Behind the Scenes with Shannon

Though the Aquarium is currently closed to the public, our animal care continues behind the scenes. We’re virtually turning our walls into windows and bringing you along to shadow our staff, and hopefully teaching you a little thing or two along the way!

We’re taking you behind the scenes with Shannon, a senior biologist II at the Aquarium. You’ll often find Shannon amongst the seahorses, jellies and more. She’s been at the Aquarium for years, and we’re excited to share with you a snapshot of her daily schedule!

Let’s start with a little science lesson, shall we?

• We have two types of jellies at the Aquarium – moon jellies (shown above) and lion’s mane jellyfish.
• Moon jellies are mostly made of water (95%), and they have no brains, eyes or heart.
• Lion’s mane jellyfish are named after their “mane” of over 1,200 tentacles that resemble hair.
• The largest lion’s mane jellyfish ever recorded was 120 feet long!

• Their scientific name, Hippocampus, is Greek for “bent horse” or “horse sea animal.”
• Seahorses don’t have teeth; they use their long mouths to suck in food and swallow it whole.
• Because they have no stomach, food passes through their system quickly, so they must eat often.
• Seahorses have what’s called a prehensile tail, just like lemurs and monkeys; they use them to hang onto underwater plant life.