Look for Baby Shark Inside an Egg !!!

Swell Shark Eggs

During your next visit make sure you ask

where the shark eggs are !!!!

Description: The egg is a light greenish yellow color and is shaped like pieces of kelp with a “drawstring” attached to the top. This drawstring is used to hang the egg on kelp. One baby shark grows inside each egg.

Defense: These eggs camouflage to look like a blade of kelp. Swell sharks lay the eggs and then entangle them in the kelp with the “drawstring” on the top of the egg in order to hide these eggs from predators.

Feeding: The embryos feed on the yolk inside the egg until they are big enough to hatch, which takes 9 to 11 months.

WOW!! Sailors aptly named these eggs “mermaid’s purses” because they look similar to drawstring purses.

MARCH NEWSLETTER

An Intern’s Perspective

The Manhattan Beach pier has been a place of life changing landmarks –from my first steps to my first wave, this pier represents my passion for the ocean. I feel the Roundhouse embodies the spirit of Manhattan Beach, secluded at the end of the pier, away from the traffic and shops, and free of charge. It is always enjoyable to greet excited guests and even more exciting when I am able to confidently answer the questions of curious visitors. Whether it be the beautiful shark tank to a pollution fact posted on the wall, I am certain everyone who leaves the aquarium has gained knowledge and inspiration on how to better the environment we live in.

I am currently a senior at Loyola Marymount University where I am required to obtain an internship pertaining to my major, natural science. It was as though my life had come full circle once when I discovered my ideal internship was with the Roundhouse Aquarium. The Roundhouse staff has made interning an amazing experience. As a collegiate athlete, my schedule is hectic so availability hours vary, however the Roundhouse staff is completely supportive of my school endeavors. I have been an intern at the aquarium for past five months and I have yet to define a typical day at the aquarium since everyday has been an adventure. In retrospect, I can see that giving me this internship was much more than filling a job position, it is the opportunity to become a part of the Roundhouse family.

Jenny.

NEW Species Arrives at Roundhouse Aquarium !!

Common Names: Big skate, Eyed skate

Just arrived this week....Baby Big Skates....only a few weeks old...only a few inches long.....drop by and see these beautiful creatures and also see some viable big skate eggs.....ask any volunteer or staff member to show you where these new arrivals can be seen...

Latin Name: Raja binoculata

Family: Rajidae

Identification: Highly flattened body. Pointed, V shaped snout with mildly concave leading edges. Pectoral fin tips pointed. Row of small spines from last third of back until first dorsal fin on tail. Dorsum mottled brown to grey with smaller pale spots. Prominent dark circle (eye) on each pectoral fin with dark centres. Two dark bands curve across snout. Ventrum pale. Eyes small.

Size: Maximum length 2.4 meters but usually .9 to 1.8 meters.

Habitat: Big skates are sometimes seen on low lying kelp but are generally found on sand and mud bottoms from inter-tidal to 120m. Inhabits coastal areas, estuaries, bays and continental shelves.

A Donation Idea !!!

If you would like to make a donation to the Roundhouse Aquarium to assist us in maintaining the aquarium and to help us continue our educational program....please visit our new fundraising partner, Greenraising.

The website is:
http://www.greenraising.com/index.aspx?AFID=270

You need to make sure that the Roundhouse Aquarium is your selected affiliate, in the selection box in the upper right hand corner of home page, and the Roundhouse Aquarium will get 25% of your purchase donated to us. Greenraising has lots of different environmentally friendly products for sale.

February Creature Feature

Cabezon

(Scorpaenichthys marmoratus)

Description: This scaleless fish can grow to 2.5 feet and can weigh up to 25 pounds. The cabezon has a broad mouth with many small teeth. It usually has 11 spines on its dorsal fin. It can range in colors and be mottled with browns, greens and reds. The eggs of cabezon are poisonous to humans and many other mammals and birds.

Range: The cabezon can be found from southeast Alaska to Baja California in kelp beds at moderate depths and in shallow waters.

Feeding: The cabezon can eat fairly large prey. It can be found munching on crustaceans, fishes, mollusks and small abalone.

WOW!! “Cabezon” means “large head” in Spanish! The cabezon has a very large head in proportion to its body.

February Newsletter

Whale Watching form the Pier

WHALE WATCHING

Have you ever seen the largest animals in the world in their natural habitat? Well today, you just might! Numerous whales have been spotted off of the Southern California coast these past few months. So, dust off your binoculars and keep an eye out for spouts from blue whales, gray whales, humpback whales, fin whales, and maybe even orca whales! The black and white silhouettes of orca whales were spotted in Long Beach in December 2007. Numerous blue whales have been seen in the Santa Barbara Channel. Fin whales have recently been spotted off of the Southern California coastline and gray whales have been seen right off of Manhattan Beach Pier! December through April is the prime time to view gray whales during their long migration from Baja California to Alaska. Whales are not the only animals you might come across. Bottlenose dolphins are often seen from the pier jumping out of the Pacific Ocean. Harbor seals and sea lions can be spotted swimming under the pier and you are bound to view a brown pelican diving into the ocean. So, next time you visit the aquarium, be sure to take a few extra moments to look over the horizon for marine life. You never know what you might discover!