Aquarium

February 18, 20243min readCharlotte, a stingray in a small North Carolina aquarium, is taking a DIY approach to reproductionBy Stephanie Pappas A stingray in a small aquarium in Hendersonville, N.C., has become pregnant—despite living in a tank without a male ray. This seemingly miraculous event has stirred up online speculation that the expecting stingray, Charlotte, may have been impregnated by one of the small sharks that share her tank at the Aquarium & Shark Lab. But experts say that’s extraordinarily unlikely,…

When B.C. marine scientist Anna Hall encountered a very lost loggerhead turtle in waters near Victoria over the weekend, she knew it faced a grim fate at sea."The turtle would not have survived," said Hall, principal scientist at consulting group Sea View Marine Sciences."Had the turtle stayed in the ocean, either it would have died due to hypothermia, or it would have been hit by a boat. It was just moving so, so slowly."Hall was the first marine biologist to respond Sunday after a resident near Pedder Bay between…

An orca matriarch known as "one of the most prolific female killer whales" on record is presumed dead after nearly a year without a sighting on the West Coast, according to B.C. researchers.T46, also known as Wake, was a transient or Bigg's killer whale thought to have been born in 1966.Jared Towers, a research technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and executive director of Bay Cetology, said Wake birthed eight calves during her reproductive years. Her daughters gave birth to 15 grandchildren, and her granddaughters…

A large sea otter has been making rounds as the most notorious surfboard stealing sea creature this side of the Pacific Ocean. As of Wednesday, the aggro otter—herself a member of an endangered species found in central California—still remains at large, stalking the waters off the coast of Santa Cruz for her next barney victim.Cecilia Rose Gooding on the Writers Strike | io9 InterviewThe 5-year-old female otter has been designated “otter 841” by California wildlife officials. Her usual MO is to jump onto surfer’s boards…

An adult zebra shark at Shedd Aquarium’s Wild Reef exhibit. Credit: ©Shedd Aquarium/Brenna HernandezAsexual reproduction is prevalent among animals such as starfish, deep-sea worms, and stick insects, but it is a rarity among <span class="glossaryLink" aria-describedby="tt" data-cmtooltip="<div class=glossaryItemTitle>vertebrates</div><div class=glossaryItemBody>Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone and include mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. They have a…

Microalgae are widely used in products such as biofuels, nutritional supplements and cosmetics. A newly-described type has been found in a home aquarium – and it could prove to be particularly useful.Known as Medakamo hakoo, the freshwater algae was first discovered several years ago by the University of Tokyo's Prof. Tsuneyoshi Kuroiwa.He decided to analyze the water of his home goldfish aquarium under a microscope, after it all turned green shortly after he added a Japanese rice fish to the tank. Once the algae…

The AquaDom Aquarium in Berlin, Germany.Photo: Sean Gallup (Getty Images)The AquaDom, the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium, burst on Friday morning in Berlin, releasing more than 264,000 gallons of water (a million liters) onto the premises, which also house a hotel, museum, and cafes. On Twitter, the Berlin police said that there had been “unbelievable maritime damage.”Videos and photos posted to social media by hotel guests on Friday show absolutely jaw-dropping damage, with dead fish, bent support beams, and broken…

An African penguin named Beach Donkey walks through New England Aquarium exhibit halls in custom shoes, October 2022.Photo: Vanessa Kahn (New England Aquarium)An adorable African penguin at the New England Aquarium in Boston has gotten a new lease on life, thanks to special sandals that help her walk as she recovers from a foot condition.Beach Donkey, a 24-year-old African penguin, was diagnosed with pododermatitis (aka bumblefoot) in 2020. The condition is common in captive penguins and is often identified as …

At first glance, you see an aquarium (hopefully) filled with fish. You look again, and realize it’s not an aquarium: it’s a PC. Actually, it’s both! The Y2 Fish Tank Chassis combines a beautiful 13 liter aquarium with an industrial-looking horizontal PC tower, and we love it. Metal Fish, the Chinese maker of the Y2 Fish Tank Chassis, is a PC parts manufacturer with a wide range of towers, motherboards, fans, and wires. Plopping an aquarium to the top of one of their towers seems strange at first, but when you think…