Tennessee Aquarium List of Species On Exhibit 10/4/18

This is an attempt to list every species on exhibit at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, Tennessee during my visit on 10-4-18. I am including species for which there is a sign on each exhibit, and using the named zones on the map in the order that they are encountered on the one-way visitor path in the two separate buildings. This list may be of more interest to those already familiar with the aquarium since I am not arranging the species by animal type. I will post each zone separately for clarity.

O C E A N J O U R N E Y:
The aquarium's saltwater exhibits are located within this building that contains 6 named exhibit zones. The visitor path through the building begins with a lobby that leads to escalators to the top floor to begin the journey.

TROPICAL COVE:
The top floor of the Ocean Journey building is lit from several triangular steel forms that form a skylit ceiling and flood the following three named zones with light.

LEMUR FOREST: (3 Exhibits)

Medium-sized simulated mudbank and netted yard:
Red-ruffed Lemur

Small-sized open-top pond:
Arowana
Common Plecostomus
Eartheater
Redhook Myleus
Silver Plochilodus
White-blotched River Ray

Medium-sized simulated mudbank and netted yard:
Radiated Tortoise
Ring-tailed Lemur

 

STINGRAY BAY: (1 Exhibit)

Large-sized open-top touch pool:
Atlantic Stingray
Bat Eagle Ray
Bignose Unicornfish
Bluespotted Stingray
Coral Catshark
Haller's Round Stingray
Horseshoe Crab
Lookdown
Pacific Blue Tang
Shovelnose Guitarfish
Southern Stingray
Yellow and Blueback Fusilier
Yellow Tang

 

BUTTERFLY GARDEN: (1 Exhibit)

Large-sized walk-through room with plant-filled borders:
I did not note the species of butterflies, which probably vary throughout the year.

 

PENGUINS' ROCK: (1 Exhibit)
This zone begins the next floor down from the three previous zones seen on the top floor.

Medium-sized room with pool, viewed through several large windows:
Gentoo Penguin
Macaroni Penguin

 

BONELESS BEAUTIES: (11 Exhibits)
This zone is on the same level as the previous one.

Large-sized wall tank:
Clown Anemonefish
Common Staghorn
Disk Coral
Finger Coral
Flame Angelfish
Foxface
Horn Coral
Leaf Coral
Purple Tip Staghorn
Toadstool Leather Coral
Tomini Surgeonfish
Trumpet Coral
Twospined Angelfish
Velvet Finger Coral
Yellow Tang

Medium-sized wall tank:
Bigfin Reef Squid
Slate Pencil Urchin
Violet Urchin

2 medium-sized adjacent wall tanks, each containing:
Bat Star
Copper Rockfish
Giant Green Anemone
Giant Pacific Octopus
Mottled Sea Star
Rainbow Star
Rose Sea Star
Vermilion Sea Star

Medium-sized wall tank:
East Coast Sea Nettle

4 medium-sized column tanks, each containing:
Moon Jelly

Large-sized quarter-round wall tank with visitor pop-up bubble window in center, titled 'Body Armor':
Common Snipefish
Giant Spider Crab
Pineconefish

Medium-sized wall tank:
Caribbean Spiny Lobster
Lionfish

 

SECRET REEF/UNDERSEA CAVERN: (1 Exhibit)
The feature exhibit of the Ocean Journey building, this 2-story habitat is viewed beginning on its upper floor and then descending down a series of ramps to its lower floor.

Very large-sized tank viewed from two levels through about 6 viewing areas including a rocky-walled grotto called 'Undersea Cavern':
Atlantic Spadefish
Balloonfish
Bermuda Sea Chub
Black Durgon
Blackbar Soldierfish
Blue Runner
Blue Tang
Cottonwick
Creolefish
Crevalle Jack
Doctorfish
French Angelfish
Gray Angelfish
Green Turtle
Horse-eye Jack
Longspine Squirrelfish
Lookdown
Ocean Surgeonfish
Ocean Triggerfish
Permit
Porcupinefish
Queen Angelfish
Reef Butterflyfish
Sandbar Shark
Sandtiger Shark
Sargeant Major
Southern Stingray
Spotfin Butterflyfish
Spotted Burrfish
Squirrelfish
Yellowtail Damselfish
Yellowtail Snapper

 

R I V E R J O U R N E Y:
The aquarium's freshwater exhibits are located within this building that contains 8 named exhibit zones. The visitor path through the building begins with a lobby that leads to an escalator to the top floor to begin the journey.

APPALACHIAN COVE FOREST: (8 Exhibits)
The top floor of the River Journey building is lit from several triangular steel forms that form a skylit ceiling and flood this zone with light. Simulated boulders and rocky walls define the spaces and simulated mature tree trunks tower up to the ceiling while real smaller plantings are scattered.

Medium-sized rocky-walled wall terrarium:
Black Rat Snake

Large-sized room (the whole zone) for free-flight:
Eastern Bluebird
Gray Catbird
Hermit Thrush
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Tennessee Warbler
Veery

Medium-sized rocky-walled yard with waterfalls and pond with underwater viewing:
North American River Otter

Small-sized terrarium set in simulated tree trunk:
Northern Pine Snake

Medium-sized open-top rocky-walled pond with underwater viewing panel:
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout

Small-sized open-top rocky-walled pond with underwater viewing panel:
Greenside Darter
Largescale Stoneroller
Logperch
Northern Hog Sucker
River Chub
Rosyside Dace
Sawfin Shiner
Tennessee Shiner

Large-sized open-top 2-story deep pool with waterfall, viewed from the 'Canyon' (interior lobby filled with ramps down to the lower levels of the River Journey building):
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout

Medium-sized open-top shallow pond, viewed from the 'Canyon':
Brook Trout
Brown Trout
Rainbow Trout
River Chub

 

DISCOVERY HALL: (11 Exhibits)
This zone is in a dark low-ceilinged and unthemed hall.

The 3 following exhibits are titled 'Sunfish Diversity/Sunfish Celebration':
Small-sized wall tank:
Banded Pygmy Sunfish
Bluefin Killifish
Golden Topminnow

Small-sized wall tank:
Banded Sunfish
Blackbanded Sunfish
Bluespotted Sunfish

Small-sized wall tank:
Dollar Sunfish

Medium-sized column tank titled 'Pascagoula River/Pascagoula Bayou':
Flathead Catfish
Longear Sunfish
Redspotted Sunfish
Spotted Gar
Yellow-blotched Map Turtle

The 2 following exhibits are titled 'Bottom Dwellers/Focus Tanks':
Small-sized shelf tank:
Stripe-necked Musk Turtle

Small-sized shelf tank:
Hellbender

Small-sized shallow wall tank titled 'Baby Alligators':
American Alligator

Small-sized wall terrarium titled 'Dart Frogs':
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog
Yellow and Blue Poison Dart Frog
Yellow-banded Poison Dart Frog

Small-sized pedestal tank titled 'Night Voices/Tree Frogs':
Barking Tree Frog
Red-spotted Newt

Small-sized open-top touchpool titled 'Sturgeon Encounter':
Lake Sturgeon

Small-sized quarter-round wall tank titled 'Estuary':
Code Goby
Fat Sleeper
Hogchoker
Longnose Killifish
Sailfin Molly
Sheepshead Minnow

 

MISSISSIPPI DELTA COUNTRY: (5 Exhibits)
This zone is the second to be located in a large themed room lit from the triangular-shaped skylit ceiling above. This time it is set in a swamp with simulated cypress trunks and knees interspersed with real deadfalls and plants and simulated bayou shack.

Large-sized room (the whole zone) for free-flight:
Hooded Merganser
Northern Cardinal
Snowy Egret
Summer Tanager
Wood Duck

Small-sized open-top pond with underwater viewing panels:
Barbour's Map Turtle
Chicken Turtle
Eastern Mud Turtle
Golden Redhorse
Razorback Musk Turtle
Spotted Turtle
Swordspine Snook
Yellow-blotched Map Turtle

Medium-sized open-top pond with underwater viewing panels titled 'Alligator Bank':
Alligator Snapping Turtle
American Alligator
Golden Shiner
Green Sunfish
Gulf Killifish

Medium-sized open-top pond with underwater viewing panels titled 'Delta Swamp':
Bowfin
Chicken Turtle
Common Carp
Florida Redbelly Turtle
Florida Softshell
Red Swamp Crayfish
River Cooter
Robust Redhorse
Southern Painted Turtle
Spotted Gar
Western Mosquitofish

Medium-sized wall terrarium:
Corn Snake
Eastern Rat Snake
Gopher Tortoise

 

RIVER GIANTS: (1 Exhibit)
This exhibit is previewed from a small half-round window in the previous zone, but its main viewing is in the 'Canyon' lobby.

Large-sized floor-to-ceiling tank with two large viewing panels:
Alligator Gar
Arapaima
Asian Bonytongue
Barramundi
Freshwater Whipray
Giant Gouramis
Giant Pangasius Catfish
Lake Sturgeon
Marbled Eel
Mustajuovamonni
Nile Perch
Redtail Catfish
Striped Catfish
Wallago Catfish
White Sturgeon

 

RIVERS OF THE WORLD: (13 Exhibits)
This zone is in a dark low-ceilinged and unthemed hall located approximately on the middle level of the River Journey building.

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Fly River':
Boeseman's Rainbowfish
Celebese Rainbowfish
Dwarf Rainbowfish
Lake Tebera Rainbowfish
Lake Wanam Rainbowfish
Macculloch's Rainbowfish
Parkinson's Rainbowfish
Pig-nosed Turtle
Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle
Red Rainbowfish
Threadfin Rainbowfish
Turqoise Rainbowfish

Medium-sized wall tank titled 'Chinese Mountain Stream':
Beal's Four-eyed Turtle
Black-breasted Leaf Turtle
Butterfly Hillstream Loach
Chinese Sucker
Crocodile Lizard
White Cloud Mountain Fish
Zhou's Vermilion Goby

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Volga River':
Northern Pike
Russian Sturgeon
Siberian Sturgeon

Small-sized wall tank titled 'Electric Eel':
Electric Eel
Ember Tetra

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Nishikigoi':
Japanese Pond Turtle
Koi

Medium-sized wall tank titled 'Amazon River':
Blackline Penguinfish
Bolivian Ram
Cardinal Tetra
Elephantnose Knifefish
Gold-ringed Headstander
Green Discus
Panda Corydorus
Red-headed Amazon River Turtle
Rummy-nose Tetra
Silver Hatchetfish
Striped Headstander
Three-spot Anostomus
Whiptail Catfish

Medium-sized wall tank titled 'Amazon River' (a second one):
Banded Leporinus
Eartheater
Pinktail Chalceus
Raphael Catfish
Redhook Myleus
Red Piranha
Red Wolf Fish
Silver Prochilodus

Medium-sized wall tank titled 'Congo River/Zaire River':
Ablabe's Barb
Clipper Barb
Congo Tetra
Dwarf Crocodile
Featherfin Squeaker
Lifalili Cichlid
Lionhead Cichlid
Longfin Tetra
One Line African Tetra
Silver Distichodus
Sixbar Distichodus
Spotted Ctenopoma
Spotted Tilapia

Medium-sized wall tank titled 'Malebo Pool':
African Glass Catfish
African Knifefish
Altus Tetra
Blotched Upsidedown Catfish
Elephantnose Fish
Freshwater Butterflyfish
Gold Congo Tetra
Lionhead Cichlid
Mottled Ctenopoma
Orangestriped Synodontis
Slender Lionhead Cichlid
Yellowtail Tetra

Small-sized wall tank titled 'Freshwater Pipefish':
Black Line Pipefish
Long Mouth Freshwater Pipefish
Reticulate Loach
Short-tailed Pipefish
Stone Catfish

Small-sized square column tank titled 'Rain Forest Pond':
Aquatic Caecilian

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Lake Tanganyika':
Blunthead Cichlid
Bubu
Calvus Cichlid
Convict Julie
Cuckoo Catfish
Daffodil Cichlid
Duboisi Cichlid
Giant Freshwater Puffer
Golden Featherfin Cichlid
Humphead Cichlid
Lemon Cichlid
Leptosoma Cichlid
Ndobnoi Cichlid
Ornate Bichir
Sixbar Distichodus
Tiger Fish
Ventralis Cichlid

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Mossy Frog

 

TENNESSEE RIVER: (35 Exhibits)
This zone is in a dark low-ceilinged and unthemed hall located approximately on the middle level of the River Journey building.

The 18 following exhibits are in a subzone titled 'Turtle Gallery':
3 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each:
African Pancake Tortoise
Chinese Big-headed Turtle
Flattened Musk Turtle

Small-sized wall terrarium titled 'Riches of the Orient':
Chinese Three-striped Box Turtle
Four-eyed Turtle
Keeled Box Turtle
Spiny Turtle
Yellow-headed Temple Turtle

Small-sized wall terrarium titled 'Middle Ground':
Meso-American Slider
Nicaraguan Slider

Small-sized wall terrarium titled 'Why So Bright?':
Indian Star Tortoise

Small-sized wall terrarium titled 'The Indian Subcontinent':
Indian Black Turtle
Spotted Pond Turtle

5 small-sized wall terrariums, containing 1 species each:
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Blanding's Turtle
Leopard Tortoise
Matamata
Parker's Snake-necked Turtle

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Australian Snake-necked Turtle
Giant Snake-necked Turtle
Parker's Snake-necked Turtle

4 small-sized wall terrariums titled 'Turtle Nursery', containing 1 species each:
Black-breasted Leaf Turtle
Four-eyed Turtle
Gulf Coast Box Turtle
Spiny Turtle

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Big Bend Slider

The 4 following exhibits are titled 'Tennessee's Amazing Darters':
Small-sized wall tank:
Bronze Darter
Greenbreast Darter

Small-sized wall tank:
Gilt Darter
Greenfin Darter
Tennessee Darter

Small-sized wall tank:
Caney Fork Darter
Cherry Darter
Redline Darter

Small-sized wall tank:
Duck Darter
Rainbow Darter
Spangled Darter

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Invasive Species':
Common Carp
Grass Carp
Redbreast Sunfish
Yellow Perch

Medium-sized wall tank:
Blacktail Shiner
Rough Shiner
Southern Redbelly Dace

Large-sized wall tank titled 'Reelfoot Lake':
Black Crappie
Blue Sucker
Creek Chubsucker
Longear Sunfish
Paddlefish
Pallid Sturgeon
Shovelnose Sturgeon
Spotted Sunfish
Yellow Bass
Warmouth
White Crappie

Small-sized wall tank titled 'Backwaters':
Alabama Shiner
Coosa Shiner
Rainbow Shiner
Tricolor Shiner

Small-sized wall tank titled 'Backwaters' (a second one):
Barrens Topminnow
Blacknose Dace
Flame Chub
Southern Redbelly Dace

The 3 following exhibits are titled 'Salamanders of the Southern Appalachians':
Small-sized wall terrarium:
Hellbender

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Northern Red Salamander

Small-sized wall terrarium:
Spotted Salamander
Yonahlossee Salamander

4 small-sized pedestal tanks titled 'Tiny But Mighty Important':
Barrens Topminnow

Very large-sized 2-story tank viewed from two sides titled 'Nickajack Lake':
Bigmouth Buffalo
Black Buffalo
Black Crappie
Blue Catfish
Bluegill
Channel Catfish
Common Carp
Common Goldeneye (a bird that lives unseen above the surface mostly)
False Map Turtle
Freshwater Drum
Hybrid Striped Bass
Largemouth Bass
Longear Sunfish
Longnose Gar
Ouachita Map Turtle
Paddlefish
Redbreast Sunfish
Redear Sunfish
Red-eared Slider
River Cooter
Rock Bass
Smallmouth Buffalo
Spotted Bass
Spotted Gar
Warmouth
White Bass
White Crappie
Yellow Perch

 

LAKE NICARAGUA: (1 Exhibit)
This exhibit is viewed from the lower level of the 'Canyon' lobby.

Large-sized wall tank:
Blackbelt Cichlid
Convict Cichlid
Flier Cichlid
Guapote
Guapote Tigre
Midas Cichlid
Nicaragua Cichlid
Rainbow Cichlid
Red Devil
Yellowjacket Cichlid

 

AMAZON FLOODED FOREST: (1 Exhibit)
This exhibit is viewed from the lower level of the 'Canyon' lobby.

Large-sized wall tank:
Banded Cichlid
Geoffroy's Snake-necked Turtle
Giant South American River Turtle
Leopard Catfish
Oscar
Peacock Bass
Pirapatinga
Ripsaw Catfish
Sickleband Brycon
Speckled Pavon
Spotted-bellied Side-neck Turtle
Tambaqui
Yellow-spotted Amazon River Turtle

 

SUMMARY:

By my count, the total number of exhibits currently at the Tennessee Aquarium is: 93

By my count, the total number of species in permanent exhibits with identification signs is: 361 (probably at least 20 more if Butterfly Garden species had been noted)
The number of species I counted can be broken down into the following categories:
Mammals: 3
Birds: 15
Reptiles: 55
Amphibians: 12
Fish: 251
Invertebrates: 25 (probably at least 20 more if Butterfly Garden species had been noted)

 

Thanks for your usual dedication to details and Tennessee Aquarium having almost 70 reptile/amphibian species is more than can be said for many major American zoos! I personally love the aquarium and it is easily amidst the 5 best I've ever visited of the 90 or so different aquariums that I've toured in my lifetime.

 

Was the River Giants tank impressive? Does the freshwater theme of the original aquarium hold up well as an exhibit theme?

This aquarium is high on my list of aquariums to visit.

 

I'm thinking about visiting this aquarium later in the year so this species list will definitely be of help to me! I take it the aquarium no longer keeps Cape Speckled Padloper, Alabama Red-Bellied Cooter, or Tennessee Cave Salamander?

~Thylo

 

I was within driving distance of this Aquarium on the US road trip but unfortunately had no idea where it was in the state and so didn’t really consider it, so you can imagine my dismay when I found out where it was located! But as usual I’m enjoying these species lists!

 

This list is amazing. I have always wanted to visit this aquarium and lookinh at that turtle collection makes me even more anxious to do it. I often see this place compared to the National Aquarium. How do you think they compare?