Join our zoo community

Paddlefish in North American facilities

Discussion in 'North America - General' started by TinoPup, 30 May 2023.

  1. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Trying to figure out who still has this amazing species! Am I missing any places from this list, or do any of these no longer have any?

    -California Academy of Sciences, California
    -Cameron Park Zoo, Texas?
    -Mystic Aquarium, Connecticut
    -National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, Iowa
    -OdySea Aquarium, Arizona
    -Oklahoma Aquarium, Oklahoma
    -Ripley's Aquarium of Canada, Ontario
    -Saint Louis Aquarium, Missouri
    -Shedd Aquarium, Illinois
    -Tennessee Aquarium, Tennessee
    -Via Aquarium, New York?

    Virginia Living Museum and Newport Aquarium seem to no longer have them. and Shreveport Aquarium released all of theirs. I'm assuming Cincinnati no longer has any in the lake?
     
  2. nczoofan

    nczoofan Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    5 Jul 2018
    Posts:
    1,468
    Location:
    Texas
    Cameron Park Zoo had them as of last year. I haven’t visited so far this year though.
     
    TinoPup likes this.
  3. birdsandbats

    birdsandbats Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Sep 2017
    Posts:
    11,434
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    SEA LIFE Minnesota I think still has them, though it's been several years since I've been there.
     
    TinoPup likes this.
  4. Gondwana

    Gondwana Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    17 Sep 2019
    Posts:
    255
    Location:
    USA
    Not a zoo per se but the Minnesota State Fair displays some giant ones in their gamefish pond. Only visible two weeks per year; they're kept in an off-site pond the rest of the year.
     
    TinoPup likes this.
  5. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Thanks, the most recent photo I could find was several years old.


    That's one I didn't come across at all!


    Interesting, they're not an easy species to move about.
     
    Gondwana likes this.
  6. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Jan 2017
    Posts:
    2,028
    Location:
    .
    Shreveport Aquarium , Louisiana has them.
    *Edit* did they release them all? I was under the impression they still had some after the release in March?

    Florida Aquarium, Tampa showed them in a promo for the new MORPH'D exhibit opening this summer.
     
    iluvwhales likes this.
  7. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Articles I read about it at the time said they released all of them and no longer keep the species.

    Nice to hear a place is adding them instead of losing them, even if it's really far away from me!
     
    SwampDonkey likes this.
  8. SusScrofa

    SusScrofa Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    25 Feb 2022
    Posts:
    796
    Location:
    Florida
    Never been to either, but Mississippi Aquarium in Gulfport mentions paddlefish in the collection on their website, and Audubon Aquarium also had some at least until a couple of years ago based on images.
     
    SwampDonkey likes this.
  9. splendens

    splendens Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18 Oct 2021
    Posts:
    230
    Location:
    california
    The California Academy of Sciences has not had paddlefish for many years.
     
  10. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Their website says they still have them: Water Planet
     
  11. splendens

    splendens Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18 Oct 2021
    Posts:
    230
    Location:
    california
    The website is outdated, it also shows leafy sea dragons and ornate cowfish which have also not been on display for several years. I believe the tank that once held the paddlefish now holds two australian lungfish, rainbow fish and gobies.
     
    TinoPup likes this.
  12. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    That's really out of date :( Shame. Seems like places are going out of paddlefish and no one is really adding them!
     
    SwampDonkey and splendens like this.
  13. splendens

    splendens Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    18 Oct 2021
    Posts:
    230
    Location:
    california
    At least paddlefish are in the private aquarium trade.
     
    birdsandbats and TinoPup like this.
  14. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Jan 2017
    Posts:
    2,028
    Location:
    .
    Yeah, they are cool fish. I have only seen them in person at OdySea, so I am happy that Tampa is adding them. They open the exhibit this weekend to passholders and the public on July 1st. I will post pictures next Monday, I am doing the preview this Sunday.
     
    Nile Hippo Expert and TinoPup like this.
  15. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Awesome, I look forward to your photos :) Nice to hear Tampa going in a positive direction for once.
     
  16. TinoPup

    TinoPup Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    17 Jul 2016
    Posts:
    6,553
    Location:
    .
    Read the Tampa threads from the last few years.
     
    Nile Hippo Expert likes this.
  17. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Jan 2017
    Posts:
    2,028
    Location:
    .
    Sorry, not ZooTampa, rather the Florida Aquarium in Tampa is getting paddlefish.
     
  18. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Jan 2017
    Posts:
    2,028
    Location:
    .
  19. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey In the Swamp Premium Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Jan 2017
    Posts:
    2,028
    Location:
    .
    TinoPup and snowleopard like this.
  20. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

    Joined:
    1 Dec 2007
    Posts:
    7,664
    Location:
    Abbotsford, B.C., Canada
    I saw Paddlefish at Wildlife World Zoo yesterday and today I saw an incredible number of them at OdySea Aquarium. I know that @TinoPup already has OdySea down on her list, but today I would estimate that the facility has 40 Paddlefish in the same tank. It's an extraordinary image to see them all together.
     
    birdsandbats, SwampDonkey and TinoPup like this.