California Academy of Sciences California Academy of Sciences & Steinhart Aquarium (As of 09/16/2022)

Hello ZooChat:

I saw that Splendens posted a species list on here from July 31, 2021. I took a recent trip and wanted to share my observations from the trip.

I will only list the species in each BOLD section in their entirety for consistency and so this post doesn't go on forever. I will place a [!!!] for species that weren't listed but seen. I'll put in parentheses my cursory (and I do mean cursory, as in using Google Lens of the pictures I took to find out the species) guess, and anything in red means the species was not seen.

Like with the Aquarium of the Bay, I'm not verse in marine biology and ichthyology, so please forgive my ignorance on identifying species. I try to be as thorough as I can so bare with me. If you've visited recently and noticed I forgot or misidentified a creature, please let me know and comment down below.


In a standalone tank next to the Osher Rainforest is a tank full of juvenile chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The tank that borders the rainforest exhibit displays creatures from an exhibit in the Steinhart Aquarium.


OSHER RAINFOREST

Fish Tank #1

• Cherry barb (Puntius titteya)
• Dwarf loach (Ambastaia sidthimunki)
• Glowlight danio (Danio choprae)
• Lambchop rasbora (Trigonostigma espei)
• Orange-finned danio (Danio kyathit)
• Ruby {Odessa} barb (Pethia padamya)
• Snakeskin barb (Desmopuntius rhomboocellatus; listed as Puntius rhomboocellatus)

Terrarium #1

• Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki)
• Unidentified glass frog (family Centrolenidae)

Terrarium #2

• Bornean river toad {listed as Sungei Taiwan toad} (Phrynoidis juxtasper)
• Red-tailed green ratsnake (Gonyosoma oxycephalum)

Terrarium #3

• Giant African millipede (Archispirostreptus gigas)

Terrarium #4

• Spiny flower mantis (Pseudocreobotra wahlbergii)

Terrarium #5

• Sun beetle (Pachnoda marginata)
• Unnamed species of flower beetle (Eudicella tetraspilota ssp.)

Terrarium #6

• Green and black poison dart frog (Dendrobates auratus)
• Strawberry poison dart frog (Oophaga pumilio)

Terrarium #7

• Golden silk [orb-weaver] spider (Trichonephila clavipes; listed as Nephila clavipes)
• Southeastern girdled lizard (Zonosaurus maximus)

Aquarium & Terrarium

• Amazon {Garden} tree boa (Corallus hortulana)
  
• Dwarf corydoras (Corydoras hastatus)
• Ember tetra (Hyphessobrycon amandae)
• Marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata)

Terrarium #8

• Common flat-tail gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus)
• Madagascar giant day gecko (Phelsuma grandis)
• Sambava {false} tomato frog (Dyscophus guineti)

Terrarium #9

• Rentap's Asian tree toad (Rentapia hosii)
• Spiny turtle (Heosemys spinosa)

Terrarium #10

• {"Common"} Leafcutter ants (Atta cephalotes)

Terrarium #11

• {Giant} Dead leaf mantis (Deroplatys desiccata)
• Orange and black vampire crab (Geosesarma dennerle) [!!!]

Terrarium #12

• Jungle nymph (Heteropteryx dilatata)

Terrarium #13

• Atlas beetle (Chalcosoma atlas)
• Caucasus beetle [Listed as another atlas beetle] (Chalcosoma chiron; listed as Chalcosoma caucasus)
• Paradise tree snake {Paradise flying snake} (Chrysopelea paradisi)

Free-Flight (Birds) [In Taxonomic Order]

• Blue and gold macaw (Ara ararauna) [NOT FREE FLIGHT; found at the lower level]
• Violaceous euphoria (Euphonia violacea ssp.)
• Yellow-rumped cacique (Amazonian) (Cacicus cela cela)
• Silver-beaked tanager (Ramphocelus carbo ssp.)
• Burnished-buff tanager (Stilpnia cayana ssp.)
• Blue-necked tanager (Stilpnia cyanicollis ssp.)
• Bay-headed tanager (Tangara gyrola ssp.)
• Blue dacnis (Dacnis cayana ssp.) [!!!]

Free-Flight (Butterflies)

• Banded orange heliconian (Dryadula phaetusa)
• Doris longwing (Heliconius doris ssp.)
• Erato {Red postman or Crimson-patched} longwing (Heliconius erato ssp.)
• Forest giant owl (Caligo eurilochus)
• [Giant] owl (Caligo telamonius memnon)
• Isabella's longwing (Eueides isabella ssp.)
• Julia heliconian (Dryas iulia ssp.)
• Juno longwing (Dione juno ssp.)
  
• Sapho longwing (Heliconius sapho ssp.)
• Tiger longwing (Heliconius hecale ssp.)
• Zebra longwing (Heliconius charithonia ssp.)

Found on the way up to the top off to the side is an open exhibit for more golden silk [orb-weaver] spiders (Trichonephila clavipes; listed as Nephila clavipes).



I WILL CONTINUE THIS LIST LATER THIS EVENING. STAY TUNED!!!

 

OSHER RAINFOREST - Amazon Flooded Forest [Main Tank]

• Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
• Armored {Ripsaw} catfish (Oxydoras niger)
• Arrau River turtle (Podocnemis expansa)
• Banded leporinus (Leporinus fasciatus)
• Pinktail chalceus (Chalceus macrolepidotus)
• Red mouth headstander (Anostomus ternetzi)
• Red-tailed catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)
• Silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum)
• Silver brycon (Brycon rubricauda)
• Silver dollar (Metynnis argenteus)
• Silver prochilodus (Semaprochilodus taeniurus)
• Tambaqui {Black, black-finned, or giant pacu} (Colossoma macropomum)
• [Atlantic] tarpon (Megalops atlanticus)
• True parrot cichlid (Hoplarchus psittacus)
• Turquoise severum (Heros efasciatus)

Amazon Flooded Forest [ALL OTHER SPECIES SEEN THROUGHOUT THE EXHIBIT]

• Amazon milk frog (Trachycephalus resinifictrix)
• Amazon puffer (Colomesus asellus) [!!!]
• Bleeding-heart tetra (Hyphessobrycon erythrostigma)
• Blue discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus) [!!!]
• Blue-cheeked dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma eunotus)
• Cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi)
• Common hatchetfish (Gasteropelecus sternicla) [!!!]
• [Common] Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
• Freshwater angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)
• Lake Oku clawed frog (Xenopus longipes)
• Largescale four-eyed fish (Anableps anableps)
• Ocellated River stingray (Potamotrygon motoro)
• Rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria ssp.)
• Silver tetra (Ctenobrycon spilurus)
• Spotted nerite snail (Vittina natalensis) [!!!]
• Sterba's cory (Corydoras sterbai)
• White-spotted eartheater (Satanoperca leucosticta)
• Unidentified freshwater shrimp (infraorder Caridea)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM: California Coast [MAIN TANK]

• Bat star (Patiria miniata)
• Blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus)
• Bocaccio rockfish (Sebastes paucispinis)
• Canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger)
• China rockfish (Sebastes nebulosus)
• Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
• Club-tipped anemone (Corynactis californica)
• Fish-eating anemone (Urticina piscivora)
• Giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica)
• Giant plumose (White-plumed) anemone (Metridium farcimen)
• Kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus)
• Ocean whitefish (Caulolatilus princeps)
• Olive rockfish (Sebastes serranoides)
• Purple sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
• Rainbow surfperch (Hypsurus caryi)
• Red Irish lord (Hemilepidotus hemilepidotus)
• Striped seaperch {surfperch} (Embiotoca lateralis)
• Vermillion rockfish {Red snapper} (Sebastes miniatus)
• Walleye surfperch (Hyperprosopon argenteum)
• White-spotted rose anemone (Urticina eques)
• Wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus)
• Yellow-tailed rockfish (Sebastes flavidus)

California Coast [ALL OTHER SPECIES SEEN THROUGHOUT THE EXHIBIT]

• Aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)
• Bay pipefish (Syngnathus leptorhynchus)
• California mussel (Mytilus californianus)
• California moray eel (Gymnothorax mordax)
• [California] Salema (Haemulon californiensis)
• California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)
• Garibaldi (Hypsypops rubicundus)
• Horn shark (Heterodontus francisci)
• Kelp bass (Paralabrax clathratus)
• Kelp perch (Brachyistius frenatus)
• Largescale blackfish (Girella punctata) [!!!]
• Pacific sand dollar (Dendraster excentricus)
• Penpoint gunnel (Apodichthys flavidus)
• Señorita wrasse (Oxyjulis californica)
• Speckled sanddab (Citharichthys stigmaeus)
• Spiny scallop (Chlamys hastata)
• Spot prawn (Pandalus platyceros)
• Swell shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
• Tidepool sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus)
• Tube-snout (Aulorhynchus flavidus)
• "Tube anemone" (Pachycerianthus fimbriatus)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - Venom

• Aggregating anemone (Anthopleura elegantissima)
• [American] Fishing spider (Dolomedes okefinokensis)
• Arizona bark scorpion (Centruroides sculpturatus)
• Bubble {Bladder, Grape, or Pearl} coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
• Button polyp (Zoanthus sociatus)
• California mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis zonata ssp.)
• Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)
• Disco fang blenny (Meiacanthus smithi)
• Dwarf lionfish (Dendrochirus brachypterus)
• Egg-yolk jelly (Phacellophora camtschatica)
• European medicinal leech (Hirudo medicinalis)
• [Pacific] Fire urchin (Asthenosoma varium)
• Rainbow scorpionfish (Scorpaenodes xyris)
• Reticulated boxfish (Ostracion solorensis)
• Southern grasshopper mouse (Onychomys torridus)
• Twospot turkeyfish (Dendrochirus biocellatus)
• Weedy scorpionfish (Rhinopias frondosa)
• Western black widow spider (Latrodectus hesperus)
• White spot {Two-spotted} assassin bug (Platymeris biguttatus)
• "Leather coral" (Sinularia sp.)
• "Velvet ant" (Dasymutilla sp.)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - Twilight Zone: Deep Reef Revealed

• Bandit angelfish (Apolemichthys arcuatus)
• Brown-banded butterflyfish (Roa modesta)
• Candy basslet (Liopropoma carmabi)
• Charlene's anthias (Pseudanthias charleneae)
• Flame wrasse (Cirrhilabrus jordani)
• Fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius)
• French butterflyfish (Prognathodes guyanensis)
• Garish hind (Cephalopholis igarashiensis)
• Griffis angelfish (Apolemichthys griffisi)
• Harlequin sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
• Hawaiian deep anthias (Odontathias fuscipinnis)
• Hooded {Deepwater} wrasse (Cirrhilabrus bathyphilus)
• Marquesas butterflyfish (Chaetodon declivis)
• Multicolor angelfish (Centropyge multicolor)
• Ornate angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)
• [Pacific] cleaner shrimp (Lysmata amboinensis)
• Peppermint angelfish (Centropyge boylei)
• Pintail fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus isosceles)
• Polleni grouper (Cephalopholis polleni)
• Possum wrasse (Wetmorella nigropinnata)
• Pugnose bass (Bullisichthys caribbaeus)
• Purplemask angelfish (Centropyge venusta)
• Red barbier (Baldwinella vivanus)
• Red-saddled anthias (Pseudanthias flavoguttatus; listed as Pyronotanthias flavoguttatus)
• Rhomboid wrasse (Cirrhilabrus rhomboidalis)
• Ring-tailed cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus aureus)
• Rose-veiled fairy wrasse (Cirrhilabrus finifenmaa)
• Shortsnout chromis (Chromis brevirostris)
• Spiral wire coral (Cirrhipathes spiralis)
• Sunburst {Hawkfish} anthias (Serranocirrhitus latus)
• Tinker's {Hawaiian} butterflyfish (Chaetodon tinkeri)
• Two-spot basslet (Pseudanthias bimaculatus)
• Yellow tree gorgonian (Diodogorgia nodulifera)
• Yellow wire coral (Cirrhipathes anguina)
• "Black coral" (Antipathes sp.)
• "Blueberry sea fan" (Acanthogorgia sp.)
• "Coco worm" (Protula sp.)
• "Gorgonian" (Menella sp.)
• "Halcurias anemone" (Halcurias sp.)
• "Rhino coral" (Rhizotrochus sp.)
• "Wire coral" (Stichopathes sp.)
• Undescribed damselfish (Chromis sp. nov)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - Water Planet

• Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)
• Australian rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis)
• Bamboo shrimp (Atyopsis moluccensis)
• Black tegula snail (Tegula funebralis)
• [Blotched] upside-down catfish (Synodontis nigriventris)
• Blind cave fish {Mexican tetra} (Astyanax mexicanus)
• Blue gularis (Fundulopanchax sjostedti)
• Blue-banded {Catalina} goby (Lythrypnus dalli)
• Blue-neon goby (Stiphodon atropurpureus)
• Brown-banded {Longsnouted} pipefish (Doryichthys martensii)
• Burmese vine snake {Günther's whipsnake} (Ahaetulla fronticincta)
• Butterfly splitfin (Ameca splendens)
• California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)
• Celestial pearl daino (Danio margaritatus)
• Centralian carpet python (Morelia bredli)
• Club-tipped anemone (Corynactis californica)
• Dejong's {Golden} basslet (Gramma dejongi)
• Disco fang blenny (Meiacanthus smithi)
• Dwarf seahorse (Hippocampus zosterae)
• Eastern rainbowfish (Melanotaenia splendida splendida)
• Elephantnose fish (Gnathonemus petersii)
• Endler's livebearer (Poecilia wingei)
• Forktail blue-eye (Pseudomugil furcatus)
• Golden-red goby (Stiphodon rutilaureus)
• Green duncan coral (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
• Grunt sculpin (Rhamphocottus richardsonii)
• Hairy tunicate (Boltenia villosa)
• Mexican beaded lizard (Heloderma horridum)
• Mosshead warbonnet (Chirolophis nugator)
• Norman's lampeye (Poropanchax normani ; listed as Aplocheilichthys normani)
• Pacific spiny lumpsuckers (Eumicrotremus orbis)
• Painted greenling (Oxylebius pictus)
• Pea {Dwarf or Malabar} puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)
• Possum wrasse (Wetmorella nigropinnata)
• Pot-bellied seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis)
• Randall's shrimp goby (Amblyeleotris randalli; listed as Amblyteleotris randalli)
• Red scorpion (Rhopalurus junceus; listed as Heteroctenus junceus)
• Red-neon blue-eye (Pseudomugil luminatus)
• Red-spotted pygmy goby (Trimma rubrimaculatum)
• Red rock shrimp (Lysmata californica)
• Sailfin sculpin (Nautichthys oculofasciatus)
• Samurai gourami (Sphaerichthys vaillanti)
• Shiner perch (Cymatogaster aggregata)
• Silver-spotted sculpin (Blepsias cirrhosus)
• Spiny brittle star (Ophiocomella spiculata)
• Springer's damselfish (Chrysiptera springeri)
• Stalked tunicate (Styela montereyensis)
• Tail-spot blenny (Ecsenius stigmatura)
• Talbot's damselfish (Chrysiptera talboti)
• Vietnamese mossy frog (Theloderma corticale)
• Weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
• Wide-banded anemonefish (Amphiprion latezonatus)
• Woma python (Aspidites ramsayi)
• Archerfish (genus Toxotes)
• "Gorgonian" (Rumphella sp.)
• "Finger leather coral" (Lobophytum sp.)
• "Hermit crab" (Pagurus sp.)
• "Leather coral" (Sarcophyton sp.)
• "Moon jelly" (Aurelia sp.)
• "Skeleton shrimp" (Caprella sp.)
• "Staghorn coral" (Acropora sp.)
• Undescribed shrimp (Alpheus sp.)
• Various species of Philippine coral

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - Philippine Coral Reef

• Achilles tang (Acanthurus achilles) [!!!]
• Beaugregory (Stegastes leucostictus) [!!!]
• Bignose unicornfish (Naso vlamingii) [!!!]
• Blacktail {Four-striped} damselfish (Dascyllus melanurus)
• Blotched foxface rabbitfish (Siganus unimaculatus)
• Blue and yellow fusilier (Caesio teres)
• Bluespin unicornfish (Naso unicornis)
• Chocolate surgeonfish (Acanthurus pyroferus) [!!!]
• Double whiptail {Purple threadfin bream} (Pentapodus emeryii)
• False clown anemonefish {Common clownfish} (Amphiprion ocellaris)
• French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru) [!!!]
• Lyretail anthias {Sea goldie} (Pseudanthias squamipinnis)
• Orange-shoulder surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus)
• [Indian Ocean] Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)
• Palette surgeonfish {Royal blue tang} (Paracanthurus hepatus)
• Pennant coralfish (Heniochus acuminatus) [!!!]
• Queen angelfish (Holacanthus ciliaris) [!!!]
• Red Sea sailfin tang (Zebrasoma desjardinii) [!!!]
• Spotted garden eel (Heteroconger hassi)
• Square-spot fairy basslet (Pseudanthias pleurotaenia)
• Striped {Bluestreak} cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus)
• Sunset wrasse (Thalassoma grammaticum) [!!!]
• Whitemargin unicornfish (Naso annulatus) [!!!]
• "Staghorn coral" (Acropora sp.)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - Hidden Reef

• Bubble coral (Plerogyra sinuosa)
• Bulb tentacle {Bubble-tip} anemone (Entacmaea quadricolor)
• Canary wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
• Comet {Marine betta} (Calloplesiops altivelis)
• Commercial {Squat} shrimp (Thor amboinensis)
• [Coral or Razor] shrimpfish (Aeoliscus strigatus)
• Flathead perch {Rainfordia} (Rainfordia opercularis)
• Green star polyp (Briareum violaceum)
• Hancock's blenny (Acanthemblemaria hancocki)
• Leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)
• Multicolor angelfish (Centropyge multicolor)
• Scribbled pipefish (Corythoichthys intestinalis)
• Short dragonfish (Eurypegasus draconis)
• Splendid garden eel (Gorgasia preclara)
• Warty frogfish (Antennarius maculatus)
• Wide-banded anemonefish (Amphiprion latezonatus)
• Yellow tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
• "Bluestripe pygmy goby" (Trimma hollenmani)
• "Finger leather coral" (Lobophytum sp.)
• "Gorgonian" (Rumphella sp.)
• "Miniature carpet anemone" (Stichodactyla tapetum)
• "Open brain coral" (Lobophyllia sp.)
• "Staghorn coral" (Acropora sp.)
• "Tree coral" (Capnella sp.)
• "Zoanthids" (Palythoa sp.)

 

Forgot to add the Luristan {Kaiser spotted} newt (Neurergus kaiseri)

 

STEINHART AQUARIUM - The Swamp

Tank #1

• Alligator gar (Atractosteus spatula)
• Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus)

Terrarium #1

• Canebrake [Timber] rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
• Southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)
• Yellow [Western] rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus; listed as Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata)

Small Tank - Terrarium

• Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata)

Southern Swamp [Main Tank]

• Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii)
• American alligator [Leucistic] (Alligator mississippiensis)
• Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus)
• Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus)
• Red-ear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus)
• Spotted gar (Lepisosteus oculatus)

NOTE: I do recall a terrarium that had a Chaco gold-knee tarantula (Grammostola pulchripes) and one other tarantula species that I forgot to take a picture of.

 

The Yellow Rat Snake, formerly Elaphe obsoleta quadirvittata, is now categorized as the Eastern Ratsnake Pantherophis alleghaniensis.

 

Thank you for giving this thread the correct taxonomy on this species

 

Live Animals on Exhibit Throughout the California Academy of Sciences:


Color of Life
NOTE: Since the aquarium took up a bulk of my visit, I was rushing through the exhibit, so this list may be incomplete. Listed are the species I recorded.

• California newt (Taricha torosa)
• Giant Malayan stick insect (Pulchriphyllium giganteum)
• Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae)
• Green tree python (Morelia viridis)
• House mouse (Mus musculus)
• Riggenbach's reed frog (Hyperolius riggenbachi)

Tusher Africa Hall

• African penguin (Spheniscus demersus)
• Lake Malawi cichlids (genus Aulonocara; one the signage, they featured the Nkhomo-benga peacock (Aulonocara baenschi))

Philippine Mangrove Lagoon

• Blue-spotted ribbontail ray (Taeniura lymma)
• Blue-spotted stingray {Kuhl's maskray} (Neotrygon kuhlii)
• Convict surgeonfish (Acanthurus triostegus)
• Copperband butterflyfish (Chelmon rostratus)
• Diamond moonfish (Monodactylus argenteus)
• Flapnose ray (Rhinoptera javanica)
• Honeycomb stingray {Reticulate whipray} (Himantura uarnak)
• Indian pompano (Trachinotus mookalee)
• Yellow longnose butterflyfish (Forcipiger flavissimus)

 

Great job on the species list! Some updates, the only living specimen of a Hagaruchi's butterfly fish Roa haraguchiae in an aquarium is on display in the Twillight zone exhibit and pajama shark may still be present in the penguin exhibit? I may have seen some purple queen anthias and copperband butterfly fish in the large reef tank.

 

Nice, I hope that it is still there in March when I go.

 

Any Nudibranchs? I remember being fascinated by Melibe back in 1981!

 

Melibe viridis is on display and there is a chance that shag rug nudibranch are still there? There of course could bee hitch hiking specimens.

 

Yes it was still there in February

Lion’s mane nudibranch (Melibe leonina) was on display, but no Melibe viridis

 

Is the Green Anaconda not there anymore? It was in with the rainbow boa.

I believe the other tarantula is the Texas Brown Tarantula Aphonopelma hentzi.

 

Ah thank you, I mixed up the names.