Aquarium

Welcome to the Toledo Zoo Aquarium. This Aquarium first opened in 1939 as one of the WPA projects. The outside of the building shows its original architecture from that time. In 2015, the building was renovated, keeping the historical outer brick structure while updating the interior tanks. The Aquarium has over 178,000 gallons of water, about nine backyard swimming pools. Throughout the many tanks are over 3,000 species of aquatic animals including fish, crabs, octopus, sea stars and turtles.

As you enter the Aquarium, the lighting is dimmed and there is instrumental music playing throughout the building to create a calming atmosphere. This audio tour will start with tanks in the main lobby as you enter, then take a left to go in a circle around the building.

As you enter the main lobby of the Aquarium, there are two large tanks. The tank to the right is the Gulf of Mexico Tank. This is the second-largest tank in the Aquarium with floor-to-ceiling glass. It is viewable from where you are standing in the lobby as well as from the back hallway. Along the center of the tank are very large rocks, and the floor of the tank is covered in small rocks and sand. This tank most notably houses our green sea turtle as well as bonnethead sharks, a few species of stingray and tarpon, which are a species of fish.

In our Gulf of Mexico Tank lives our rescued Green sea turtle named Tink. Tink was struck by a boat in the wild and is unable to swim typically. Tink now has a condition known as “bubble butt.” This happens when a pocket of air gets trapped under the shell and creates issues with buoyancy, causing Tink’s backend to float upward. It is similar to trying to dive while wearing a life jacket—the jacket pulls you up, making it difficult to go under. To help, Zoo staff added weights to Tink’s shell to balance them out. Tink can often be found moving around the exhibit or resting on the ground in front of the viewing glass.

Green sea turtles are found worldwide in shallow coastal waters where there are seagrass beds, bays, lagoons and some coral reefs. They have large hard shells that are brown, olive or grey in color with paddle-like flippers and small heads. Green sea turtles get their name not from the color of their shells but from the greenish color of their fat. They are a light green, like slippery seagrass waving on the ocean floor or slick algae on a rock. Unlike other sea turtles, green sea turtles are primarily herbivores, feeding on seagrass and algae, which gives them their green color. Green sea turtles are one of the world’s largest species of turtle, capable of weighing over 300 pounds—that is about as much as a refrigerator.

The second large tank in the main lobby is to your left and is our Flooded Forest Tank. This tank also has floor-to-ceiling glass for viewing. Across the center are large trees, similar to a flooded mangrove swamp found in the Amazon Basin. These trees have long, dense, tangled roots stretching across the floor of this exhibit. This tank is home to multiple freshwater species found in the Amazon including the arapaima, one of the largest species of freshwater fish in the world.

The most noticeable fish in this tank is the arapaima, weighing more than 400 pounds—that is about as much as a motorcycle. They have a long-streamlined body, with some reaching up to 10 feet in length, about the same length as a parking spot. Arapaima are a dull grey to greyish green with deep red markings toward their tails. Unlike other species of fish, arapaima breathe air rather than through gills. This means they may be observed swimming to the top of the tank to breathe every 10–20 minutes. Arapaima primarily eat smaller fish but are also known to eat small mammals, birds, frogs, worms and crustaceans. They have even been known to eat fruits, seeds and plant matter found at the surface of the water.

As you walk up the ramp after the main lobby, the Japanese spider crab tank is straight ahead. These crabs will most likely be walking around the bottom of the tank or climbing slightly up the sides. There are usually around four to six crabs in the tank. It is a darker tank to resemble the dark, cold waters where these crabs are found. It has a sandy bottom and some whale bones on the bottom because spider crabs often eat dead and decaying animals that have fallen to the ocean floor.

Japanese spider crabs are the world’s largest living crab. They are found in the cold, deep waters of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan. Their leg span can reach up to 12 feet claw to claw in the wild, though the ones at the Zoo are not quite that big. Their main body is about 12 inches across, about the size of a dinner plate. They are a dull reddish color with blotches on top and white on the bottom. They get their name because they have eight main legs and two smaller legs with claws.

Across from the crabs and right before our large reef tank are the smaller Jewel tanks that host a variety of unique, colorful smaller sea creatures.

In the first tank are the pot-bellied seahorses. These seahorses are one of the largest species of seahorse, with a maximum size of 14 inches, just over a foot. Pot-bellied seahorses are found in the Pacific Ocean around Australia and New Zealand. They are often found by seagrasses, just like in our tank. They use their prehensile tails to grab and hold onto the grasses. As the name suggests, pot-bellied seahorses have a large swollen belly. They can be brown, yellow, gray, white or orange. Most of the ones at the Zoo are yellow and gray. They eat crustaceans such as shrimp, which are sucked into their tube-like snouts and eaten whole.

The second tank hosts one of the most recognizable fish in the Aquarium, the clownfish, thanks to the movie Finding Nemo. This small tank is filled mostly with anemones, and the small vibrant orange and white fish often dart through them. Clownfish and anemones have formed a mutualistic relationship, relying on each other for survival. The clownfish uses the anemone as a home and for protection because the anemone stings most other fish. The anemone benefits because the clownfish help keep it clean, eat parasites and may chase predators away. These fish live in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean, particularly in coral reefs.

You are now at the largest tank in the Aquarium, the Pacific Reef Tank. This cylindrical tank can be viewed from all sides, with large floor-to-ceiling windows. This tank holds 90,000 gallons of saltwater. In the center is a large rock-like structure made to resemble a coral reef, providing shelter for many of the fish that live here. There are also smaller artificial coral structures throughout the floor and along the sides. Many species of colorful tropical fish are found in this tank as well as a few species of shark. On some occasions, there may be scuba divers in the tank working to clean the artificial coral. Some of the most notable fish in this tank are our unicornfish and sharks.

Unicornfish have long oval-shaped bodies with greenish-grey scales. They are named for the long horn sticking out from between their eyes, similar to a unicorn’s horn. Unicornfish are found in the Indo-Pacific seas. They are often where the waves break and crash because these areas carry the brown algae they feed on. Short-nose unicornfish are a medium-sized fish, typically 13–14 inches long, about the length of a shoebox. They often quickly swim past the viewing areas or rest in the artificial coral in the center of the tank.

The largest animal in this tank is our Zebra shark, reaching lengths of 9–12 feet, about as long as a compact car. When they are young, Zebra sharks have yellowish stripes, which is how they get their name. As they grow, the pattern changes from stripes to small dark spots, which leads to them often being mistakenly called leopard sharks. Adult Zebra sharks, like the ones we have here at the Zoo, are sandy in color with small dark spots covering their bodies. They have powerful tails that are almost as long as the rest of their bodies, rounded snouts and small mouths. Zebra sharks primarily eat shelled creatures like mollusks and crustaceans. They use their small mouths and powerful muscles to suck food out of shells like a vacuum. Unlike most sharks, they have flat teeth that help them crunch through tough shells. Our Zebra sharks are often found swimming along the viewing areas of the tank or resting at the bottom.

The second-largest animal in this tank is our blacktip reef shark. These sharks can grow up to 6 feet long, about the length of a surfboard. They are grey and have black markings at the tips of their fins, for which they are named. They have short, rounded faces with saw-like teeth. Blacktip reef sharks have something called countershading. This means they are darker along their backs and lighter on their bellies, similar to penguins. The darker back helps them blend with the sea floor, while the white belly helps them blend with the lighter ocean surface when viewed from below. This camouflage helps them hide from predators and sneak up on prey. Blacktip reef sharks typically feed on fish but will also eat crustaceans and mollusks. These sharks are often found swimming together along the top of this tank.

As you round the 90,000-gallon Pacific Reef Tank, you will approach the back hallway of the Aquarium. The first exhibit on your left is the sea nettle exhibit. This tank has a striking blue background that accentuates the bright orange color of the sea nettles. Sea nettles are a type of sea jelly with a bell-shaped body, long thin tentacles and four lacy white arms coming from the center of their bodies. The bell of the sea nettle is about 1 foot across, similar in size to a 2-liter bottle of pop. Sea nettles are carnivores and feed on a variety of small sea creatures including zooplankton, larval fish, eggs and small jellies. When prey brushes against their tentacles, it causes a sting that paralyzes the prey. When viewing the sea nettles, you can often find them floating about the tank.

Just past the sea nettles, there is an exhibit with a curtain about 5 feet in front of it. This curtain helps stop glare for the exhibits across the way. This is the Giant Pacific octopus exhibit. Inside is a circular, cave-like rock structure. Often at the bottom are various items of enrichment that could include Legos, a peanut butter jar or pieces of PVC piping. These items are used for the octopus to play with and solve puzzles.

The Giant Pacific octopus is the largest octopus species. It is a warm reddish pink with a pale underside on its eight arms. The eight arms have suction cups—over 2,000, in fact. From tip to tip, the octopus’ arms can measure up to 13 feet, about as long as two beds. A full-grown adult octopus can weigh more than 50 pounds, about as heavy as a large bag of dog food.

The Giant Pacific octopus is found throughout the Pacific Ocean. It prefers chilly waters of 60 degrees or colder. In these waters, the octopus hunts a variety of foods like crabs and clams. They sneak up using camouflage—octopuses are masters of disguise. They can use their beak to bite open shells or pull them apart.

The next exhibit we highlight is home to our piranhas. This is a medium-sized tank with a rocky background. The floor is covered in small brown pebbles. There are some sticks as well as small green aquatic plants. These fish like to swim in groups called schools, so you may notice them moving together throughout the tank. Piranhas have thin round bodies with strong jaws and sharp triangular-shaped teeth. Their bodies are grey with flecks of shiny silver scales and red patches on their bellies. Piranhas are found in freshwater systems of the Amazon River basin. They feed on a variety of food sources including fish, insects, crustaceans and ripe fruit.

One of the last tanks in the back hall of the Aquarium on the left-hand side is our Lake Erie Tank. This long rectangular tank houses some of the freshwater fish found here in Toledo such as walleye and Lake sturgeon. The bottom is covered in small tan and white pebbles. There are rocky formations along the back for fish to swim in and out of as well as large logs and leafy green aquatic plants.

Walleye are freshwater fish that live in cool water rivers and lakes. They are long, thin fish covered in gold and olive-colored scales with dark stripes. Walleye are typically between 2 and a half and 3 feet long, similar in length to a baseball bat. They have two dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin is spiny and sometimes sticks up almost like a mohawk. Walleye get their name from their cloudy-looking eyes, caused by a reflective layer that allows them to see in low light. This lets them hunt at night. Walleye have large mouths with sharp teeth that help them catch and eat their food. They primarily feed on small fish, invertebrates and insects. The walleye in this tank can typically be found resting toward the bottom.

The Lake sturgeon is probably the most noticeable fish in this tank due to its size. Lake sturgeon are the oldest and largest native species found in the Great Lakes. These large fish can reach up to 6 feet long, about the length of a standard couch. Lake sturgeon are also very heavy fish, weighing upwards of 200 pounds, around the same as a washing machine. Instead of scales, the Lake sturgeon has rough leathery skin and hard bony plates along the sides and back. They are typically olive or grey with lighter underbellies. Lake sturgeon have long snouts with mouths located on the underside. They do not have teeth. Instead, they have a large extendable tube-like mouth that allows them to suck up food from the bottoms of lakes and rivers. They use the sensory whiskers on their snout, called barbels, to help locate snails, crayfish, mussels, aquatic insects and even small fish and eggs to eat. These fish can often be observed sucking up food off the bottom of the tank or swimming about the tank.

Thank you for visiting the Aquarium here at the Toledo Zoo. We hope this exhibit gave you a chance to learn about some interesting ocean creatures and gain a greater appreciation for these amazing animals. Enjoy the rest of your visit here at the Toledo Zoo.