New England Aquarium

Here they are! Penguins!

I was told that Penguins would be at the entrance to welcome us when we go to New England Aquarium. It is very true. They are wearing charming black and white tuxedos and greeting to us when we are there.

Do you know that penguins’ black and white tuxedo actually provides a terrific camouflage called countershading. It helps hide penguins from predators. The black back fades into the dark ocean depth when viewed from above, and the white belly blends into the bright ocean surface when viewed from below. [1]

There are other interesting facts about Penguin. Penguin has a secret weapon to survive from salty seawater. They swallow salt water while capturing prey. Their internal salt glands located over each eye filter salt from their bloodstream. Then, they sneeze to expel the salt from their bodies. [1]

Penguins have more feathers than any other bird, up to 80 per square inch. Their feathers are small, lance-shaped and lock together like shingles on a roof to keep cold water out. They also have wispy down at the base to keep them warm. [1]

Bye, penguins for now. I am sure that I will see you again before we leave. Right now, I need to go to see other fishes.

Those fishes wear very colorful outfits.


Check out this big fish! It is a lionfish. They are venomous invaders and the dorsal fin conceals long spines that inject a predator with venom. They do not have any threats except for us, humans. But, they are a serious threat to Atlantic coral reef ecosystems because they eat any species that have not evolved defenses to these voracious predators. [1]


Then I saw some interesting creatures. They look like plants but they are actually animals. One is this purple thing, sea urchin (stongylocentrotus purpuratus). Purple sea urchins inhabit rounded burrows in the rocks of the tidal zone. They consume algae, especially kelp. They can form depressions with their teeth and spines, even penetrating steel pilings by flaking off rust. [1]


The other one is this flower-like animal, which are common in wave-swept Mine waters. We can call them Giant green anemone (anthopleua xanthogrammica). They have thick tentacles that allow them to seize and eat large organisms like crabs, unlike most other anemones, who can only depend on smaller floating plants and animals. [1]


Oh, let me introduce Mr. Salmon to you. Salmon are born in freshwater streams and migrate to saltwater feeding grounds. During this migration, they go through several life stages, facing serious dangers along the way from both human-caused and natural threats. [1]


As I want to lead a simple and happy life, I would assume that all the fishes and animals in the sea do the same thing. I will help them.




Reference:
[1] Placards in New England Aquarium.