Aquarium Touch Tank

“Welcome to the Touch Tank! You are welcome to pet the animals. Please pet them gently with 2 fingers (hold up 2 fingers as an example), avoiding their eyes, mouth, and gills.”

Saltwater Touch Tank

 Cortez Round Stingray o Average Size: 8-12 in., up to 23 in. o Average Weight: 1-1½ lbs., up to 4 lbs. o Habitat: Sandy or muddy bottoms in the eastern Pacific Ocean from northern California to Panama Bay. o Average Life Span: 6-8 years, up to 12 years. o Diet: Wild – benthic invertebrates like shrimp, crabs, worms, and some small fish. Captivity – shrimp, fish, squid, and gel food.  Atlantic Stingray o Average Size: 12-14 in. wide, up to 24 in. long o Average Weight: Up to 11 lbs. o Habitat: Western Atlantic Ocean, from Chesapeake Bay southward to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico o Average Life Span: Approximately 9 years o Diet: Wild – benthic invertebrates like molluscs, anemones & crustaceans. Captivity – shrimp, fish, squid, and gel food.

Fun Facts

o Our rays are safe to pet! We periodically trim the barbs (like cutting your fingernails) to ensure safe handling of the rays.

. In the wild, the barbs are used for defense, but they rarely use it against humans unless they are provoked.

o Many reef fishes exhibit dynamic coloration and body patterns that can change under nervous control. Several species of rays, including Cortez Round Stingrays can alter melanin concentrations in the skin to provide background matching for camouflage.

o Atlantic Stingray are euryhaline—which means they are capable of tolerating varying salinities (amount of salt in body of water), and can be found in freshwater, brackish water, and saltwater.

o These stingrays are ovoviviparous—the females retain the eggs inside the body until they hatch, and then give birth to live young.

o Behind the stingrays’ eyes are two openings you may see opening and closing. These are spiracles, which allow the stingray to take in oxygenated water, which is then expelled from the gills on its underside.

Freshwater Touch Tank

 Lake Sturgeon o Average Size: 3-5 ft., sometimes 7+ ft. o Average Weight: 10-80 lbs., sometimes 300+ lbs. o Habitat: Primarily freshwater lakes, and large rivers of northeastern North America. o Average Life Span: Males, 50 – 60 years; Females 80 – 150 years. o Sexual Maturity: Males, 8-12 years (may be up to 22 years); Females, 14-33 years. Males spawn once every 2-7 years, females once every 4-9 years. o Diet: Wild – larval aquatic insects, crayfish, snails, small fish, and decaying animal matter. Captivity – worms, small fish, & more.

Fun Facts o This ancient family of fishes has been recognized since the Upper Cretaceous period (136 million years ago), at a time when dinosaurs were at the height of their development.

o Four barbels, or feelers, dangle just in front of the mouth. The barbels are important sensory organs that alert the fish to the presence of food as they coast slowly over the bottom.

o The mouth and lips of the lake sturgeon protrude to suck up food and retract when not in use—and this venerable fish need never fear a trip to the dentist, since it has no teeth.

o As befits a representative of fishdom's medieval era, the lake sturgeon wears "armor" in the form of bony, shell-shaped plates, or scutes, arranged in five rows.

o Lake Sturgeon grow larger and live longer than any other fish in Wisconsin.

. In 2012 the DNR caught a record size Lake Sturgeon on the Wolf River near Shawano, believed to be the largest Lake Sturgeon ever caught in the US—87.5 in. long, over 240 lbs., and estimated to be 125 years old.

Additional Touch Tank Rules

 Never remove or allow a guest to remove an animal from the water. Do not lift/allow guests to any animals.

 Parents/Guardians must hold children when leaning over the Touch Tanks.

 If a guest places a beverage on the edge of the Touch Tanks, please politely ask them to remove their beverage from the counter.

 If there is an animal related injury of any kind, inform an Aquarium Staff Member immediately.

 Some guests will not necessarily heed your words of caution - be polite, but firm. If a guest continues to ignore your direction, inform a Staff Member immediately.

 If someone falls in the tanks, do not get into the tank to assist. You may reach over and assist the person to keep their head out of the water.

 Never allow a guest to place or toss any objects into the water. Hands only in the water.

 In the case of a medical emergency, please inform the Guest Services Staff Member stationed at the Touch Tanks, so they may radio for assistance.

 In the case of a fire alarm, please exit the building immediately with Discovery World visitors via the staircase in the Weird & Wild exhibit. Guest Services Staff Members are required to clear their exhibit area of all guests before exiting the building, however as a volunteer this is not your responsibility. Please proceed to the Wind Leaves, outside the building on Harbor Drive.

*If a guest expresses concern over touching a stingray, or any other animal, assure them that all animals are safe to pet (stingrays have their barbs trimmed, crabs do not have claws, sturgeon do not have teeth, etc).