23 replies to this topic

[littlen]

Hello all,

I wanted to drop my fellow NANFAns a memo that many of you might not have heard. The National Aquarium in Washington D.C. (my place of employment) will be closing at the end of September. Plans did not come to fruition to relocate here in the Department of Commerce and subsequently/unfortunately we have to vacate the spot where we have been since 1931 when the building was erected. The National Aquarium (DC) is the oldest aquarium in the country and was originally founded in Wood's Hole Massachusetts in 1873. Most of our animals will be moved up to our 'sister venue' the National Aquarium in Baltimore shortly after we close to the public. The rest we are finding homes for at other zoos and aquariums across the U.S.

The Aquarium's focus is to bring recognition and appreciation to all of "America's Aquatic Treasures" by means of our National Marine Sanctuaries Program. We have an exhibit dedicated to each of our 14 protected sanctuaries that displays the specific habitat and species you would find at each location. We house a very diverse collection of aquatic marine and freshwater vertebrates and invertebrates--in addition to a few herps.

More specifically, my gallery consists entirely of native, freshwater species found from coast to coast, boarder to boarder. As a Senior Aquarist, I am charged with the care and maintenance of these animals on a daily basis. My collection represents most of the fish that can be found throughout the U.S., to include several T&E species. I've had the privilege to be able to go out a few times each year over the last 5 years I've worked here travling upwards of 2,000-3,000 miles in a van collecting fish for display to serve as ambassodors to the public. (As many of you know, most people think of stream fish as bait, sunfish-catfish-perch-and bass as food, and most everything else as trash or boring). I take pride in doing what I love and working with our natives.

I encourage any of you that are able, to come down to the Aquarium and check it out before it closes on Sept. 30. I would be happy to show you around and talk about my collection or the aquarium in general. Please PM me with any requests. Below I have posted a list of species that are in my gallery--currently being kept or displayed. Sorry for the shameless self promotion, but I hope to provide you with one last opportunity to visit this small, but amazing facility before it is gone!

Thanks.


Greenside darters (Etheostoma blennioides)
Longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae)
Spotfin shiners (Cyprinella spiloptera)
Margined madtom (Noturus insignis)
Gilt darters (Percina evides)
Bluebreast darters (Etheostoma camurum)
Blackside darters (Percina maculata)
Blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus)
Tessellated darters (Etheostoma olmstedi)
Fantail darters (Etheostoma flabellare)
Least killifish(Heterandria formosa)
Swamp darters (Etheostoma fusiforme)
Bluefin killifish (Lucania gooei)
Alabama shiners (Cyprinella callistia)
Southern redbelly dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster)
Snubnose darters (Etheostoma simoterum)
Blacktail shiners (Cyprinella venusta)
Blackbanded darter (Percina nigrofasciata)
Tennessee shiners (Notropis leuciodus)
Alabama darters (Etheostoma ramseyi)
Rainbow shiners (Notropis chrosomus)
Tangerine darters (Percina aurantiaca)
Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus)
Redline darters (Etheostoma rufilineatum)
Mountain redbelly dace (Phoxinus oreas)
Rosyside dace (Clinostomus funduloides)
Warpaint shiner (Luxilus coccogenis)
Blackbanded sunfish (Enneacanthus chaetodon)
Bluespotted sunfish (Enneacanthus gloriosus)
Golden topminnow (Fundulus chrysotus)
Florida Flagfish (Jordanella floridae)
Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Chihuahua chubs (Gila nigrescens)
Woundfin (Plagopterus argentissimus)
Gila topminnows (Poeciliopsis occidentalis)
Beautiful shiners (Cyprinella formosa)
Bonytails (Gila elegans)
Razorback suckers (Xyrauchen texanus)
Roundtail chubs (Gila robusta)
Longnose gar (Lepisosteus osseus)
Shortnose Gar (Lepisosteus platostomus)
Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
Redbelly turtles (Pseudemys rubriventris)
Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
Redbreast sunfish (Lepomis auritus)
American eel (Anguilla rostrata)
False map turtle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)
Mississippi map turtle (Graptemys kohni)
Mud turtle (Kinosternon Subrubrum)
Bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)
Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)
Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus)
Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
Rockbass (Ambloplites rupestris)
Pumpkinseeds (Lepomis gibbosus)
Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)
Brown bullheads (Ameiurus nebulosus)
White perch (Morone americana)
Walleye (Sander vitreus)
Yellow perch (Perca flavescens)
Tadpole madtoms (Noturus gyrinus)
Mexican tetras (Astyanax mexicanus)
Chinese snakehead (Channa argus)

[Michael Wolfe]

Nick, I have visited there a number of times.. and it was always one of my Mom's favorite "unknown" sites in Washinton DC... which is strange, casue she is not really a fish person, but always liked to see a big catfish that used to be there.

Now I am an old guy and have taken my kids there a few times as well n the basement of the Commerce building!

I knew the aquarium long before I knew anything about NANFA, and have always thought it was great. Sorry to see it go.

[littlen]

Thanks, Michael. Despite being the lesser known of the two, 'National Aquriums' we have done well over the last several years in terms of number of visitors. There has only been one, little, meager entrance that has very little signage around it--so most people overlook us.

There were plans to reopen/rebuild a new aquarium within the Commerce building, near Constitution Ave--facing the Washington Monument. We are all sad to lose a presence here in DC.

[littlen]

Casper, yes--all of the Smithsonian museums (to include the zoo) are free. The National Aquarium (a non-profit organization) has a small admission fee of ~$10 for an adult.

There is hardly a garage that will let you keep your car there overnight, and ususally for thirty bucks or so---let alone 8 days for free! That's crazy.

[littlen]

There were a few times the National Aquarium almost closed but always managed to find new management in the 11th hour. We've been operating well as a non-profit for quite some time now, and in recent years came under the corporate umbrella of Baltimore. Most of the collection has been spoken for and we have reached out to all of the zoos and aquariums nationwide (via an email listserv) to find homes for the rest. Believe it or not, a majority of the animals that are left are my FW natives! (I know that is shocking and appalling to most of us on here--but as you mentioned Gerald, most other aquariums do not have has diverse of a FW collection--especially with representatives of stream inhabitants from from different states/regions). But they'll all eventually find homes.

As for me....that's a good question. I would love to stay in the industry but my current personal situation will not allow a relocation. So the quest continues. I look weekly on NVPRA, VDGIF, Fairfax County, and USAjobs for any related stream assessing/storm water management/ecology type positions. I'm not designed to be behind a desk for any length of time so I must be out in the field to keep my sanity!

[littlen]

Thanks! I hope to do a short, 'fly-through' video of the aquarium and post it to youtube. (But this may not be for a few months). Of course I'll focus a little more on the FW stuff! I'll try to remember to ping this thread with the link at that time. I certainly have my fair share of pictures of all the fish on that list--and others that have come and gone over the years. Some just didn't make out that well here in a mixed species display. For instance, pygmy sunnies of various speceis, Bluenose shiners, Southern sand darters, N. hogsuckers, (Creek chubs and Fallfish...but for other, obvious reasons), Shovelnose sturgeon, Desert pupfish, Pirate perch,....the list goes on....

[mattknepley]

I am sorry for you and our watery friends. Best of luck to you!

[littlen]

Matt, thanks for the suggestion. MD is a little bit farther than I'm able to travel at this point though. The aqurium in Baltimore will be taking a majority of our collection and incorperating the animals into their existing exhibits--if not creating some new ones to display more animals. I agree that Hellbenders make a great display. I've watched visitors stare directly at them, thinking they are part of the rock, saying, "well, I guess this tank is empty". Truly an amazing animal that needs protection and more media promotion.

[littlen]

Well said, Gerald! I agree that there are plenty of animals more interesting than the megafauna typically used as the poster child for organization X,Y, or Z.

Gambusia, if possible, you should try to make it up here before Sept. 30th!---the entire aquarium has been renovated since you were last here. If you liked it then, you'll appreciate it even more now. Virtually every exhibit was renovated and the entire facility was given a 'face lift'. Yes, we still have a shark exhibit. It is our Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. It also happens to be our largest exhibit at a whopping 6,000 gallons. (I know, I know, at other aquariums, this barely counts as a quarantine system, let alone an exhibit). This exhibit still holds our Leopard, Swell, and Horn sharks. A few years back we also got an adult, female, Thornback Guitarfish--a very cool elasmobranch.

[littlen]

We still have the Gray's Reef NMS exhibit--it is next to the shark tank and highlights our juvenile Loggerhead sea turtle(s). At any given time we have 1 or 2 hatchlings that we raise for a year before giving them back to the NC Aquarium, who subsequently releases them back into the wild at a larger size. (The hope of course being that their chances of survival are that much greater).