Oceanarium Animal Information

Atlantic Stingrays (Dasyatis sabina)

  • Range: Chesapeake Bay south to Florida; Gulf of Mexico south to Campeche Mexico
  • Habitat: warm coastal and estuarine waters above 59° F, shallow waters at depths of 6.5-20 feet, sand or silt/sand seabed, varying salinity
  • Diet: Crustaceans, Amphipods, Clams
  • Predators: different species of sharks

Horseshoe Crabs (Limulus polyphemus)

  • Range: Atlantic Ocean along the North American coastline. Horseshoe crabs can also be seen along the East and Gulf coasts of the United States and Mexico
  • Habitat: shallow coastal habitats such as lagoons, estuaries and mangrove to depths of more than 200 m (660 ft) up to 56 km (35 mi) offshore
  • Diet: Small mollusks, aquatic worms, algae, shrimp
  • Predators: Sharks, sea turtles, sea birds, humans

Pinfish (Diplodus holbrookii)

  • Range: Chesapeake Bay to Gulf of Mexico
  • Habitat: shallow coastal waters, vegetated bottoms
  • Diet: algae, shrimp, crabs, sponges
  • Predators: Bigger fish

Sheepshead Minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus)

  • Range: Eastern coasts of North and Central America
  • Habitat: Salt marsh and estuary environments
  • Diet: small invertebrates, algae, crustaceans, detritus
  • Predators: Red drum, spotted seatrout, Atlantic croaker, turtles and some wading birds

Florida Blennies (Chasmodes saburrae)

  • Range: Southeastern United States and Northeastern Gulf of Mexico
  • Habitat: Rocky reefs, mangroves, shallow waters
  • Diet: Algae, shrimp, crustaceans, worms
  • Predators: Other fish and large invertebrates

Fiddler Crabs (Uca Pugnax)

  • Range: West Africa, Western Atlantic, Eastern Pacific, Indo Pacific
  • Habitat: mangroves, salt marshes, sandy or muddy beaches
  • Diet: algae, microbes, fungus, detritus
  • Predators: Herons, egrets, raccoons

Pencil Sea Urchin (Eucidaris tribuloides)

  • Range: South Carolina to Florida and the Caribbean; Mexico to Brazil
  • Habitat: shallow waters, coral reefs and rock bottomed areas, low tide areas
  • Diet: algae, mussels, dead fish, barnacles
  • Predators: tigerfish, crabs

Banded Boxing Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus)

  • Range: Indo Pacific
  • Habitat: rocky, sandy
  • Diet: meaty foods, cleans other fish
  • Predators: triggers, lionfish, groupers

Feather Worms (Sabellastarte sanctijosephi)

  • Range: Hawaii, Indo Pacific
  • Habitat: bays and harbors, sandy reefs, 22 - 28°C
  • Diet: phytoplankton
  • Predators: triggerfish, wrasses, shrimp

Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)

  • Range: Indo-Pacific: Persian Gulf (Ref.80050); Red Sea and East Africa, southern Japan
  • Habitat: reef, depths 1-40 m, 24-28°C
  • Diet: crustacean ectoparasites, mucus of other fish

Clownfish

  • Range: Off the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia as far north as southern Japan
  • Habitat: Anemones
  • Diet: algae, zooplankton, worms, small crustaceans
  • Predators: large fish, eels, sharks

Damselfish

  • Range: All over the world
  • Habitat: Coral Reefs
  • Diet: brine shrimp, worms, squid, copepods
  • Predators: Groupers, other larger fish

Red Footed Sea Cucumber (Pentacta pygmaea)

  • Range: Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Habitat: Coral reefs, rocks, crevices
  • Diet: algae, minute aquatic animals
  • Predators: all kinds of fish

Sea Robin (Prionotus tribulus)

  • Range: Chesapeake Bay to northern Florida and Gulf of Mexico from southern Florida to Texas
  • Habitat: Mud sand bottoms, bays, estuaries
  • Diet: shrimps, crabs, bivalves, gastropods
  • Predators: Sea birds, larger fish