See
Living Fossils
at the Tennessee Aquarium
(August
2, 1999) - "T-Rex, Back to the Cretaceous" brings dinosaurs
to life on the IMAX®3D screen, but you can also get a
look at some prehistoric creatures right across the street
from the theater at the Tennessee Aquarium.
Alligator snapping turtle:
- The
earliest fossil records of the alligator snapping turtle
are from the Miocene Epoch.
- Few
animals look more dinosaur-like than the alligator snapping
turtle, because of their sheer size and short thick necks
supporting large heads covered with branching, fleshy
projections.
- Alligator
snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in
North America. Found only in rivers and streams that drain
into the Gulf of Mexico, the average adult weighs from
35-150 pounds, but may grow to more than 250 pounds.
- To
catch fish, these turtles hold their mouths open and wiggle
a small, pink, lure-like appendage at passing fish. Once
the fish sees the lure and tries to eat it, the turtle
snaps its powerful hooked jaws shut and gobbles up dinner.
- Alligator
snapping turtles may live more than 100 year
- See
alligator snapping turtles in the Delta Country gallery.
Sturgeon:
- Sturgeon
swim today practically unchanged from the way they were
when T-Rex roamed the earth.
- Sturgeon
feed by sucking in their food-which consists mostly of
snails, insect larvae, crustaceans and small fish-through
their toothless, fleshy-lipped mouths.
- Every
sturgeon species has a fine-grained hide with few scales,
an upturned, shark-like tail fin, a mouth set well back
on the underside of the head, and a skeleton made mostly
of cartilage. Each sturgeon has widely separated rows
of heavy guard scales called scutes and four barbel feelers
that look like a beard and hang below the head to help
locate food.
- See
sturgeon in the Volga River and St. Lawrence River exhibits
of the Rivers of the World gallery, and in the Reelfoot
lake exhibit of the Tennessee River gallery.
Paddlefish:
- Paddlefish
are one of the oldest types of living bony fish on the
planet, with known fossil remains dating back to the Cretaceous
Period.
- These
large, freshwater fish are found mostly in the Mississippi
River System. They are also called spoonbill or duckbill
fish for their flattened, paddle-shaped snouts, which
may be a third of the length of their bodies. The paddle
is a sensory-laden feature that stabilizes the fish as
it swims with its large mouth open to find and filter
food particles from the water.
- Valued
as a food fish, paddlefish eggs are increasingly mixed
with those of the sturgeon for high-grade caviar. Its
nickname is the Chattanooga Beluga.
- See
paddlefish in the Reelfoot Lake exhibit in the Tennessee
River gallery.
Sharks:
- Unlike
bony fish, shark skeletons consist of cartilage. Their
skin is covered with denticles, tooth-like scales, and
they have 5-7 gill slits per side, not one per side like
bony fish.
- See
bonnethead sharks in the Gulf of Mexico exhibit.
The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga is the largest freshwater
aquarium in the world. Built with private contributions, this
non-profit educational organization is dedicated to the understanding,
conservation and celebration of aquatic habitats. Admission
is $10.95 per adult and $5.95 per child, ages 3-12. Advance
tickets may be purchased online at www.tnaqua.org or by phone
at 1-800-262-0695. Members enjoy unlimited visits and other
benefits. To join or for program and trip information, call
267-FISH. The Aquarium is open every day except Thanksgiving
and Christmas and is accessible to people with disabilities.
The Aquarium's TDD number is (423) 265-4498, and FM assistive
listening devices are available on site. For more information,
call 1-800-262-0695.
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