General Info

Octopuses are highly intelligent and curious — and believe it or not, they are mollusks! Over millions of years, the octopus evolved to lose its hard shell. They are extremely flexible and can squeeze into tiny crevices to hide from predators.

Shrimp are diverse crustaceans found in both freshwater and marine environments, and vary widely in size. Many act as “cleaners” by removing dead tissue (just like in Finding Nemo).

Fish fossils form when organisms are rapidly buried and protected from scavengers and oxygen as minerals replace their organic material—in a process known as fossilization.

Horseshoe crabs have existed for about 445 million years—and despite their name, they aren’t true crabs. They’re more closely related to spiders and scorpions. Their long tails help them flip over and dig into sand, protecting their vulnerable underside.

Green crabs are invasive to Cape Cod! They can disrupt local ecosystems.

Meroplankton are tiny juvenile animals that begin life drifting in the water before either settling onto the seafloor or becoming swimmers.

Fin whales are the second largest cetaceans, just behind blue whales. They were heavily hunted for their blubber, which people used for oil and meat.

Slipper shells are single-shelled snails that are “protandrous”—they start as males and later become females. They are found stacked together with lower, larger females topped by smaller males that change sex as they grow.

Dolphins use “motherese,” a higher-pitched way of communicating with their calves—similar to how humans talk to babies.