It’s A Baby Shower! Texas State Aquarium Welcomes Captive-Bred Babies
Featured Image Credit: Texas State Aquarium
By: Kira Krall
The Texas State Aquarium recently welcomed captive-bred clownfish, cuttlefish, sharks, and alligators to its growing fresh and saltwater collection. Some were born at the Aquarium while others were transferred from other facilities, like the eight baby alligators that made their way to the Lone Star state from Louisiana. They’ll be featured in the Nearshore exhibit until they grow large enough to return to their wide-open habitat.
Image Credit: Youtube Screenshot
Some of the new arrivals, similar to the white-spotted bamboo shark pup pictured above, contribute to public education. Guests can see what it takes to rear the pups from egg casing to juveniles to adults.
Captive breeding programs like this take a lot of the pressure off of wild populations. Take the curious case of the common clownfish. When Finding Nemo debuted in 2003, clownfish sales skyrocketed. According to University of Queensland marine biologist Carmen de Silva, 90% of pet clownfish sold are wild caught.
Image Credit: Tyler Jones University of Florida/IFAS
Baby blue tangs reared at the University of Florida’s Tropical Aquaculture lab. Dory’s live blue tang counterparts have seen a dramatic spike in popularity and only recently received a reprieve from overexploitation. The UF-based lab-bred them for the first time in captivity in 2016.
Programs like this help sustain healthy wild populations, but also diminish the sometimes destructive collection methods. Reef fish hunters poison the water with cyanide to stun the fish and make them easier to catch. The coral itself is often broken off to catch the prized fish hiding in the reef’s crevices. Overfishing, in general, can also cause ecosystem imbalances since every species provides some sort of benefit to their surrounding environment.
The Texas State Aquarium combines their sustainable captive breeding program with their conservation initiatives. They lead by example by making environmentally friendly facility upgrades and facilitating environmental education programs. Visit an aquarium near you to check out their captive bred babies!
