ISSUED: August 15, 2000CONTACT: Sue Knapp, (617) 973-5213 [email protected]
ROGUE BATFISH PLACED ON EXHIBITNew England Aquarium Cares for Alien Species
Staff at the New England Aquarium are pleased to announce that two Pacific batfish recently collected from Atlantic waters will soon be on public exhibit. After their quarantine behind-the-scenes, the animals will be released into the Giant Ocean Tank exhibit on August 23, 2000.
On April 27, 2000, in a joint effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Dynasty Marine, Inc, the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF) and New England Aquarium, divers collected the batfish (Platax orbicularus) from Molasses Reef in the Florida Keys. Pacific batfish are just that: Pacific. They have no business residing in the Atlantic. REEF officials, based in Key Largo, Florida, have been keeping track of this alien species since 1994. At first, the appearance of two Pacific batfish wasn't much cause for concern. But when one more appeared on the reef, the National Marine Sanctuary officials worried that the fish would breed and displace native animals. Experts speculate home aquarium owners probably released the batfish when their small juveniles quickly grew and became too big for their tanks. Adults can reach two feet across.
New England Aquarium senior aquarist and dive instructor Holly Martel Bourbon eagerly jumped at the chance to round up the batfish and display them at the popular Boston facility. In a carefully coordinated expedition, two of the three alien batfish were captured in just a few hours. The third, not seen for about three months, was just recently spotted again at Molasses Key.
After a short stay at Dynasty Marine in Marathon, Florida, the two batfish flew to Boston courtesy of American Airlines. According to Holly, "they are poster fish for the dangers posed by invasive species." Introduced species can wreak havoc with native plants and animals. Exotic species can compete with the native ones; they can alter habitats; they can change predator/prey relationships; and they can transmit foreign diseases or parasites. Zebra mussels and purple loosestrife are two New England examples of non-indigenous species upsetting our delicate environmental balance.
The batfish will reside in the Aquarium's 200,000-gallon Giant Ocean Tank, which recreates a Caribbean coral reef community. These two fish range in size from 10 to 14 inches across. They have yellow-ish fins with black stripes and a pale white body. In the tank, it is expected they will hang out with their Atlantic cousins, the spadefish, who have a similar size and shape. The Giant Ocean Tank, the centerpiece of the New England Aquarium, is home to 130 species and 700 specimens including sharks, rays, eels, sea turtles and a vast variety of fish.
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Media are invited to see the batfish introduced to the exhibit at the New England Aquarium at 10 a.m. on August 23, 2000. Call (617) 973-5213 for details.
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