Africa: From the Desert to the Sea May 9, 2011

Aquarium visitors will see amazing fish from the Nile River, the lakes of Africa's Great Rift Valley, the Red Sea and Africa's shorelines, including the remarkable ecosystem of Madagascar. Species highlighted include exotic air-breathing lungfish that can survive for a year if their waterhole goes dry, and electric catfish that use bioelectric radar to sense surroundings and zap their food in a dark and murky habitat. Other exotics include knifefish, bichirs and - appropriately for Africa - elephant-nose fish. Colorful cichlids and coral reef species shine in shimmering rainbows. Interspersed throughout are important messages about animal adaptations, the importance of habitat preservation and conservation, and stories that show how fish from the other side of the world face challenges similar to those in Long Island Sound.