This fall and winter the DWA experienced somewhat of a baby boom. “Is it something in the water?” you may ask. The answer is actually, yes. Due to the hard work of aquarium staff and excellent husbandry practices, several of our more charismatic aquatic species have successfully reproduced.
Along the pathway from the Shark Cenote exhibit in Mundo Maya is the seahorse aquarium. The newest additions to this display are the tiny Dwarf seahorses, Hippocampus zosterae. This is one of the smallest species of seahorses with adults reaching only one inch (2.5 cm) in height. Shortly after their arrival at DWA, staff noticed that the male was pregnant. As with other seahorse species, the male seahorse receives the eggs from the female and broods them in his fleshy pouch for approximately ten days. The young seahorses mature at three months of age and have a life span of one to two years.
Dwarf seahorses are found in the coastal Gulf of Mexico including Florida and Texas waters, the Atlantic coast of Florida, and the Bahamas and Bermuda. They are restricted almost entirely to seagrass beds in shallow water, particularly in association with the seagrass Zostera. The Dwarf seahorse has been popular in the aquarium hobby since the early 1960s when they were sold in mail order catalogs, and is considered one of the hardier seahorse species.
A new generation of Ribbon seadragons, Haliichthys taeniophorus, are on display in the New Guinea micro-exhibit. In 2006, the DWA became the first aquarium in the world to successfully reproduce this species, and has since that time sent hundreds of these fascinating fish to aquariums around the world.
The Ribbon seadragon, is actually a pipe-horse, but resembles a cross between its prehensile tailed cousins, the seahorses and the ornate Leafy and Weedy seadragons.
These Ribbon dragons were born in the Fall of 2011 and represent a new genetic line of this species in the US as their parents originated in Australian waters. Currently brown in color, which is typical of juveniles of this species, adults can often be found exhibiting yellow, gold or green coloration. This change of color may be related to their surrounding habitat, so it remains to be seen how these little beauties will adapt to their new home!
The Indonesia micro-exhibit features some of the most unusual invertebrates on display at the DWA. The Flamboyant cuttlefish, Metasepia pfefferi, is aptly named for its flashy coloration, which can change in an instant. It is a small species found in sand or mud substrates in tropical waters from Indonesia, through Papua New Guinea to Australia. Its coloration may be a signal to potential predators as this deadly beauty is the only cuttlefish species known to be toxic. Unlike other species of cuttlefish, the cuttlebone of the Flamboyant cuttlefish is small and diamond shaped.
The Flamboyant cuttlefish feeds on small shrimp and other invertebrates, and has specialized tentacles that shoot out and capture their unsuspecting prey. When threatened, the Flamboyant cuttlefish can produce an ink screen to avoid predation.
The adult Flamboyant cuttlefish at the DWA were born at the Atlantis Marine Aquarium in Long Island, New York and transferred to us earlier this summer. Once they matured, they began to choose their mates, and by late November, we had our first newly hatched cuttlefish! Freshly laid eggs are white and slowly become more transparent as the young cuttlefish develop. From birth, juvenile cuttlefish are capable of the same color displays as their parents.
Be sure to enjoy our water babies on your next visit to the DWA!
