Tennessee Aquarium Tennessee Aquarium Species List & Mini-Review (6/15/23)

[Crotalus]

The Tennessee Aquarium is a 200,000 square foot aquarium located in downtown Chattanooga. It is an AZA-accredited facility and, despite often being compared to (or overshadowed by) the larger and more well-known Georgia Aquarium, it is an impressive aquarium with a wonderful display of both freshwater and saltwater life, with some of the most informative and educational displays I have seen in a zoo or aquarium.

The last species list of the Tennessee Aquarium was posted in 2018, and since then, the collections and exhibits have seemingly changed significantly - this is my first time visiting, so I had no prior experience with the facility or knowledge of what species may have come and gone. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tennessee Aquarium, and this species list will also serve as a small review for anyone interested in visiting the place.


Notes: This trip was a bit rushed, so I didn't have time to explore every tank as much as I wished. All of my species lists for the individual tanks and aquariums are accurate to what is signed (along with some additional species I could ID that were not signed), but it is very possible that some animals are no longer on display or have been replaced with another species that is yet to be signed. On the whole, I thought Tennessee Aquarium's signage was very good - it was well-lit, often included a species status in the wild alongside its range, and seemed up-to-date on the whole.


I'll be splitting the review/species list up into several parts over a few days:

1. Overview, Appalachian Cove Forest, Ridges to Rivers, Mississippi Delta Country
2. River Giants, Rivers of the World, Turtles of the World, Tennessee River Country
3. Tropical Cove, Butterfly Gardens, Penguins' Rock, Boneless Beauties, Island Life, Secret Reef

Finally:

• Species signed but not seen will be in italics.
• Species identified, but not signed will be underlined.

I also will be using Spoilers for any aquarium that has more than 5 species - which is to say, most of them (I think this is an easier way to find what you are looking for and locate a specific tank).

Overview
​

The Tennessee Aquarium's entrance plaza excellently introduces guests to the importance of water by having a unique, slow-moving canal that empties into a tide-pool like area in front of the aquarium. On hot days like the one I visited on, many families take their kids to cool off after a trip to the aquarium, so it has a degree of practicality too.

The aquarium is split into two main sections: River Journey, and Ocean Journey

This is the first aquarium I have seen that is split so clearly by fresh and saltwater - in my opinion, freshwater ecosystems are often overlooked in favor of the oceanic sharks, stingrays, penguins, and other crowd-pleasers, so for Tennessee to have an entire complex dedicated largely to native Southeastern waterways is great to see.​

River Journey

Appalachian Cove Forest
​

Upon entering River Journey, guests walk up an escalator and start their journey of following a drop of rainwater, from where it lands in a river's headwaters all the way to the ocean. The sounds of frogs and birds prepare guests for the first exhibit they encounter - the Appalachian Cove Forest.

The Appalachian Cove Forest is a lushly planted environment that lets in natural light thanks to the pyramidal glass roof above it. Walking between the large rocky cliffs on either side immerses visitors in this unique environment that truly does feel like a walk in the woods. Support beams, some bare walls, and glass break the illusion, but otherwise it feels very natural.

There are allegedly free-flying birds here - I meant to ask a keeper about them, as I did not hear or see any, but I couldn't locate any at this spot and it slipped my mind to ask later. Avian Flu is probably why they are being kept behind-the-scenes.

• Eastern Bluebird, Gray Catbird, Hermit Thrush, Northern Cardinal, Rose-Breasted Grosbeak, Tennessee Warbler, Veery

The first enclosure guests come across is a nice exhibit for North American River Otter. This rocky exhibit consists of two levels, with rock arches, wooden planks serving as climbing bridges, some small waterfalls at the back and a cascading pool (with underwater viewing) emptying into a shallower pool that does not have underwater viewing. This was a pretty good enclosure with lots of land, and the otters were very playful - they drew a large crowd and are without a doubt the most iconic animal to the general public from the Appalachian Cove Forest area and probably all of River Journey.

• North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis)

There are two snake enclosures nearby as well - one of them is set into the rocky cliff face, while the other is in a mock tree trunk. Both seem a bit small for their inhabitants.

• Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus)
• Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

A large waterfall cascades down into a massive stream, which runs throughout much of this zone. At different points, the stream is fronted with glass (though open-topped) and serve as aquariums for some native species.
The first, largest pool exhibits different trout species, with informative signs discussing which are native and which have been introduced.

• Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
• Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
• Lake Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)

A shallower, rocky pool, close to where the waterfall dumps into the basin, displays various darter and shiner species.

Spoiler: Rocky Shiner/Darter Pool

• Largescale Stoneroller (Campostoma oligolepis)
• River Chub (Nocomis micropogon)
• Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
• Sawfin Shiner (Notropis sp.)
• Tennessee Shiner (Notropis leuciodus)
• Common Logperch (Percina caprodes)
• Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
• Northern Hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans)

After this, guests turn a bend and are provided with a great view into a 2-story deep pool fed by the waterfall - there is also a shallower pool with fast-flowing water from the cascade, which has the same species.

• Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
• Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)
• Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu)

Ridges to Rivers​

This area was one of my favorite in the entire aquarium, due to the large variety of native fish species it houses. The Southeastern United States are one of the most diverse temperate regions in the world when it comes to aquatic life, a fact that many visitors are unaware of. The Aquarium does a wonderful job of showing the plethora of species found here, emphasizing the need to protect these endemic animals.

A simulated stream runs from one pool into another via a cascade - these two pools house different species, which are prevented from mixing by cleverly-disguised barriers. Logs and rocks make up the banks of these open-topped pools, which have a variety of colorful species.

Spoiler: Creek Tank 1

• Tangerine Darter (Percina aurantiaca)
• Whitetail Shiner (Cyprinella galactura)
• Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera)
• Striped Shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
• Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
• Common Logperch (Percina caprodes)
• River Chub (Nocomis micropogon)

Spoiler: Creek Tank 2

• Tennessee Shiner (Notropis leuciodus)
• Greenside Darter (Etheostoma blennioides)
• Northern Hogsucker (Hypentelium nigricans)
• Gilt Darter (Percina evides)
• Redline Darter (Etheostoma rufilineatum)
• Warpaint Shiner (Luxilus coccogenis)
• Northern Studfish (Fundulus catenatus)
• Saffron Shiner (Notropis rubricroceus)
• Largescale Stoneroller (Campostoma oligolepis)
• Tangerine Darter (Percina aurantiaca)
• Rosyside Dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
• Banded Darter (Etheostoma zonale)
• Telescope Shiner (Notropis telescopus)
• Tennessee Darter (Etheostoma tennesseense)
• Stargazing Minnow (Phenacobius uranops)

A surprising crowd-pleaser is a simulated thunderstorm aquarium - the Southeast gets no small amount of rainfall, and this tank replicates a rocky cliffside stream. Every few minutes, the exhibit "rains", complete with thunder audio and lighting effects.

Spoiler: Thunderstorm Tank

• Tricolor Shiner (Cyprinella trichroistia)
• Rainbow Shiner (Notropis chrosomus)
• Alabama Shiner (Cyprinella callistia)
• Southern Studfish (Fundulus stellifer)
• Greenbreast Darter (Etheostoma jordani)
• Blackbanded Darter (Percina nigrofasciata)
• Bronze Darter (Percina palmaris)

Next is a cylindrical sunfish tank with a pop-up "bubble" for visitors to get a 360 degree view of 3 different Lepomis species among others (which makes it great for side-by-side comparisons of the fish).

Spoiler: Cylindrical Sunfish Tank

• Striped Shiner (Luxilus chrysocephalus)
• Common Creek Chub (Semotilus atromaculatus)
• Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)
• Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
• Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus)
• Redspotted Sunfish (Lepomis miniatus)

Finally in Ridges to Rivers is a large, shallow pool with a pebbly bottom - a Lake Sturgeon touch tank. This was a very unique opportunity - I am always a fan of touch tanks (when properly managed) as a way to encourage first-hand visitor experiences with animals - this is the only sturgeon touch tank I've heard of (likely not the only, but certainly the only one I've been to) and they are a fascinating species. Being able to touch a creature that lived alongside the dinosaurs is amazing.

• Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)

Mississippi Delta Country ​

Mississippi Delta Country represents the cypress swamps of the bayou - with live plants such as palms, towering artificial cypress trees and hanging moss, and even a creaking boardwalk underfoot, this charming exhibit has a wealth of turtle species and, of course, alligators.


As guests walk in, they will first find an enclosure on their left, with cypress roots, a sloping mud bank, weeds and lamps for basking.
(My turtle skills also aren't the best - beyond for sure a few Spotted Turtles, a Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle or two, and a Chicken Turtle, I couldn't identify the others. I think these may go off and on exhibit and may have a rotational system given that they are ambassador animals (either that or the signage is just outdated))

Spoiler: Turtle Exhibit

• American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
• Eastern Mud Turtle (Kinosternon subrubrum)
• Razor-Backed Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus)
• Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle (Graptemys flavimaculata)
• Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
• Barbour’s Map Turtle (Graptemys barbouri)
• Pearl River Map Turtle (Graptemys pearlensis)
• Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata)
• Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
• Green Sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
• Swordspine Snook (Centropomus ensiferus)

A large, open-topped swamp tank follows, taking up a good portion of the room. This has great underwater viewing, and the fish and turtles were being fed during this time, which made it easy to see most of the residents of this enclosure. Also in this pool though not restricted to it were a pair of Wood Ducks and two female Hooded Mergansers.

Spoiler: Main Delta Country Pool

• Florida Redbelly Turtle (Pseudemys nelsoni)
• Southern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys dorsalis)
• Razor-Backed Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus)
• Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia)
• Florida Softshell (Apalone ferox)
• Eurasian Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
• Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
• Bowfin (Amias calva)
• Golden Redhorse (Moxostoma erythrurum)
• Bass species (unsigned, most likely a Hybrid Striped Bass based on coloration)
• Red Swamp Crayfish (Procambarus clarkia)

The stars of the show live in "Alligator Bayou", a large pool with a "Gator Crossing" sign, mock cypress stumps, many plantings around the edges, land areas, and logs both under and above water. The alligators were being fed while I was there and they definitely drew attention. I also liked the fact that every resident of this exhibit has alligator in their name

• American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)
• Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula)
• Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)

I moved somewhat quick through Delta Country due to crowds and unfortunately missed the wall terrarium From geomorph's list and the aquarium website it seems to usually hold Gopher Tortoise, Eastern Rat Snake and Corn Snake as a mixed-species display.

Multiple birds apparently usually inhabit this area, just like the Appalachian Cove Forest, but again these birds have either been moved behind-scenes due to avian flu or are no longer held. Bold species are ones I saw and can confirm are on exhibit.

• Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)
• Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)
• Northern Cardinal, Eastern Bluebird, Summer Tanager, Snowy Egret

That wraps up this part of the aquarium. I find this to be the most underrated area of at least River Country and potentially the entire complex - its lack of notable animals to much of the public beyond the river otters and alligators can lead to many simply breezing through it. Small freshwater fish rarely draw much attention from most, but I need to give the Tennessee Aquarium credit for including eye-catching displays about the numbers of different species present here - while in this area, I several times heard "I had no idea we had so many fish here," "I didn't know Tennessee had the highest fish diversity in America," and similar sentiments. The Aquarium has really placed emphasis on the smaller life of its states waters and it seems to be paying off with newfound appreciation for resident species.

I'll be back tomorrow with the 2nd portion of River Journey, consisting of the massive River Giants tank, the wonderful Rivers of the World area, the fascinating Turtles of the World room and the great Tennessee River Country complex.

 

[Persephone]

Sturgeon touch tanks are certainly rare but seem to be getting more common. Great Lakes Aquarium and Shedd have them. I’ve heard about at least one aquarium out west with one, too. Tennessee’s freshwater aquarium blows Georgia’s equivalent section out of the water, and I like the display of the saltwater section, too. Really is a shame it gets overlooked due to not having whale sharks / manta rays / cetaceans and Chattanooga not being the same population and transit center that Atlanta is.

 

[Crotalus]

Sturgeon touch tanks are certainly rare but seem to be getting more common. Great Lakes Aquarium and Shedd have them. I’ve heard about at least one aquarium out west with one, too. Tennessee’s freshwater aquarium blows Georgia’s equivalent section out of the water, and I like the display of the saltwater section, too. Really is a shame it gets overlooked due to not having whale sharks / manta rays / cetaceans and Chattanooga not being the same population and transit center that Atlanta is.

Completely agree! It's a great facility, though I'm somewhat glad Georgia takes some of the crowds away Glad there are other sturgeon touch tanks too, very cool species that a large majority of visitors are unfamiliar with.

 

[Crotalus]

Continuing on today with River Giants, Rivers of the World, Turtles of the World, and the Tennessee River Gallery, the largest areas in the River Journey building.

River Giants​

River Giants consists of a massive tank viewed through several glass windows located in what's called the "Canyon." The Canyon consists of a view of the different levels of the aquarium, which is about 12 stories tall. Looking down into it from the top floor (immediately after leaving Mississippi Delta Country) provides a sneak peek of what's to come. River Giants is the exhibit that immediately follows Delta Country.

This massive tank is home to some of the largest fish species in the world, hailing from the Amazon, Nile, Mekong, and Ganges Rivers among others. Most of the upper water column is free of obstructions, while the bottom consists of a pebbly substrate. Faux water weeds, logs, large boulders and what seems to be pieces of a submerged dock provide a degree of cover and resting places for more sedentary fish.

This is the only aquarium in River Journey that is not based on a specific ecosystem, river, or location, but the size of these species necessitates this. It is a very successful draw, with many people stopping and marveling at especially the arapaima.

Note: Most of the titanic species here were pretty readily visible for obvious reasons - though two species seemed off-exhibit. No Wallago or Redtail Catfish could be seen. Redtail Catfish were also signed, but not seen, in the Amazon River tank later in this post, suggesting to me that they may be gone from the collection (I'd expect them to be in one of the two tanks at least if the aquarium still has them).

Spoiler: River Giants

• Giant Gourami (Osphronemus goramy)
• Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula)
• Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
• Iridescent Shark (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus)
• Giant Pangasius (Pangasius sanitwongsei)
• Goonch Catfish (Bagarius yarrelli)
• Wallago (Wallago attu)
• Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)
• Barramundi (Lates calcarifer)
• White Sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)
• Lake Sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens)
• Nile Perch (Lates niloticus)
• Freshwater Whipray (Urogymnus dalyensis)

Rivers of the World​

Similar to Ridges to Rivers, Rivers of the World consists of a variety of tanks in a wide, darkened hallway, with the aquariums representing different environments. Rather than areas of Tennessee, though, Rivers of the World focuses on showing life from the world's different river systems alongside a few lakes.

This was also one of my favorites due to the sheer amount of species on display, with plenty of lifers for me.


Starting the area is a display of the Amazon River, representing its dry and wet seasons and how the forests flood. The two enclosures are set up similarly, being largely vertical, with one being a vivarium and the other an aquarium.

Dry Amazon Forest Vivarium:

• Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus batesii)
• Anthony’s Poison Arrow Frog (Epipedobates anthonyi)
• Splash-Backed Poison Frog (Adelphobates galactonotus) – yellow-backed variant
• Blue Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius azureus)

Flooded Amazon Forest Tank:

• Blue Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus)
• Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)

Next up is a well-vegetated aquarium (both above and below water, with many weeds, ferns and mosses) representing New Guinea's Fly River.

Spoiler: Fly River

• Red-Bellied Short-Necked Turtle (Emydura subglobosa)
• Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)

• Red Rainbowfish (Glossolepis incisus)
• Lake Wanam Rainbowfish (Glossolepis wanamensis)
• Lake Kutubu Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia lacustris)
• Dwarf Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia praecox)
• Boeseman’s Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia boesemani)
• Lake Tebera Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia herbertaxelrodi)
• Macculloch’s Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia maccullochi)

The Chinese Mountain Stream is a beautiful little tank with plenty of stumps and logs for lizard basking - I could not locate the Hillstream Loach and have marked it, but it's possible it was hiding.

Spoiler: Chinese Mountain Stream

• Chinese Crocodile Lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus)
• Beale’s Eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei)

• White Cloud Mountain Minnow (Tanichthys albonubes)
• Chinese Barb (Barbodes semifasciolatus)
• Paradise Fish (Macropodus opercularis)
• Zhou’s Scarlet Goby (Rhinogobius zhoui)
• Butterfly Hillstream Loach (Beaufortia kweichowensis)

The Volga River was next - it was great to see some of the colder water streams represented, as many aquariums focus on the well-known South American, Indian, and African river systems without acknowledging the life present in more northern waterways. It has a gravelly bottom with boulders and branches.

• Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii)
• Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii)
• Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus)

The first large Amazon River tank, and the second Amazon aquarium in the hall, has a large variety of small and large fish species. Many of the schooling cichlids, tetras, and pencilfish were easily spotted, with the turtle also showing itself quickly. It is well vegetated with many logs casting shadows onto the tank floor - I managed to find the corydoras down there, as well as a twig catfish on a log. Unfortunately, the hatchetfish and knifefish, both fascinating species, were no-shows.

Spoiler: Amazon River Tank 1

• Red-Headed Amazon River Turtle (Podocnemis erythrocephala)

• Panda Corydoras (Corydoras panda)
• Cardinal Tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
• Elephantnose Knifefish (Stenarchorhynchus oxyrhynchus)
• Marbled Hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata)
• Gold-Ringed Headstander (Synaptolaemus latofasciatus)
• Agassiz’s Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma agassizii)
• Mendez’s Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma mendezi)
• Twig Catfish (Farlowella acus)
• Triangle Cichlid (Uuaru amphiacanthoides)
• Striped Headstander (Anostomus anostomus)
• Golden Pencilfish (Nannostomus beckfordi)
• Three-Spot Headstander (Pseudanos trimaculatus)
• Rummy-Nose Tetra (Hemigrammus rhodostomus)

Immediately after this is another Amazon tank for a very famous resident - the Electric Eel. Miguel Wattson, the Aquarium's eel, is somewhat of a local celebrity in Chattanooga, having his own Twitter page and even lighting up a Christmas tree outside his aquarium a few years ago. The tank is pretty vertical, with cover and logs for Miguel, but easily the most interesting thing about this aquarium are sensors that can detect the electricity Miguel is presently emitting. The hum of electricity can constantly be heard here as Miguel sends out small amounts of electricity - when he releases volts above a certain limit, a Tweet is sent out from his Twitter account, and the hum in the area grows significantly louder. I found this an amazing way to engage the public with such a charismatic species, though I'll fully admit bias since this animal is one of my favorite fish

• Electric Eel (Electrophorus electricus)
• Serpae Tetra (Hyphessobrycon eques)
• Ember Tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
• X-Ray Tetra (Pristella maxillaris)
• Ternetz’s Anostomus (Anostomus ternetzi)

A tank showcasing the creatures of the Congo River comes next, emulating a rainforest environment. I was hoping to spot the Dwarf Crocodile, but they were nowhere to be found - same goes for the Leopard Bush Fish. All the distichodus, tilapia, cichlids and tetras were very active.

Spoiler: Congo River

• Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis tetraspis)

• Lionhead Cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius)
• Leopard Bush Fish (Ctenopoma acutirostre)
• Spotted Tilapia (Pelmatolapia mariae)
• Six-Banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus)
• Silver Distichodus (Distichodus affinis)
• Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus interruptus)
• Altus Tetra (Brachypetersius altus)
• Long-Fin Tetra (Brycinus longipinnis)
• Blood-Red Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis lifalili)
• Martorelli’s Barb (Enteromius martorelli)
• Ablabe’s Barb (Enteromius ablabes)
• Demeusii Cichlid (Thoracochromis demeusii)

The obligatory piranha aquarium comes next, though without a pop-up bubble. It has a rock wall, driftwood, and a good-sized school of Red Piranha. Of the 6 resident species of this tank, I only managed to spot 3, one of these being of course the piranhas. The prochilodus and myleus that formerly inhabited this tank now live in Tropical Cove's connected freshwater pools.

Spoiler: Piranhas

• Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
• Striped Raphael Catfish (Platydoras armatulus)
• Eartheater Cichlid (Geophagus altifrons)
• Red Wolf Fish (Erythrinus erythrinus)
• Pinktail Chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus)
• Banded Leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus)

A small stand-alone display, consisting of a log and water weeds at the top, holds the interesting Rubber Eel. There were several of these bizarre, yet intriguing caecilians, mostly near the surface.

• Rubber Eel (Typhlonectes natans)

The Malebo Pool aquarium has several large boulders covered with ferns and an underwater rocky area with a few plants. Despite a large variety of species being listed, I was only able to confirm 3 species. Elephantnose fish and glass catfish were out in droves, with a few tetras hanging around. I managed to snap a very blurry photo of a fish that I believe is a Lionhead Cichlid way in the back, so I'll mark it as seen.

Spoiler: Malebo Pool

• Peters’s Elephantnose Fish (Gnathonemus petersii)
• African Glass Catfish (Pareutropius debauwi)
• Mottled Ctenopoma (Ctenopoma weeksii)
• Gold Congo Tetra (Phenacogrammus aurantiacus)
• Lionhead Cichlid (Steatocranus casuarius)
• Freshwater Butterflyfish (Pantodon buchholzi)
• Orangestriped Squeaker (Synodontis flavitaeniatus)
• African Brown Knifefish (Xenomystus nigri)
• Blotched Upside-Down Catfish (Synodontis nigriventris)
• Yellow-Tailed African Tetra (Alestopetersius caudalis)
• Three-Lined Tetra (Neolebias trilineatus)

The Malaysian Rainforest tank (a stand-in title; couldn't recall it's actual name) was by far my favorite of the hall. Boulders are planted with bamboo, ferns, moss, and plants of every shape and color, including oranges and reds. Underwater, the boulders and driftwood, interspersed with live plants, make for an excellent aquarium. This is without mentioning its inhabitants, which were some of the easiest to spot! The Painted Terrapin is what catches the eye, but the brightly-colored Fire Eel was also incredibly active and exploring a piece of food lodged in a log. Only 2 species were no-shows; the halfbeaks, and the Kuhli loach. Not surprised I didn't see the loach considering that in my experience, the "eel loaches" are very shy and secretive and rarely emerge except for feeding time.

Spoiler: Malaysian Rainforest

• Painted Terrapin (Batagur borneoensis)

• Pearl Gourami (Trichopodus leerii)
• Three Spot Gourami (Trichopodus trichopterus)
• Tiger Barb (Puntigrus tetrazona)
• Tinfoil Barb (Barbonymus schwanenfeldii)
• Glowlight Rasbora (Trigonostigma hengeli)
• Clown Rasbora (Rasbora kalochroma)
• Three-Lined Rasbora (Rasbora trilineata)
• Bala Shark (Balantiocheilos melanopterus)
• Clown Loach (Chromobotia macracanthus)
• Tiger Loach (Syncrossus hymenophysa)
• Kuhli Loach (Pangio kuhlii)
• Flying Fox (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus)
• Wrestling Halfbeak (Dermogenys pusilla)
• Fire Eel (Mastacembelus erythrotaenia)

The Lake Tanganyika tank has a variety of different cichlid species. The tigerfish are the stars here, though the puffer was also very noticeable. I was very happy to spot the Bubu/giraffe catfish as well as the bichir. The tank has rock walls and various logs and branches. I will say that the tank seems a bit small for the quantity of fish that inhabit it, but it is a great display of cichlid diversity.

Note: Didn't have much time to explore this tank, so I won't note which cichlids are on display and which are not. I do know for certain that the species described above, alongside the distichodus, are present.

Spoiler: Lake Tanganyika

• Front Cichlid (Cyphotilapia frontosa)
• Convict Julie (Julidochromis regani)
• Ventralis Cichlid (Ophthalmotilapia ventralis)
• Golden Featherfin Cichlid (Ophthalmotilapia nasuta)
• Ndobnoi Cichlid (Chalinochromis sp.)
• Daffodil Cichlid (Neolamprologus pulcher)
• Cylinder Cichlid (Neolamprologus cylindricus)
• Lemon Cichlid (Neolamprologus leleupi)
• White Spotted Cichlid (Tropheus duboisi)
• Blunthead Cichlid (Tropheus moorii)
• Calvus Cichlid (Altolamprologus calvus)
• Giraffe Catfish (Auchenoglanis occidentalis)
• Cuckoo Catfish (Synodontis multipunctatus)
• Six-Banded Distichodus (Distichodus sexfasciatus)
• African Tigerfish (Hydrocynus vittatus)
• Mbu Pufferfish (Tetraodon mbu)
• Ornate Bichir (Polypterus ornatipinnis)

The final aquarium in Rivers of the World is dedicated to several species of freshwater pipefish. This smallish tank has many water weeds and plants to allow these slender fish to camouflage, but I was able to find all the residents.

• Short-Tailed Pipefish (Microphis brachyurus)
• Longsnouted Pipefish (Doryichthys martensii)
• Harlequin Rasbora (Trigonostigma heteromorpha)
• Asian Stone Catfish (Hara jerdoni)
• Yoyo Loach (Botia lohachata)

The final vivarium is a very foggy one covered in moss, branches, and tropical plants. It is home to the Vietnamese Mossy Frog. Fortunately, several frogs were clinging to the glass, so finding them was a non-issue.

• Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale)

Turtles of the World​

This decently-sized dark room is centered around turtles and tortoises of the world. Features of this area include 3 mixed-species turtle exhibits, a turtle & tortoise nursery with a large variety of different baby turtle species on display, and keeper talks with ambassador turtles.

Note: Large crowds form in Turtles of the World, somewhat due to the area's geography - being more narrow than the other halls, it acts as a bottleneck of sorts and as such I was rushed through this area. Could not get a solid read on which species were on exhibit, so I'm only listing the animals that were signed.


The first exhibit is the Pocket Fen - this small exhibit has various stumps and logs, a muddy land area, and a large amount of grasses to complete the natural look. Signage for this exhibit is strange - it seems impossible to have this many turtles in the same space. As a result, I believe that A) these turtles are all ambassadors, and are therefore sometimes taken out - this is evidenced by the ambassador at the time, a Wood Turtle, signed for this exhibit; or B) this is a rotational exhibit that possibly works in tandem with the turtle exhibit in Mississippi Delta Country, with turtles being switched between those exhibits and sometimes held behind-the-scenes.

Spoiler: Pocket Fen

• Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina)
• Blanding’s Turtle (Emydoidea blandingii)
• Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) – animal encounter, off-exhibit
• Northern Red-Bellied Cooter (Pseudemys rubriventris)
• Common Musk Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus)
• Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta)

Next up is the Tropical Stream tank, with stumps, a rock pile, lamps, and both real and artificial bamboo. It's larger than the Pocket Fen enclosure with more underwater space.

Spoiler: Tropical Stream

• Keeled Box Turtle (Cuora mouhotii)
• Indochinese Box Turtle (Cuora galbinifrons)
• Bourret’s Box Turtle (Cuoura bouretti)
• Vietnamese Pond Turtle (Mauremys annamensis)
• Four-Eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata)
• Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri)

The next set of turtles and tortoises is not a true exhibit, but the Turtle Nursery - this consists of a series of shelves with plastic and glass containers holding baby turtles and tortoises of a myriad of species, with one species per container, viewed through a glass . Some turtles are found in other exhibits, where they move when they get larger, while others stay off-view. Some of these species are pretty rare - the Tennessee Aquarium does a great job of shedding light on their turtle breeding program. The species here obviously rotate, but when I was there, these were the animals that could be seen.

Spoiler: Turtle Nursery

• Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina mccordi)
• Four-Eyed Turtle (Sacalia quadriocellata)
• Beale’s Eyed Turtle (Sacalia bealei)
• Sulawesi Forest Turtle (Leucocephalon yuwonoi)
• Arakan Forest Turtle (Heosemys depressa)
• Keeled Box Turtle (Cuora mouhotii)
• Indochinese Box Turtle (Cuora galbinifrons)
• Yellow-Headed Box Turtle (Cuora aurocapitata)
• McCord’s Box Turtle (Cuora mccordi)
• Pan’s Box Turtle (Cuora pani)
• Bourret’s Box Turtle (Cuoura bouretti)
• Yucatan Box Turtle (Terrapene yucatana)
• Coahuilan Box Turtle (Terrapene coahuila)
• Big-Headed Turtle (Platysternon megacephalum)
• Black-Breasted Leaf Turtle (Geoemyda spengleri)
• Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gopherus morafkai)
• Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)
• Yellow-Blotched Map Turtle (Graptemys flavimaculata)
• Diamondback Terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin)
• Mississippi Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica kohni)
• Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii)

Rounding out Turtles of the World is the Snake-Neck Stronghold, an exhibit for Australasian snake-necked turtle species. This rock-walled aquarium only has underwater viewing and is decorated with a few logs.

• Parker’s Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina parkeri)
• Broad-Shelled River Turtle (Chelodina expansa)
• Eastern Long-Necked Turtle (Chelodina longicollis)
• Northern Snake-Necked Turtle (Chelodina rugosa)

Tennessee River​

The last full area in River Journey is the Tennessee River Gallery. This expansive hall has several smaller tanks dedicated to Tennessee's brook-dwelling fish species, as well as several very large aquariums for open river dwellers.

The first small tank is planted with a great deal of Vallisneria, titled "Backwaters." Though sunfish were signed, I only ever saw topminnows and killifish.

Spoiler: Backwaters

• Lined Topminnow (Fundulus lineolatus)
• Golden Topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus)
• Blackbanded Sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon)
• Bluespotted Sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus)
• Bluefin Killifish (Lucania goodei)
• Least Killifish (Heterandria formosa)

An interesting exhibit is a rocky, largely vertical one full of man-made debris - oars, a tire, plastic items and so on. This exhibits a lone Northern Snakehead. Signs around the tank discuss the pollution of the Tennessee River as well as the introduction of nonnative species, overall showing the various threats the river encounters.

• Northern Snakehead (Channa argus)

The Nickajack Lake tank is the first aquarium guests see upon entering and is a very impressive, incredibly deep exhibit with rocks, boulders, logs, pilings and pieces of deck, and overhangs. Exhibiting 3 species of turtle, the fascinating paddlefish, and a host of Tennessee fish such as sunfish, bass and gar, this tank is viewed from several points and even different levels. It has a large drop-off that is viewed a floor down, which some fish prefer to the lighter upper waters. I believe this tank also has sturgeon, though they were not signed - most likely White Sturgeon or Lake Sturgeon.

Spoiler: Nickajack Lake

• Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans)
• Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)
• False Map Turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)

• Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
• Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
• Redbreast Sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
• Redear Sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
• Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
• White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
• Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
• Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
• Spotted Bass (Micropterus punctulatus)
• Hybrid Striped Bass (Morone chrysops x M. saxatilis)
• Yellow Bass (Morone mississippiensis)
• Eurasian Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
• Smallmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus bubalus)
• Black Buffalo (Ictiobus niger)
• Bigmouth Buffalo (Ictiobus cyprinellus)
• Freshwater Drum (Aplodinotus grunniens)
• Spotted Gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)
• Longnose Gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
• Channel Catfish (Ictalurus punctatus)
• American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)

A set of rocky wall aquariums/vivariums display 3 different species of Tennessee River system salamanders. One, an aquarium with pebbles and large rocks, displays Hellbender, while the other two are for cave-dwelling species.

• Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis)

• Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber)

• Blackbelly Salamander (Desmognathus quadramaculatus)

The Tennessee River Conservation Area provides a look out on its namesake passing through Chattanooga, while also having several small breeding tanks for the endangered Barrens Topminnow. I had no knowledge of this fish prior to this exhibit and was pleased to see Tennessee Aquarium's breeding efforts seem to be paying off.

• Barrens Topminnow (Fundulus julisia)

Reelfoot Lake is a corner aquarium that is similar in lineup to the main Nickajack Lake tank, leading to some confusion on my end. It has several moss-covered mock cypresses in the water alongside some logs.

Spoiler: Reelfoot Lake

• Longear Sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
• Warmouth (Lepomis gulosus)
• Spotted Sunfish (Lepomis punctatus)
• White Crappie (Pomoxis annularis)
• Black Crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
• Blue Sucker (Cycleptus elongatus)
• Creek Chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus)
• Pallid Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus)
• Shortnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus)
• American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)
• Yellow Bass (Morone mississippiensis)

Finally was a weedy tank with rocks and logs for two small residents of the brooks and streams that would be devoured by Reelfoot or Nickajack Lake inhabitants.

• Whitetail Shiner (Cyprinella galactura)
• Eastern Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)

Canyon Tanks​

These two tanks, viewed from the Canyon, are outside the Tennessee River Gallery and display species from Lake Nicaragua and the Amazon River basin.

The Lake Nicaragua tank was beautiful due to the large amount of reddish-orange, schooling Midas and Red Devil cichlids, making for a great display. Other species of cichlids added to the color, with various shades of blues, greens, and purples.

Spoiler: Lake Nicaragua

• Red Devil (Amphilophus labiatus)
• Midas Cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus)
• Guapote Tigre (Parachromis managuensis)
• Wolf Cichlid (Parachromis dovii)
• Flier Cichlid (Archocentrus centrarchus)
• Yellowjacket Cichlid (Parachromis friedrichsthalii)
• Convict Cichlid (Amatitlania nigrofasciata)
• Nicaragua Cichlid (Hypsophrys nicaraguensis)
• Rainbow Cichlid (Herotilapia multispinosa)
• Blackbelt Cichlid (Vieja maculicauda)

The final tank in the River Journey complex is a large one for Amazon River fish, and has a great sense of scale as guests can look up from the bottom of the tank all the way to the surface a floor above.

Spoiler: Amazon River

• Hilaire’s Toadhead Turtle (Phrynops hilarii)
• Geoffroy’s Side-Necked Turtle (Phrynops geoffroanus)

• Banded Cichlid (Hero severus)
• Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)
• Ripsaw Catfish (Oxydoras niger)
• Leopard Catfish (Perrunichthys perruno)
• Pirapitinga (Piaractus brachypomus)
• Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)
• Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)
• Silver Dollar (Metynnis hypsauchen)

 

[Crotalus]

Finishing up today with Ocean Journey! I found Ocean Journey a very quality complex - I preferred River Journey due to its somewhat larger collection and span of different habitats and regions both in the southeastern states and worldwide, but Ocean Journey is by no means a let-down and complements River Journey nicely.

It's my experience that aquariums closer to the coast have stronger marine collections, with a few exceptions such as Shedd or Georgia - the Tennessee Aquarium seems to follow this trend, with not a massive collection of marine species. On the other hand, the exhibits for each species is in general above average.

Ocean Journey​

Tropical Cove
​

After ascending the escalator that brings guests to the top of the Ocean Journey building, visitors enter the first area, Tropical Cove. The large, pyramid-shaped glass roof lets in plenty of light to promote plant growth, and this lush area is very visually pleasing.

Ocean Journey is less focused on specific regions than River Journey, as evidenced by Tropical Cove - South American species dwell in the interconnected pools, while netted exhibits are home to species from Madagascar.

A good-sized netted exhibit with a rock outcrop in the back and a mock baobab draped with climbing ropes displays several species of lemurs, who share their space with a tortoise. It's possible that there are actually two exhibits here, with the other being to the left of this exhibit and having other branches and logs - could be some clever disguise of separating mesh. I was able to find all the animals but the Red Ruffed Lemurs.

• Red Ruffed Lemur (Varecia rubra)
• Collared Brown Lemur (Eulemur collaris)
• Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta)
• Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

A series of freshwater canals and larger pools extend throughout this area, not passing into the netted enclosures. I didn't have time to locate all the species, but I did see two Xingu River Rays, one resting on top of one another, and a large Silver Arowana.

Spoiler: Tropical Cove Pools

• Xingu River Ray (Potamotrygon leopoldi)
• Redhook Myleus (Myloplus rubripinnis)
• Common Plecostomus (Hypostomus sp. - probably Hypostomus plecostomus)
• Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)
• Eartheater Cichlid (Geophagus altifrons)
• Silver Prochilodus (Semaprochilodus taeniurus)

The typical Stingray Bay is next, with a thatched roof area for docents and keepers. The rock-edged pool has a sandy, pebbly bottom with a few smooth, flat rocks. I struggled to identify the species of stingrays on display - I know Atlantic & Southern Stingrays were on display, as well as I think a Round Stingray or two. What caught my attention was the singular Shovelnose Guitarfish and an unsigned Port Jackson Shark. All other species of rays and sharks were not on display. A few quick fish species darted around the pool as well, only one of which was signed.

Spoiler: Stingray Touch Tank

• Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (Taeniura lymma)
• Atlantic Stingray (Dasyatis sabina)
• Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus)
• Bat Ray (Myliobatis californica)
• Shovelnose Guitarfish (Pseudobatos productus)
• Coral Catshark (Atelomycterus marmoratus)
• Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
• Round Stingray (Urobatis halleri)
• Port Jackson Shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer)
• Bignose Unicornfish (Naso vlamingii)

After passing through a set of double doors, visitors walk into the Butterfly Garden (with strong air conditioning to prevent any butterfly escapees). This very lushly planted area was a treat to walk through, with a small rushing stream, colorful flowers and a variety of different butterflies alongside roaming Crested Wood Partridge. A small stream runs through the exhibit and empties into a pool almost covered with water lilies which apparently holds a Mata-Mata. I don't doubt that the turtle lives in this pool but with almost no clear view into the water it's impossible to tell. There is a small window where guests can peer into a chrysalis display for soon-to-be butterflies.

I went on a bit of a butterfly hunt in an attempt to find all the species on display here, but as with most Butterfly Houses, the species rotation is frequent. I will not mark any as unseen because it's possible that even on the next visit they will have hatched and be fluttering around the garden, or alternately have died out due to short lifespans.

Spoiler: Butterfly Garden

• Crested Wood Partridge (Rollulus rouloul)

• Mata Mata (Chelus fimbriata)

• Peleides Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides)
• Gulf Fritillary (Dione vanillae)
• Zebra Longwing (Heliconius charithonia)
• Malachite (Siproeta stelenes)
• Yellow-Edged Giant Owl (Caligo atreus)
• Common Postman (Heliconius melpomene)
• Banded Orange Heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa)
• Julia Butterfly (Dryas iulia)
• Orange-Spotted Tiger Clearwing (Mechanitis polymnia)
• Monarch (Danaus plexippus)
• Tiger Longwing (Heliconius hecale)
• Giant Owl (Caligo telamonius memnon)
• Rusty-Tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus)

Penguins' Rock​

Penguins' Rock is a single exhibit area focused on Antarctic penguins. Features of the exhibit include life-sized models of different penguin species, such as Little Blue, Emperor, and Rockhopper Penguins.

The exhibit consists of a rocky shoreline with a mural of an Antarctic ridge in the background. The water is decently deep. The penguins seem to have a good mix of land and water portions and it is a good size for the number of individuals on display. On my visit, there were 4 boxed-off areas with plexiglass panels - these were located on either side of small rocky areas and are designed to protect (to some degree) incubating penguins. There has been some Macaroni Penguin aggression to nesting Gentoo parents, which is why these panels were temporarily installed. According to a keeper, the aquarium has hatched about 20 penguins in its history, which, since since only receiving penguins in 2007, is not bad at all in my opinion. This is overall a solid exhibit - it also includes a wall indent of sorts that enables visitors to get closer to the birds.

• Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua)
• Macaroni Penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus)

Boneless Beauties​

Boneless Beauties is a series of rooms focusing mostly on invertebrate life, with a few exceptions. The aquariums are decently sized for their occupants, with no true standouts, but a few very interesting attributes about the tanks that I have seen nowhere else.

First is a mostly vertical seahorse tank with faux plants, a pebbly bottom and some rocks - mostly unremarkable, but it meets their needs. I saw one that seemed to have got its tail stuck under a rock

• Big-Belly Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis)

In the middle of the room are several cylindrical, vertical tanks with Moon Jellies. The tanks are standard for this species but a unique detail is that visitors can actually change the color of the tank to see how the lights shine through these transparent creatures. One tank has solid red, blue, and green buttons, while the other has several different buttons that each shine three different lights into the tank, making some jellies one color and others a different shade. This is a great way to engage guests with what's otherwise considered a fairly boring animal by most. I had a lot of fun testing out the different color combinations and snapping photos

• Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)

Along the wall is a dark tank emulating the open ocean, with a good number of sea nettles inhabiting it. Not much to talk about with tanks like these, it's a standard sea nettle exhibit representing their natural habitat.

• Pacific Sea Nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens)

I always love seeing cephalopods on display, so I spent some time at the Common Cuttlefish exhibit. A long rectangular tank with mock rock and coral, some faux water plants, and a dark background, the tank is basic but has 2 cuttlefish, which were huddled down near the bottom.

• Common Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)

Following this is a large cylindrical aquarium for spider crabs. It has a rocky substrate, a few artificial strands of kelp and rocks, and three or four spider crabs in it. Most spider crab exhibits do not really stand out to me (of ones I've personally seen) and this one is no different, though it does have some fish, similar to Georgia's tank for this species. The hermit crab was nowhere to be seen despite my best efforts.

• Japanese Pineapplefish (Monocentris japonica)
• Longspine Snipefish (Macroramphosus scolopax)

• Japanese Spider Crab (Macrocheira kaempferi)
• Maroon Hermit Crab (Pagurus hemphilli)

The Giant Pacific Octopus is a staple of aquariums in general but particularly any exhibits focused on marine invertebrates, and it makes an appearance here too. It seems to have two rock-walled tanks connected by a small tube, and it was located on the right on my visit. I'm not totally certain if it can access the other tank, but I hope so, since it's space is very small and was the only lackluster aquarium in this area. It's true that GPOs can fit in small spaces but the aquarium still seems to lack sufficient space (then again, I'm spoiled by Seattle's great GPO tank, which also has a connected tube system, just on a larger scale). This particular GPO seemed to be aging and the aquarium will most likely acquire another soon.

• Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
• Mottled Sea Star (Evasterias troschelii)
• Giant Plumose Anemone (Metridium farcimen)

A decently-sized reef tank extending from the wall seemed to have live corals and was bustling with activity from a variety of fish species. Another fun "scavenger hunt" tank, some species lurked in coral overhangs while others swam near the top of the tank. Only one species, the Goatfish, was signed but not on display, while 2 species, the Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips & Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, were on exhibit but not signed.

Spoiler: Medium-sized Reef Tank

• Gilded Triggerfish (Xanthichthys auromarginatus)
• Redtoothed Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
• Red Sea Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii)
• Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer)
• Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
• Regal Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Pennant Coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
• Lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)
• Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
• Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
• Harlequin Tuskfish (Choerodon fasciatus)
• Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)
• Bicolor Goatfish (Parupeneus barberinoides)
• Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
• Barcheek Unicornfish (Naso lituratus)
• Raccoon Butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula)
• Harlequin Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
• Indian Ocean Oriental Sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)
• Fusilier (Caesio sp.)
• Emperor Angelfish (Pomacanthus imperator)
• Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)

The final exhibit in Boneless Beauties is ironically for fish. That being said, it is one of the most creative and inventive exhibits I've seen. It consists of a tank viewed through a wall via several "portholes" covered with curtains - as such, the entire area behind the wall and all of the tank is in complete darkness. This is to highlight the bioluminescence of its species - the Splitfin Flashlightfish. A fascinating species, the aquarium has a good-sized school of these fish, and while I obviously cannot judge the quality of the tank they inhabit, it's certainly a unique draw, and was very effective at it.

• Splitfin Flashlightfish (Anomalops katoptron)

Island Life​

The rather vaguely named Island Life covers species from Madagascar, New Guinea, Vancouver Island and the Indo-Pacific, granting it a wide coverage of different types of habitats. It's a good complex with no poor exhibits.

The first two vivariums focus on Madagascar. The first represents one of the island's wet rainforests, while the other emulates a drier scrub forest. I absolutely love side-by-side comparison exhibits like these that represent different biomes and the varying species that inhabit them, so this was a hit for me. The exhibits are well-sized for their residents as well.
The wet forest exhibit has a similar "simulated thunderstorm" to the darter exhibit earlier, in which the tank is misted with some lighting effects. The chameleon seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.

Wet Forest

• Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis)
• Madagascar Giant Day Gecko (Phelsuma grandis)

• Green Mantella (Mantella viridis)
• Climbing Mantella (Mantella laevigata)
• Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca)

Dry Forest

• Carpet Chameleon (Furcifer lateralis)
• Standing’s Day Gecko (Phelsuma standingi)

• Spider Tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides)
• Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata)

An almost-missed, but lushly planted vivarium with great climbing opportunities in the form of branches and logs exhibits Emerald Tree Monitor.

• Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus)

Another exhibit that draws comparison to Seattle's is the tidal crash tank. Along the back wall are two open-topped, separated aquariums (with a rock wall and some mesh acting as a barrier) that represent Vancouver Island's cold-water tide pools. There is also a crawl window in which guests can go beneath the wave generator and see the water cascade over their heads into the tank, as well as get a view into the tank itself. These are great tanks with a plethora of colorful anemones and starfish. The crawl window allows for some great photo and video opportunities. Both crab species proved elusive but are also well-camouflaged against the rocks so are likely still present.

Spoiler: Wave Crash Tank 1

• Black Rockfish (Sebastes melanops)
• Canary Rockfish (Sebastes pinniger)

• Red-Banded Sea Star (Orthasterias koehleri)
• Ochre Star (Pisaster ochraceus)
• Dungeness Crab (Metacarcinus magister)
• Green Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)
• California Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)

Spoiler: Wave Crash Tank 2

• Striped Surfperch (Embiotoca lateralis)
• Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus

• Northern Feather Duster Worm (Eudistylia vancouveri)
• Red Sea Urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus)
• Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
• Giant Green Anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Fish-Eating Anemone (Urticina piscivora)
• White-Spotted Rose Anemone (Urticina eques)
• Crimson Anemone (Cribrinopsis fernaldi)
• Gumboot Chiton (Cryptochiton stelleri)
• Bat Star (Patiria miniata)
• Pacific Blood Star (Henricia leviuscula)
• Pink Sea Star (Pisaster brevispinus)
• Orange Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria miniata)
• Puget Sound King Crab (Lopholithodes mandtii)
• Strawberry Anemone (Corynactis californica)

The only "meh" exhibit is a decently sized aquarium with mock rock and fake coral for some smaller reef residents. This tank seems like it could be made much larger and suit its inhabitants' needs better, but oh well.

• Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
• Long-Spine Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus)

The final aquarium here has a myriad of Bubble-Tip Anemones for two different species of clownfish. It's a well-done aquarium with faux (and I believe some real) coral structures and rocks for the anemones to attach to.

• Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)

• Bubble-Tip Anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)

Secret Reef​

This area seems to have a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to naming I saw the same large, connected tank signed as "Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary" (consistent with Rivers of the World naming its aquariums after specific locations) and "Undersea Caverns" (though from what I can tell, Undersea Caverns may be the name of a specific viewing location). I also found it odd that the area is named Secret Reef, a different name from the main tank, yet only contains that one massive tank.

Naming confusion aside, Secret Reef is an impressive, 618,000 gallon reef aquarium with plenty of resident species. Viewed from many different locations and even different floors, the best viewing area in my opinion is the Undersea Caverns area, which places visitors in the perspective of a diver exploring a reef cave and looking up to see the schooling fish, rays, and sharks. With several sitting areas in the form of the mock rock ledges, ceiling views up into the tank, branched off areas that provide looks at the depths of the tank and spots to view some shyer fish, this is easily the stand-out of Ocean Journey.

I saw all the cartilaginous fish in this exhibit but unfortunately did not manage to get a list of all the bony fish I saw - that being said, I feel as though the signage for this exhibit is fairly accurate, and I do know that I did not see any species in the tank which were not signed. Unfortunately, the only no-show was also the species I was most looking forward to finding - the Green Sea Turtle. Possible he was out of sight or in the shallow, off-view areas of the tank (maybe being fed).

Spoiler: Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

• Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

• Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari)
• Southern Stingray (Hypanus americanus)
• Sand Tiger Shark (Carcharias taurus)
• Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)

• Crevalle Jack (Caranx hippos)
• Horse-Eye Jack (Caranx latus)
• Blue Runner (Caranx crysos)
• Permit (Trachinotus falcatus)
• Lookdown (Selene vomer)
• Bermuda Sea Chub (Kyphosus sectatrix)
• Creolefish (Paranthias furcifer)
• Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber)
• Queen Angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris)
• French Angelfish (Pomacanthus paru)
• Gray Angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus)
• Black Durgon (Melichthys niger)
• Ocean Triggerfish (Canthidermis sufflamen)
• Queen Triggerfish (Balistes vetula)
• Atlantic Blue Tang (Acanthurus coeruleus)
• Ocean Surgeonfish (Acanthurus bahianus)
• Doctorfish Tang (Acanthurus chirurgus)
• Sergeant Major (Abudefduf saxatilis)
• Spotfin Butterflyfish (Chaetodon ocellatus)
• Reef Butterflyfish (Chaetodon sedentarius)
• Cottonwick Grunt (Haemulon melanurum)
• Yellowtail Snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus)
• Squirrelfish (Holocentrus adscensionis)
• Blackbar Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus)
• Spotfin Burrfish (Chilomycterus reticulatus)

That concludes the Tennessee Aquarium! I hope this species list was informative and helpful; I plan on visiting the Georgia Aquarium & ZooAtlanta in the near future, as well as the Birmingham Zoo, and posting species lists for those facilities as well.

The Tennessee Aquarium is not often brought up when talking about America's best aquariums, with the conversation usually revolving around such giants as Georgia, Shedd, Monterey Bay, Aquarium of the Pacific, and the National Aquarium. Tennessee is usually an afterthought - still, having visited Shedd, Georgia, and the National Aquarium, I feel confident saying that although its marine collection pales in comparison to the others, it is very much a "must-see" aquarium, and worth making a trip to. It is a memorable aquarium that will not take up your entire day, but has a respectable collection including a great freshwater fish roster and a wide variety of turtles.

~ Crotalus

 

[DavidBrown]

I feel confident saying that although its marine collection pales in comparison to the others, it is very much a "must-see" aquarium, and worth making a trip to. It is a memorable aquarium that will not take up your entire day, but has a respectable collection including a great freshwater fish roster and a wide variety of turtles.

Thanks for the review of the Tennessee Aquarium. It is an aquarium that I hope to visit someday, and I enjoyed your review and species list.

As you note, the marine collection is not the strength of this aquarium, and was developed as a secondary addition. I remember when the Tennessee Aquarium opened it was billed as the largest freshwater aquarium in the world. That was its major selling point for several years, and it sounds like is still what makes it special compared to other North American aquariums.

 

[CMP]

Wow, great work! Thank you for the wonderful updated list, we'd been in need of one for a while! I knew the Tennessee aquarium was special, but it may very well be within striking distance of Shedd in my eyes. The freshwater exhibits seem to be expertly stocked, full of very nice species! To think I've passed through Chattanooga on 4 occasions but never had the opportunity to make a visit...

I also love the 'path of water' theme. For an aquarium up in the Appalachians, its perfect. The accurate theming of exhibits to actual lakes (Ones in opposite corners of the state) is a really nice touch that I wish every zoo would try to emulate.

The turtle nursery and some of the other species seem really nice too. As much as I'd love to visit, I'd also be a little apprehensive of trying to identify all of those very similar fish species that share exhibits, like all those shiners and darters .

One tank has solid red, blue, and green buttons, while the other has several different buttons that each shine three different lights into the tank, making some jellies one color and others a different shade. This is a great way to engage guests with what's otherwise considered a fairly boring animal by most. I had a lot of fun testing out the different color combinations and snapping photos

Interesting, Monterey Bay Aquarium also employs this exhibit style for one of their exhibits showcasing juvenile jellies.

The final exhibit in Boneless Beauties is ironically for fish. That being said, it is one of the most creative and inventive exhibits I've seen. It consists of a tank viewed through a wall via several "portholes" covered with curtains - as such, the entire area behind the wall and all of the tank is in complete darkness. This is to highlight the bioluminescence of its species - the Splitfin Flashlightfish. A fascinating species, the aquarium has a good-sized school of these fish, and while I obviously cannot judge the quality of the tank they inhabit, it's certainly a unique draw, and was very effective at it.

A number of other aquariums actually have this as well, I've seen it at Dallas World Aquarium, Shedd, and California Academy of Sciences, and it is equally fascinating each time.

 

[Persephone]

The Tennessee Aquarium has the misfortune of being in a small to mid size city with a negligible tourist market. Georgia is also down the road. If their geographic positions were flipped I think Tennessee would at least be mentioned in the same breath as America’s other great aquariums. Setting collections aside, Secret Reef is my favorite “flagship” tank at any aquarium I’ve visited. I love how it’s revealed slowly from different angles, top to bottom. It makes a good counterpart to the canyon.

 

[SwampDonkey]

FWIW, Tennessee has always been one of the "top" aquariums in the US in my mind. The freshwater focus was (and is) unique and sets it apart. I have always thought of it as the freshwater and eastern USA counterpart to MBA.

Fantastic review and information, I can tell you put a lot of effort into this thread.

 

[Astrotom3000]

Thank you very much for post this review and write-up.

I visited this facility last June and it instantly became my favorite aquarium of all time (and is currently my 2nd-favorite zoological facility behind Omaha). As mentioned, its freshwater focus really sets it apart from all other aquariums, and it thus has a large amount of species you really won't find anywhere else in the AZA. I am a really huge turtle fan, so the large number of turtle species on display was definitely the highlight for me.

I never got around to posting a review or species list myself and in fact, I visited a bunch of facilities in the past 2 years that I never posted about, and fell very behind as a result. Maybe someday, I will do a cumulative thread with some retrospectives or something like that if people are interested.

The biggest change that occurred since my visit was that Ridges to Rivers replaced a former exhibit called the discovery zone. This exhibit had more of a mixture of animals, but was still mostly focused on North American species; they had a display of poison dart frogs, hellbenders, diamondback terrapins, and others.

 

[Crotalus]

Thank you all for the kind words everyone - looking forward to visiting some of the other zoos and aquariums near me and making more of these kinds of threads.

As you note, the marine collection is not the strength of this aquarium, and was developed as a secondary addition. I remember when the Tennessee Aquarium opened it was billed as the largest freshwater aquarium in the world. That was its major selling point for several years, and it sounds like is still what makes it special compared to other North American aquariums.

That makes total sense, and I couldn't agree more. The closest thing I have seen is Shedd's respectable freshwater collection, though Amazon Rising was unfortunately closed during my visit.

I also love the 'path of water' theme. For an aquarium up in the Appalachians, its perfect. The accurate theming of exhibits to actual lakes (Ones in opposite corners of the state) is a really nice touch that I wish every zoo would try to emulate.

The turtle nursery and some of the other species seem really nice too. As much as I'd love to visit, I'd also be a little apprehensive of trying to identify all of those very similar fish species that share exhibits, like all those shiners and darters .

It's the first aquarium I've seen that prominently mentions the geographic location each tank focuses on, which I found was very informative and useful - it reminds me of the dioramas at AMNH with their specific locations.

The shiners and darters certainly were a pain, especially with not every species on exhibit - some brightly colored ones (like the Tangerine Darter, smartly chosen as the "face" of River Journey) were easy but over half are silver-brown fish with a lighter stripe down the sides

Interesting, Monterey Bay Aquarium also employs this exhibit style for one of their exhibits showcasing juvenile jellies.

A number of other aquariums actually have this as well, I've seen it at Dallas World Aquarium, Shedd, and California Academy of Sciences, and it is equally fascinating each time.

Good to know other aquariums use these types of displays! Having kayaked around Moon Jellies a lot, they're always somewhat of an "oh, neat" display for me rather than an attention-grabber, but this method of showcasing them was fascinating.

The Tennessee Aquarium has the misfortune of being in a small to mid size city with a negligible tourist market. Georgia is also down the road. If their geographic positions were flipped I think Tennessee would at least be mentioned in the same breath as America’s other great aquariums. Setting collections aside, Secret Reef is my favorite “flagship” tank at any aquarium I’ve visited. I love how it’s revealed slowly from different angles, top to bottom. It makes a good counterpart to the canyon.

It's presentation was the best out of any tank, and one of the best of the ones I've visited - I have no issue with the typical, popular "shark tunnel" that seems to be everywhere these days, but this was a great contrast that also feels more natural to me.

FWIW, Tennessee has always been one of the "top" aquariums in the US in my mind. The freshwater focus was (and is) unique and sets it apart. I have always thought of it as the freshwater and eastern USA counterpart to MBA.

Now that I've seen one, just gotta visit the other Monterey's been on my bucket list a while and I'm thrilled by their Into the Deep exhibit.

I visited this facility last June and it instantly became my favorite aquarium of all time (and is currently my 2nd-favorite zoological facility behind Omaha). As mentioned, its freshwater focus really sets it apart from all other aquariums, and it thus has a large amount of species you really won't find anywhere else in the AZA. I am a really huge turtle fan, so the large number of turtle species on display was definitely the highlight for me.

I never got around to posting a review or species list myself and in fact, I visited a bunch of facilities in the past 2 years that I never posted about, and fell very behind as a result. Maybe someday, I will do a cumulative thread with some retrospectives or something like that if people are interested.

The biggest change that occurred since my visit was that Ridges to Rivers replaced a former exhibit called the discovery zone. This exhibit had more of a mixture of animals, but was still mostly focused on North American species; they had a display of poison dart frogs, hellbenders, diamondback terrapins, and others.

A cumulative thread would be great, I'd love to see it.

Their turtle collection is unmatched out of any facility I've visited, and while not all the species are on display at the same time given the turtle nursery (with the rotation and animal ambassadors also being a factor) it's a must-see for any turtle lover.

I saw that in geomorph's 2018 species list - it was one of the primary motivators for me to make this thread! Beyond the Estuary tank and treefrogs/newts, doesn't seem like any species has entirely left the collection, just been moved around - not having been to Discovery Hall when it was open, I think that Ridges to Rivers better complements the Tennessee theming that precedes it with Appalachian Cove Forest.

 

[Lucas Lang]

Thanks for sharing, the freshwater and reptile collection is so wonderful!