Melbourne Aquarium Melbourne Aquarium

Is the Australian population of gentoos & kings all descended from Kelly Tarlton stock?
 
The temporary exhibition section next to the touch pool is currently hosting the jurrasic seas exhibit which has been touring some of the other Australian sealifes recently. It includes a surprisingly large number of tanks for a temporary exhibition in this space. Species on exhibit are epaulette shark, crown of thorns starfish, mudskipper, pig nosed turtle, saratoga and a tank with some assorted fish which was unsigned and I could not identify.
 
Six Dainty Tree Frogs (Litoria gracilenta) arrived from Sea Life Sunshine Coast a few months ago. They are now on display in the rainforest zone. From their Facebook page:
We have welcomed the arrival of six dainty tree frogs. The tiny frogs are only 3cm long and a vibrant yellow colour.

They flew to Melbourne from Mooloolaba Queensland a few months ago and are now on display in the Rainforest zone, where they act as ambassadors for their species.

Whilst the team were eagerly awaiting the arrival of these little frogs, that is not always the case for Victorians!

Dainty tree frogs are native to the warm climates of Queensland but are known to accidentally “hitchhike” down to Victoria in trucks carrying fresh ripe bananas.

According to Tom Fair, our resident amphibian expert; “Dainty tree frogs are one of the most common frogs that accidently turn up in Victoria hidden in produce. It’s important that that frogs are collected and surrendered to facilities such as the Amphibian Research Centre as they can’t survive in our cool climate.”
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SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
Six Dainty Tree Frogs (Litoria gracilenta) arrived from Sea Life Sunshine Coast a few months ago. They are now on display in the rainforest zone. From their Facebook page:

SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
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More frogs for SEALIFE Melbourne

I didn't know they had this species but by dissecting this statement which was posted on their facebook page along with a picture of this new frog species

This tiny, dwarf bicolour tree frog
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is only about 1cm long
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It is safe to assume that the Aquarium has obtained the Northern Dwarf Tree Frog (Litoria bicolour).

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SEALIFE Melbourne has acquired two notable new species, the first being the Tassled Anglerfish (Rhycherus filamentosus) which is appears to be in a new exhibit (unsure of the section although the theming looks like either predators or seahorse pier) and the second inhabits the Stingaree tank in Mangroves, although the tank has had crabs before never ones this big, the Tasmanian King Crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas). Both of these are viewable on a video on their Facebook page.


EDIT: the Tasmanian King Crab is an unreleasable rescue named Tony.
 
SEA LIFE Melbourne have successfully hatched several (unspecified number) Gentoo Penguin chicks

Article: Precious penguin chicks hatch in Melbourne!
Baby penguins!

It’s that time of year again! The cheeky Gentoo penguins at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium have welcomed several fluffy chicks as part of the 11th successful Gentoo penguin breeding season.



The baby penguins hatched just before the aquarium reopened and are being cared for by their doting parents and the dedicated team of penguin carers who are administering daily health checks.



You can spot the penguin chicks nestled under their parents on their pebble nests. First time parents Zeus and Roger have taken to parenting very quickly and foster parents Mouse and Lamington are completely in their element.



“We absolutely love this time of year when we welcome babies into the colony! Gentoo penguins are known for their playful and curious characters, so we have decided to let the chicks’ “penguinalities” shine through before choosing the most adorable and appropriate names,” said Sarina Walsh, Bird Manager at SEA LIFE Melbourne.
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A Boyd's Forest Dragon at Sea Life Melbourne has transitioned from female to male - apparently it's the first ever recorded case for this particular species

Full article: First recorded case of Boyd’s Forest Dragon sex change | SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
An extremely rare event has occurred at SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium with the team determining that a Boyd’s forest dragon has transitioned from female to male.

Sex change in reptiles is rare and the team believes this is the first time it has been observed in this species!

This particular Boyd’s forest dragon resides in SEA LIFE Melbourne’s Rainforest zone and had previously mated with a male and laid eggs, confirming she was female. Following the passing of the aquarium’s male Boyd’s forest dragon, the team noticed she was starting to develop male characteristics including more pronounced crest and yellow colouration, and that she stopped laying eggs.

“After these changes we also noticed a significant growth spurt and increase in weight. Given it’s extremely uncommon to come across reptiles transitioning, we decided to bring in an ultrasound machine to discover exactly what was occurring here,” said Tom Fair, Aquarist at SEA LIFE Melbourne.

“We performed an ultrasound examination to determine which reproductive organs were present. Surprisingly, we discovered that there was no longer any ovarian tissue present and mature testes had developed. This confirmed to us that a change in female to male reproductive organs had indeed occurred against the odds.”

The team at SEA LIFE Melbourne isn’t exactly sure why this Boyd’s forest dragon evolved to have the ability to change sex, but they suspect it might be because there was no longer a male Boyd’s forest dragon in the display.

Boyd's forest dragons are an Australian reptile found in rainforest areas in Northern Queensland. They are generally brown or grey in colour with some individuals having a green flush. They have enlarged cheek scales, a prominent crest and a yellow dewlap under their chin.
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Zorro said:
Would you know the numbers of Penguins all up?
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King and Gentoo Penguin Numbers in the Australasian region:

Sea Life Melbourne has approximately 55 penguins (number includes both species).

Sea Life Sydney has 34 penguins (7 kings and 27 gentoos).

Sea World Gold Coast has 42 penguins (17 kings and 25 gentoos).

Sea Life Kelly Tarltons, NZ has just over 70 penguins (number includes both species).

So approximately 200 penguins across the four facilities that house both the King and Gentoo Penguins in Australasia.
 
WhistlingKite24 said:
King and Gentoo Penguin Numbers in the Australasian region:

Sea Life Melbourne has approximately 55 penguins (number includes both species).

Sea Life Sydney has 34 penguins (7 kings and 27 gentoos).

Sea World Gold Coast has 42 penguins (17 kings and 25 gentoos).

Sea Life Kelly Tarltons, NZ has just over 70 penguins (number includes both species).

So approximately 200 penguins across the four facilities that house both the King and Gentoo Penguins in Australasia.
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Thanks @WhistlingKite24 . Thats a nice number, From what I recall Seaworlds penguin exhibit cost 12 million.
 
An update on a very special species at Sea Life Melbourne - the Spotted Handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus). The aquarium have finally managed to sex the five individuals they have under their care as 1.4. At the end of 2020 the fish laid infertile eggs, certainly a step in the right direction.

Full article: SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium lends a helping hand to a critically endangered fish | SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium is playing its part to protect the future of a critically endangered fish that uses its hands, otherwise known as pectoral fins, to walk along the ocean floor.

The rare spotted handfish, a bottom dwelling species endemic to Tasmania’s Derwent Estuary, is under threat from habitat degradation with wild populations dwindling. We are part of a committed group of scientists working to conserve the spotted handfish, protect its habitat and breed the unique species with the aim of releasing fish into the wild to bolster populations and safeguard their future.

We are now one step closer to breeding the spotted handfish after successfully determining the sex of the five creatures currently under the team’s care. One of the main challenges to the breeding program thus far has been the fact there is no simple way to distinguish between male and female handfish.

To overcome this obstacle, we've brought in The Unusual Pet Vets, with their special ultrasound machine, to scan each fish to determine whether they had the internal organs of a male or female.

“We were pleased to discover that we have one male and four female handfish, which means that we definitely have a chance of being able to breed them and further contribute to the conservation of the species – before we were just guessing. Not only is it a fundamental part of any breeding program to be able to distinguish the sex of the creatures, we were also able to collect valuable information that will be critical to future breeding programs,” said Paul Hale, Head of Curatorial at SEA LIFE Melbourne.

“Our goal is to contribute to a head-start program. This would involve us breeding the handfish and raising the juveniles at the Aquarium. When they are large enough, we would release the young fish into their natural habitat in the Derwent Estuary. This program increases their chance of survival as the fish would complete the most vulnerable stages of their life at the Aquarium and can then go on to breed and continue the circle of life in the wild,” continued Paul.

At the end of 2020, while our team were busy carefully replicating the native habitat of the handfish in terms of seasonal changes in temperature, lighting and the levels of salinity in the water, they were rewarded with the discovery that two of the females had laid eggs. It was another positive step forward for the breeding program, but unfortunately the eggs were not fertile with the male apparently showing no interest. The adults have continued to fare well, leading the team to be hopeful that this year will bring further successes.

The breeding program is one potential piece of the puzzle when it comes the protection of the spotted handfish. The program will be implemented in conjunction with habitat protection measures to give this species the best chance at recovery.

“We’re proud to work with the CSIRO, Seahorse World and all the other members of the Handfish Conservation Project to help save this rare Australian fish. Handfish are fascinating and iconic creatures for Tasmania and we are happy to be able to support their populations while also raising awareness of their plight,” said Paul.

Visit SEA LIFE Melbourne to see the rare spotted handfish on display!
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