Tennessee Aquarium Tennessee Aquarium News

I've been waiting to find a slideshow of post-opening images for the exhibit, but the best I've come across are a couple of photos and videos at the bottom of this page:

New Megafish Exhibit Kicks Off With Sturgeon Release in Tennessee – News Watch

Apparently they spent $50,000 on the importation of the three Himantura dalyensis from Australia. A fascinating species, but not exactly the 'giant freshwater stingrays' which they are understandably marketed as. A few other names part-popularised by Zeb Hogan's shows also abound in the marketing material.

Apparently the main tank was a saltwater tank before - does anyone know what it held?


EDIT: Also, both beluga sturgeons died within hours of each other, before completion of the new exhibit.
 
jayjds2 said:
Also, I recall reading that there was a species of turtle that only this aquarium had. Does anyone know what species this would be?
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Beale's Eyed Turtle Sacalia bealei, presumably.

Five baby turtles of an endangered species hatch at Tennessee Aquarium (from 2015)

In all the accredited facilities of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in the U.S., there are only 20 Beal's-eyed turtles.

And they're all at the Tennessee Aquarium.
Click to expand...

A side-note on the common name. "Beal's-eyed Turtle" as used in the article (and by the IUCN!) is obviously incorrect grammatically. And although "Beal's Eyed Turtle" is commonly used, the species is clearly named after someone named Beale and not Beal, probably Thomas Beale who was an Englishman living in China in the early 1800s.
 
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Chlidonias said:
Beale's Eyed Turtle Sacalia bealei, presumably.

Five baby turtles of an endangered species hatch at Tennessee Aquarium (from 2015)



A side-note on the common name. "Beal's-eyed Turtle" as used in the article (and by the IUCN!) is obviously incorrect grammatically. And although "Beal's Eyed Turtle" is commonly used, the species is clearly named after someone named Beale and not Beal, probably Thomas Beale who was an Englishman living in China in the early 1800s.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I thought that was the correct species, but the site said that they were "the only AZA institution breeding this species" which, in a way, implies that others have it but don't breed it.

Beal's Four-Eyed Turtle | Tennessee Aquarium
 
Turtle hatchlings:

Four Hatchlings, 16 Eyes! Two Pair Of Rare Four-Eyed Turtles Hatch At Tennessee Aquarium

Chlidonias said:
Beale's Eyed Turtle Sacalia bealei, presumably.

Five baby turtles of an endangered species hatch at Tennessee Aquarium (from 2015)



A side-note on the common name. "Beal's-eyed Turtle" as used in the article (and by the IUCN!) is obviously incorrect grammatically. And although "Beal's Eyed Turtle" is commonly used, the species is clearly named after someone named Beale and not Beal, probably Thomas Beale who was an Englishman living in China in the early 1800s.
Click to expand...
It seems Tennessee Aquarium is no longer the only zoo/aquarium with Beale's turtles, but the only one breeding them. I saw an exhibit for the species at Bronx, but unfortunately not the turtles themselves.
 
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