Behind the Scenes: How Aquariums Grow Fish from Scratch
Ever wonder how those dazzling fish end up in aquarium tanks? At seven U.S. aquariums, scientists and aquarists are pulling off something wild: raising marine fish from newly hatched babies the size of a pinhead into the showstoppers millions come to see.
A new interactive StoryMap, developed by WHOI Sea Grant and UMass Boston, takes you inside the process. It's the product of a multi-year team-up between research institutions (UMass Boston and Roger Williams University) and partner aquariums including the New England Aquarium, Aquarium of the Pacific, Shedd, National, and three North Carolina Aquariums—funded by NOAA Sea Grant.
Larval rearing can be brutally hard. These fish hatch barely formed and need food thinner than a human hair to survive. Enter MoLaRS: inexpensive and innovative systems letting aquarists experiment with species no one has ever successfully raised before.
The payoff? Breeding protocols enabling others to develop their own rearing projects and thousands of fish shared with aquariums nationwide—meaning fewer fish taken from wild reefs.
Dive into the science. Explore the StoryMap now.