
- Bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus) (f)
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) (f)
- Milk Conch (Strombus costatus) (i)
- Yellow goatfish (Mulloidichthys martinicus) Unsigned
- Lookdown (Selene vomer) sns
- Scrawled filefish (Aluterus scriptus) sns
- Palometa (Trachinotus goodei) sns
- American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
- Red eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
- Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
- Dollar sunfish (Lepomis marginatus)
- Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
- Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
- Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus)
- Hybrid Bass (Morone chyrsops x saxatilis)
- Bowfin (Amia calva) (f)
1. Lemurs
3. Shorelines- Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
- Madagascar spotted spiny tailed iguana (Oplurus cyclurus) (r)
- Madagascar Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides)
1.
4. Morph’d- Gulf Flounder (Paralichthys albigutta) (f)
- Southern stingray (Hypanus americanus)
- Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis)
- Bar Jack (Caranx ruber)
- Black drum (Pogonias cromis)
- Red grouper (Epinephelus morio) (f)
- Red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus)
- Redbelly yellowtail fusilier (Caesio cuning) (f)
- Dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus)
- Weedy scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa)
- Leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)
- Eschmeyer's scorpionfish (Rhinopias eschmeyeri) SNS
- Bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus) (unsigned)
- Jenny Mojarra (Eucinostomus gula) (f)
- Jack-knifefish (Equetus lanceolatus) (f)
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum)
- Leopard Searobin (Prionotus scitulus) (f)
- Atlantic Blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
- Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
- Butter hamlet (Hypoplectrus unicolor) (SNS)
- Gulf Toadfish (Opsanus beto) SNS
- Flame cardinalfish (Apogon maculatus) SNS
- Barbfish (Scorpaena brasiliensis) (f)
- Honeycomb Cowfish (Acanthostracion polygonium) (f)
- Scrawled Filefish (Aluterus scriptus) (f)
- Atlantic Creolefish (Paranthias furcifer) Unsigned
- Pacific Creolefish (Cephalopholis colonus) (f) (Unsigned)
- Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus)
- Spotted drum (Equetus punctatus)
- High-hat (Pareques acuminatus)
- Spanish Flagfish (Gonioplectrus hispanus) (f)
- Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus)
- Spotfin hogfish (Bodianus pulchellus)
- Flame cardinalfish (Apogon maculatus) (f)
- Surf Redfish (Actinopyga mauritiana) (i)
- Banded Coral Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) SNS
- Whitespotted pygmy filefish (Rudarius ercodes) SNS
- Caribbean Redlip Blenny (Ophioblennius macclurei) (f) unsigned
- Bristletail filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus) unsigned
- Tricolor Hermit Crab (Clibanarius tricolor)
- Hawkfish sp
- Blenny sp.
- Goby sp.
- Splendid garden eel (Gorgasia preclara)
- Spotted garden eel (Heteroconger hassi)
- Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
- Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara) (f)
- Lookdown (Selene vomer)
- Atlantic spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)
- Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus)
- Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) Unsigned
- Dusky damselfish (Stegastes adustus)
- Yellowtail damselfish (Microspathodon chrysurus) sns
- Long-spine puffer (Diodon holocanthus)
- Coral sea maskray (Neotrygon trigonoides)? (f)
- Cownose Ray (Rhinoptera bonasus)
- Ribbontail stingray (Taeniura lymma)
- Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) (f) (unsigned)
- Atlantic stingray (Hypanus sabinus)
- Redfin needlefish (Strongylura notata) (f)
1.
5. Coral Reefs- Silver moony (Monodactylus argenteus)
- Spotted scat (Scatophagus argus)
- Cherry shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
- White blotched xingu river stingray (Potamotrygon leopoldi)
- Arowana sp.
- Cichlid sp. (Aulonocara sp.)
- Synodontus catfish sp.
- Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus)
- Discus sp.
- Rummy nose tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)
- Neon Tetra (Paracheirodon innesi)
- Glass catfish (Kryptopterus vitreolus) SNS
- Four-fingered lipsucker (Andamia tetradactylus) (f)
- Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
- Warty frogfish (Antennarius maculatus)
- Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
- Foureye fish (Anableps anableps)
- African Atlantic Mudskipper (Periophthalmus barbarus) (f)
- Harlequin rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
- Mandarinfish (Synchiropus splendidus)
- Randall’s shrimp goby (Amblyeleotris randalli)
- Tail-spot Blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
- Bird poop frog (Theloderma asperum) (a)
- Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
- Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
- Spotted archerfish (Toxotes chatareus) (f) unsigned
- Clouded archerfish (Toxotes blythii)
- Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
- Blind cave tetra (Astyanax jordani)
- Pearl gourami (Trichopodus leerii)
- Chili Rasbora (Boraras brigittae) (f)
- Emerald tree boa (Corallus caninus)
- Dyeing dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius)
1. Large reef tank
- Striped Parrotfish (Scarus iseri) (f)
- Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)
- Squirrelfish sp. (Holocentrus sp.)
- Bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus)
- Smallmouth grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum)
- Atlantic Blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
- Striped doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) (f)
- Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
- Pacific Creolefish (Cephalopholis colonus) Unsigned
- Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus) Unsigned
- Black Triggerfish (Melichthys niger) unsigned
- Rock beauty angelfish (Holacanthus tricolor) unsigned
- Sargassum Triggerfish (Xanthichthys ringens) (f) unsigned
- Queen Parrotfish (Scarus vetula) (f) unsigned
- Reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius) unsigned
- Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus) (f) unsigned
- Blue chromis (Chromis cyanea)
- Creole wrasse (Clepticus parrae)
- Atlantic Creolefish (Paranthias furcifer)
- Green moray (Gymnothorax funebris)
- False Pilchard (Harengula clupeola)
- Lookdown (Selene vomer)
- Harlequin Seabass (Serranus tigrinus)
- Sergeant-major (Abudefduf saxatilis)
- Caribbean Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus tractus)
- Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus)
- Stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride)
- Puddingwife wrasse (Halichoeres radiatus)
- Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
- Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) (f)
- Palometa (Trachinotus goodei) (f)
- Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
- Dog Snapper (Lutjanus jocu) (f)
- Horse-eye jack (Caranx latus) (f)
- Bar jack (Caranx ruber) (f)
- Atlantic nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) (f)
- Smallmouth grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum)
- Crevalle jack (Caranx hippos) (f)
- Atlantic Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)
- Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) (f)
- Southern stingray (Hypanus americanus)
- Lagoon Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus) unsigned
- Threespot angelfish (Apolemichthys trimaculatus) (f)
- Magnificent Foxface (Siganus magnificus)
- Pearlscale butterflyfish (Chaetodon xanthurus)
- Laced moray (Gymnothorax favagineus)
- Yellowtail Coris (Coris gaimard)
- Hippo blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Striped Boxfish (Ostracion solorense) (f) unsigned
- Blackbelt Hogfish (Bodianus mesothorax) (f) unsigned
- Dwarf hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco) unsigned
- Pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) unsigned
- Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus) unsigned
- Talbot’s damselfish (Chrysiptera talboti) unsigned
- Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) unsigned
- Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) sns
- Harlequin tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus) sns
- Dot-and-dash Butterflyfish (Chaetodon pelewensis) sns
- Polka-dot Batfish (Ogcocephalus cubifrons) (f)
- Creole wrasse (Clepticus parrae) (f)
- Purple square anthias (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia) unsigned
- Two-spot basslet (Pseudanthias bimaculatus)
- Bluehead wrasse (Thalassoma bifasciatum)
- Rock beauty angelfish (Holacanthus tricolor)
- Reef butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius)
- Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)
- Princess Parrotfish (Scarus taeniopterus)
- Foureye butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
- Striped Parrotfish (Scarus iseri) sns
- Yellowhead wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti)
- Clown wrasse (Halichoeres maculipinna)
- Rainbow Wrasse (Coris atlantica)
- Red lionfish (Pterois volitans)
- Wantanabe’s angelfish (Genicanthus watanabei)
- Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
- Powder-brown tang (Acanthurus japonicus)
- Blackstriped angelfish (Genicanthus lamarck) (f)
- Flamefin tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
- Tail-spot wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
1.
7. Waves of Wonder- Shrimpfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
- Dwarf Seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae)
- Bluestripe pipefish (Doryrhamphus excisus)
- Milletseed butterflyfish (Chaetodon miliaris) (f)
- Russet angelfish (Centropyge potteri) (f)
- Racoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
- Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens) unsigned
- Flame angel (Centropyge loricula) unsigned
- Potbelly seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis)
- Peacock Mantis Shrimp (Odontodactylus scyllarus)
- Yellow-banded Pipefish (Dunckerocampus pessuliferus) (f)
- Alligator Pipefish (Syngnathoides biaculeatus) (f)
- Common Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) (f)
- Lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus)
- Spotted Spiny Lobster (Panulirus guttatus) (i)
- Gulf pipefish (Syngnathus scovelli) (f)
1.
- South American Sea Nettle (Chrysaora plocamia) (i)
- Moon jelly (Aurelia aurita)
- Upsidedown Jelly (Cassiopea xamachana)
- Striped surfperch (Embiotoca lateralis)
- Tiger rockfish (Sebastes nigrocinctus)
- Giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
- Penpoint gunnel (Apodichthys flavidus)
- Longfin sculpin (Jordania zonope)
- Sculpin sp.
- Comb jelly sp
- Lagoon jelly (Mastigias papua)
- Bird wrasse (Gomphosus varius) (f)
- Regal blue tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
- Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
- Whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) (f)
- Emperor snapper (Lutjanus sebae)
- Milletseed butterflyfish (Chaetodon miliaris)
- Clown triggerfish (Balistoides conspicillum)
- Teardrop butterfly fish (Chaetodon unimaculatus) (f)
- Leopard Coralgrouper (Plectropomus leopardus) (f) unsigned
- Speckled blue grouper (Epinephelus cyanopodus) (f)
- Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus)
- Yellowtail fusilier (Caesio cuning)
- Pakistani redtail butterflyfish (Chaetodon collare)
- Orange-spotted Spinefoot (Siganus guttatus)
- Latticed butterflyfish (Chaetodon rafflesii) (f)
- Paletail unicornfish (Naso brevirostris)
- Pyramid butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys polylepis) unsigned
- Spanish Hogfish (Bodianus rufus) unsigned
- Goldsaddle Goatfish (Parupeneus cyclostomus) (f)
- Paddletail Snapper (Lutjanus gibbus) (f)
- Stripey (Microcanthus strigatus) (f)
- Black Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster) (f)
- Smallmouth grunt (Haemulon chrysargyreum) unsigned
- Panther grouper (Chromileptes altivelis)
- Orangebanded coralfish (Coradion chrysozonus) (f)
- Striped Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) unsigned
- Slingjaw Wrasse (Epibulus insidiator) (f) unsigned
- Racoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
- Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
- Vlamingi tang (Naso vlamingii)
- Emperor angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator) unsigned
- Rainford's butterflyfish (Chaetodon rainfordi) (f)
- Pacific double saddle butterflyfish (Chaetodon ulietensis)
- King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer) (f)
- Orange band tang (Acanthurus olivaceus) unsigned
- Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Coral grouper (Cephalopholis miniata)
- Semicircle Angelfish (Pomacanthus semicirculatus)
- Blueface angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon)
- Atoll butterflyfish (Chaetodon mertensii)
- Vagabond butterflyfish (Chaetodon vagabundus)
- Threadfin butterflyfish (Chaetodon auriga)
- Powder blue tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Saddle butterflyfish (Chaetodon ephippium)
- Sixbar Angelfish (Pomacanthus sexstriatus)
- Sabre Squirrelfish (Sargocentron spiniferum)
- Shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata)
- Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
- Longspine snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)
- Puget Sound Rockfish (Sebastes emphaeus) (f)
- Painted greenling (Oxylebius pictus) unsigned
- Groundfish sp.
- Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
- Blue Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
- Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta) sns
- Longnose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus) sns
- Lawnmower Blenny (Salarias fasciatus) sns
- Yellow clown goby (Gobiodon okinawae) sns
- Ocellaris clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
- Pink skunk clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)
- Bubble Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
- Blue-spotted jawfish (Opistognathus rosenblatti) (f)
- Blackcap basslet (Gramma melacara) sns
- Candy basslet (Liopropoma carmabi) sns
- Peppermint bass (Liopropoma rubre) sns
- Solar Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
- Mimic surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus)
- Elegant purple fire goby (Nemateleotris decora)
- Springer’s damsel (Chrysiptera springeri)
- Lyretail anthias (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
- McCosker's flasher (Paracheilinus mccoskeri) sns
- Atlantic sally lightfoot crab (Percnon gibbesi) sns
- Halloween hermit crab (Ciliopagurus strigatus) sns
Once again, an excellent aquarium and collection that I enjoyed thoroughly, with a number of major rarities, such as some of the Butterfly and Angelfishes and native gulf coast species. Morph’d was a fun gallery as well, and reminded me a bit of the amazing, now closed, Underwater Beauty exhibit at Shedd.
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