The Dallas World Aquarium is a for-profit

aquarium An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...

and

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for Conservation biology, conservation purposes. The term ''zoological g ...

located in the West End Historic District of Dallas, Texas, USA. It aids conservation and education by housing many animals that are threatened or

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...

as part of a cooperative breeding program with other zoos around the world. It has been an accredited member of the

Association of Zoos and Aquariums The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), originally the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1924 and dedicated to the advancement of zoos and public aquariums in ...

since 1997 and is a member of the

World Association of Zoos and Aquariums The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the "umbrella" organization for the world zoo and aquarium community. Its mission is to provide leadership and support for zoos, aquariums, and partner organizations of the world in animal ca ...

History

The aquarium was opened in October 1992 in an old 1924 warehouse that had been gutted and rebuilt on the inside. In 1997, "The Orinoco - Secrets of the River" opened in an adjacent warehouse that had been similarly gutted and transformed, and the alley between the two buildings became the divide between freshwater and saltwater exhibits. In May 2000, it purchased a vacant lot behind the original warehouse for its first new construction, the Mundo Maya exhibit, which opened in August 2004. In 2015 Ben Crair of the New Republic wrote an exposé exposing the darker side of the zoo.

Exhibits

Borneo

Asian arowana The Asian arowana (''Scleropages formosus'') comprises several phenotypic varieties of freshwater fish distributed geographically across Southeast Asia. While most consider the different varieties to belong to a single species, work by Pouyaud ' ...

Bali myna The Bali myna (''Leucopsar rothschildi''), also known as Rothschild's mynah, Bali starling, or Bali mynah, locally known as jalak Bali, is a medium-sized (up to long), stocky myna, almost wholly white with a long, drooping crest, and black tip ...

Banded archerfish The banded archerfish (''Toxotes jaculatrix'') is a brackish water perciform fish of the archerfish genus ''Toxotes''. It is silvery in colour and has a dorsal fin towards the posterior end. It has distinctive, semi-triangular markings along its ...

Blyth's hornbill Blyth's hornbill (''Rhyticeros plicatus''), also known as the Papuan hornbill, is a large hornbill inhabiting the forest canopy in Wallacea and Melanesia. Its local name in Tok Pisin is ''kokomo''. Previously, this hornbill was placed in the gen ...

* Eastern yellow-billed hornbill *

Lesser bird-of-paradise The lesser bird-of-paradise (''Paradisaea minor'') is a bird-of-paradise in the genus ''Paradisaea''. Description The lesser bird-of-paradise is medium-sized, up to 32 cm-long, maroon-brown with a yellow crown and brownish-yellow upper back ...

Little penguin The little penguin (''Eudyptula minor'') is a species of penguin from New Zealand. They are commonly known as little blue penguins or blue penguins owing to their slate-blue plumage and are also known by their Māori name . The Australian lit ...

Matschie's tree-kangaroo Matschie's tree-kangaroo (''Dendrolagus matschiei''), also known as the Huon tree-kangaroo is a tree-kangaroo native to the Huon Peninsula of northeastern New Guinea island, within the nation of Papua New Guinea. Under the IUCN classification, Ma ...

Palm cockatoo The palm cockatoo (''Probosciger aterrimus''), also known as the goliath cockatoo or great black cockatoo, is a large smoky-grey or black parrot of the cockatoo family native to New Guinea, Aru Islands, and Cape York Peninsula. It has a very l ...

Pesquet's parrot Pesquet's parrot (''Psittrichas fulgidus''), also known as the Dracula parrot or as the vulturine parrot (leading to easy confusion with '' Pyrilia vulturina'' from Brazil), is the only member of its genus. It is endemic to hill and montane rai ...

Pheasant pigeon The pheasant pigeon (''Otidiphaps nobilis'') is a species of large terrestrial pigeon. It is the only species of the monotypic genus ''Otidiphaps''. The pheasant pigeon is found in the primary rainforests of New Guinea and nearby islands. It rang ...

Red-tailed black cockatoo The red-tailed black cockatoo (''Calyptorhynchus banksii'') also known as Banksian- or Banks' black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives t ...

Rhinoceros hornbill The rhinoceros hornbill (''Buceros rhinoceros'') is a large species of forest hornbill (Bucerotidae). In captivity it can live for up to 35 years. It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates and in mountain rain forests ...

Shoebill The shoebill (''Balaeniceps rex'') also known as the whalebill, whale-headed stork or shoe-billed stork, is a very large long-legged wading bird. It derives its name from its enormous shoe-shaped bill. It has a somewhat stork-like overall form ...

Western crowned pigeon The western crowned pigeon (''Goura cristata''), also known as the common crowned pigeon or blue crowned pigeon, is a large, blue-grey pigeon with blue lacy crests over the head and dark blue mask feathers around its eyes. Both sexes are almost s ...

Wompoo fruit dove The wompoo fruit dove (''Ptilinopus magnificus''), also known as wompoo pigeon, is one of the larger fruit doves native to New Guinea and eastern Australia. Taxonomy and systematics Subspecies There are generally 7-8 recognised subspecies ...

Victoria crowned pigeon The Victoria crowned pigeon (''Goura victoria'') is a large, bluish-grey pigeon with elegant blue lace-like crests, maroon breast and red irises. It is part of a genus ( ''Goura'') of four unique, very large, ground-dwelling pigeons native to t ...

Orinoco

The upper level of the aquarium is an artificial reproduction of a rainforest canopy with several aviaries and primate enclosures. The second level consists of animals that live in the understory layer while the last level consists of several large Amazonian fish and manatees. ;Free Flight *

Chestnut-eared aracari The chestnut-eared aracari or chestnut-eared araçari (''Pteroglossus castanotis'') is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru. Taxonomy and syst ...

Crested oropendola The crested oropendola (''Psarocolius decumanus''), also known as the Suriname crested oropendola or the cornbird, is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia ...

Curl-crested jay The curl-crested jay (''Cyanocorax cristatellus'') is a jay from South America. This New World jay is a beautiful and large (35 cm/14 in overall) bird with predominantly dark blue back, an almost black head and neck, and snow-white chest a ...

Green oropendola The green oropendola (''Psarocolius viridis'') is a species of bird in the family Icteridae. It is found in wooded habitats in the Amazon basin and Guianas of South America, and is generally common. Uniquely among the oropendolas, the green orope ...

Guira cuckoo The guira cuckoo (''Guira guira'') is a Sociality, gregarious bird found widely in open and semi-open habitats of northeastern, eastern and southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northeastern Argentina. It is the only species placed in ...

Scarlet ibis The scarlet ibis (''Eudocimus ruber'') is a species of ibis in the bird family Threskiornithidae. It inhabits tropical South America and part of the Caribbean. In form, it resembles most of the other twenty-seven extant species of ibis, but its ...

Venezuelan troupial The Venezuelan troupial (''Icterus icterus'') is the national bird of Venezuela. It is found in Colombia, Venezuela, and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao, Bonaire, Trinidad, and Puerto Rico. Together with the orange-backed troupial and Cam ...

;Jungle Jewels *

Blue-capped manakin The blue-capped manakin (''Lepidothrix coronata'') is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. The males have a brilliant blue cap; some have black, others have green body plumage, but the relationship between the subspecies is not well understo ...

Chiriqui quail-dove The Chiriqui quail-dove or rufous-breasted quail-dove (''Zentrygon chiriquensis'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae. It is found in Costa Rica and Panama.Baptista, L. F., P. W. Trail, H. M. Horblit, and P. F. D. Boesman (2020). Chi ...

Golden-collared manakin The golden-collared manakin (''Manacus vitellinus'') is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest. Rep ...

Lance-tailed manakin The lance-tailed manakin (''Chiroxiphia lanceolata'') is a small passerine bird which breeds in tropical Central and South America from Costa Rica to northern Venezuela. This manakin is a fairly common bird of dry and moist deciduous forests, b ...

* Paradise tanager * Red-capped manakin * Swallow tanager *

Wattled jacana The wattled jacana (''Jacana jacana'') is a wader which is a resident breeder from western Panama and Trinidad south through most of South America east of the Andes. Breeding The wattled jacana lays four black-marked brown eggs in a floating n ...

;Jungle Junction *

Boat-billed heron The boat-billed heron (''Cochlearius cochlearius''), colloquially known as the boatbill, is an atypical member of the heron family. It is the only member of the genus ''Cochlearius'' and was formerly placed in a monotypic family, the Cochlearii ...

Giant anteater The giant anteater (''Myrmecophaga tridactyla'') is an insectivorous mammal native to Central and South America. It is one of four living species of anteaters, of which it is the largest member. The only extant member of the genus ''Myrmecopha ...

Helmeted curassow The helmeted curassow (''Pauxi pauxi'') or northern helmeted curassow, is a large terrestrial bird in the family Cracidae found in the subtropical cloud-forest in steep, mountainous regions of western Venezuela and northern Colombia. There are t ...

Toco toucan The toco toucan (''Ramphastos toco''), also known as the common toucan or giant toucan, is the largest and probably the best known species in the toucan family. It is found in semi-open habitats throughout a large part of central and eastern Sou ...

Yellow-crowned night heron The yellow-crowned night heron (''Nyctanassa violacea''), is one of two species of night herons found in the Americas, the other one being the black-crowned night heron. It is known as the ''bihoreau violacé'' in French and the ''pedrete corona ...

;Monkey Island *

Pied tamarin The pied tamarin (''Saguinus bicolor''), sometimes referred to as the Brazilian bare-faced tamarin, is a Critically Endangered primate species found in a restricted area of the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. It was named the mascot of Manaus, Braz ...

White-faced saki The white-faced saki (''Pithecia pithecia''), called the Guianan saki and the golden-faced saki, is a species of the New World saki monkey. They can be found in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela. This species lives in the und ...

;Toucan Encounter *

Keel-billed toucan The keel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos sulfuratus''), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize. The species is found in tropical jungl ...

Many-banded aracari The many-banded aracari or many-banded araçari (''Pteroglossus pluricinctus'') is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonacc ...

;Howler Heights *

Colombian red howler The Colombian red howler or Venezuelan red howler (''Alouatta seniculus'') is a South American species of howler monkey, a type of New World monkey, found in the western Amazon Basin in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. The populatio ...

;Cotinga Corner * Black-necked aracari * Capuchinbird *

Curl-crested aracari The curl-crested araçari or curl-crested araçari (''Pteroglossus beauharnaisii'') is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fred ...

* Fiery-billed aracari *

Guianan cock-of-the-rock The Guianan cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola rupicola'') is a species of cotinga, a passerine bird from South America. It is about in length and weighs about . It is found in tropical rainforests, near its preferred habitat of rocky outcrops. The f ...

;Lobo del Rio *

Giant otter The giant otter or giant river otter (''Pteronura brasiliensis'') is a South American carnivorous mammal. It is the longest member of the weasel family, Mustelidae, a globally successful group of predators, reaching up to . Atypical of musteli ...

;Lizard Cove *

Northern caiman lizard The northern caiman lizard (''Dracaena guianensis'') is a species of lizard found in northern South America. Appearance The northern caiman lizard is built similarly to its cousin the tegu, with a large heavy set body and short but powerful lim ...

Red-footed tortoise The red-footed tortoise (''Chelonoidis carbonarius'') is a species of tortoise from northern South America. These medium-sized tortoises generally average as adults, but can reach over . They have dark-colored, loaf-shaped carapaces (back shell ...

;Hidden Treasures * Golden-headed manakin *

Golden lion tamarin The golden lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus rosalia'', pt, mico-leão-dourado , ), also known as the golden marmoset, is a small New World monkey of the family Callitrichidae. Native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil, the golden lion tam ...

Green-billed toucan The green-billed toucan (''Ramphastos dicolorus''), or red-breasted toucan, is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae, the toucans, toucanets, and aracaris. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. Taxonomy and systematics ...

* Paradise tanager *

Saffron toucanet The saffron toucanet (''Pteroglossus bailloni'') is a species of bird in the family Ramphastidae found in the Atlantic Forest in far north-eastern Argentina, south-eastern Brazil, and eastern Paraguay. Taxonomy and systematics This species' scie ...

Wattled guan The wattled guan (''Aburria aburri'') is a species of bird in the family Cracidae. It is a fairly large black cracid with blue-based, black-tipped beak and a long, red-and-yellow Wattle (anatomy), wattle. It is found in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, ...

;The Cave *

Emerald tree boa The emerald tree boa (''Corallus caninus'')Mehrtens JM. 1987. ''Living Snakes of the World in Color''. New York: Sterling Publishers. 480 pp. . is a boa species found in the rainforests of South America. Since 2009 the species ''Corallus batesii' ...

* Waxy monkey tree frog * Yellow-banded poison dart frog ;The River's Edge * Blue discus *

Cardinal tetra The cardinal tetra (''Paracheirodon axelrodi'') is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae of order Characiformes. It is native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers in South America. Growing to about total length, the cardinal tetra has ...

Green anaconda The green anaconda (''Eunectes murinus''), also known as the giant Emerald anaconda, common anaconda, common water boa or sucuri, is a boa species found in South America. It is the heaviest and one of the longest known extant snake species. Lik ...

Yellow-headed amazon The yellow-headed amazon (''Amazona oratrix''), also known as the yellow-headed parrot and double yellow-headed amazon, is an endangered amazon parrot of Mexico and northern Central America. Measuring in length, it is a stocky short-tailed gree ...

;Bats and Bugs *

Budgett's frog ''Lepidobatrachus'' is a genus of ceratophryidid frogs. They are commonly known as Paraguay horned frogs or Budgett's frogs (in honor of John Samuel Budgett, who described the genus), although the latter technically describes a specific specie ...

Common vampire bat The common vampire bat (''Desmodus rotundus'') is a small, leaf-nosed bat native to Latin America. It is one of three extant species of vampire bat, the other two being the hairy-legged and the white-winged vampire bats. The common vampire bat ...

Cuvier's dwarf caiman Cuvier's dwarf caiman (''Paleosuchus palpebrosus'') is a small crocodilian in the alligator family from northern and central South America. It is found in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Trinid ...

Dyeing poison dart frog The dyeing dart frog, dyeing poison dart frog, tinc (a nickname given by those in the hobby of keeping dart frogs), or dyeing poison frog (''Dendrobates tinctorius'') is a species of poison dart frog. It is among the largest species, reaching le ...

Goliath birdeater The Goliath birdeater (''Theraphosa blondi'') belongs to the tarantula family Theraphosidae. Found in northern South America, it is the largest spider in the world by mass () and body length (up to ), and second to the giant huntsman spider by l ...

Plumed basilisk The plumed basilisk (''Basiliscus plumifrons''), also called the green basilisk, double crested basilisk, or Jesus Christ lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Central America. The plumed basilis ...

Strawberry poison-dart frog The strawberry poison frog, strawberry poison-dart frog or blue jeans poison frog (''Oophaga pumilio'', formerly ''Dendrobates pumilio'') is a species of small poison dart frog found in Central America. It is common throughout its range, which ex ...

;Crocodile Cove *

Orinoco crocodile The Orinoco crocodile (''Crocodylus intermedius'') is a critically endangered crocodile. Its population is very small, and they can only be found in the Orinoco river basin in Colombia and Venezuela. Extensively hunted for their skins in the 19 ...

Mata mata Matamata () is a town in Waikato, New Zealand. It is located near the base of the Kaimai Ranges, and is a thriving farming area known for Thoroughbred horse breeding and training pursuits. It is part of the Matamata-Piako District, which takes ...

Red-bellied piranha The red-bellied piranha, also known as the red piranha (''Pygocentrus nattereri''), is a type of piranha native to South America, found in the Amazon, Paraguay, Paraná and Essequibo basins, as well as coastal rivers of northeastern Brazil.

;Flooded Forest *

Arrau turtle The Arrau turtle (''Podocnemis expansa''), also known as the South American river turtle, giant South American turtle, giant Amazon River turtle, Arrau sideneck turtle, Amazon River turtle or simply the Arrau, is the largest of the side-neck tu ...

* Aquatic caecilian *

Bigtooth river stingray The bigtooth river stingray or Tocantins River ray (''Potamotrygon henlei'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Potamotrygonidae. It is endemic to the lower Tocantins basin and Araguaia basin in Brazil,Carvalho, M.R.d. (2016): Potamot ...

* Black-banded leporinus *

Electric eel The electric eels are a genus, ''Electrophorus'', of neotropical freshwater fish from South America in the family Gymnotidae. They are known for their ability to stun their prey by generating electricity, delivering shocks at up to 860 volts ...

Silver arowana The silver arowana (''Osteoglossum bicirrhosum'') is a South American freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae. Silver arowanas are sometimes kept in aquariums, but they are predatory and require a very large tank. The generic name ''Os ...

Yellow-spotted river turtle The yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (''Podocnemis unifilis''), also known commonly as the yellow-headed sideneck turtle and the yellow-spotted river turtle, and locally as the taricaya, is one of the largest South American river turtles. It ...

;Toucan Terrace *

Black-necked swan The black-necked swan (''Cygnus melancoryphus'') is a species of waterfowl in tribe Cygnini of subfamily Anserinae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the bird ...

Elegant crested tinamou The elegant crested tinamou or martineta tinamou (''Eudromia elegans'') is a medium-sized tinamou that can be found in southern Chile and Argentina in Shrubland. The bird has an omnivorous diet. This species is terrestrial due to their poor flyi ...

Golden-headed lion tamarin The golden-headed lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus chrysomelas''), also the golden-headed tamarin, is a lion tamarin endemic to Brazil. It is found only in the lowland and premontane tropical forest fragments in the state of Bahia, and therefore is ...

Grey-winged trumpeter The grey-winged trumpeter (''Psophia crepitans'') is a member of a small family of birds, the Psophiidae. It is found in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonacco ...

Hawk-headed parrot The red-fan parrot (''Deroptyus accipitrinus''), also known as the hawk-headed parrot, is a New World parrot hailing from the Amazon Rainforest. It is the only member of the genus ''Deroptyus''. It dwells in Brazil, Suriname, Bolivia, Ecuado ...

Hoffmann's two-toed sloth Hoffmann's two-toed sloth (''Choloepus hoffmanni''), also known as the northern two-toed sloth is a species of sloth from Central and South America. It is a solitary, largely nocturnal and arboreal animal, found in mature and secondary rainf ...

Ocellate river stingray The ocellate river stingray (''Potamotrygon motoro''), also known as the peacock-eye stingray or black river stingray, is a species of freshwater stingray in the family Potamotrygonidae. It was the first species to be described in the family and ...

Orinoco goose The Orinoco goose (''Neochen jubata'') is a Near-threatened species, Near Threatened species of waterfowl in tribe Tadornini of subfamily Anserinae.HBW and BirdLife International (2021) Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife Internatio ...

* Ringed teal *

Rosy-billed pochard The rosy-billed pochard (''Netta peposaca''), alternatively named rosybill or rosybill pochard, is a member of family Anatidae. Though classified as a diving duck, this pochard feeds more like a dabbling duck feeding on seeds roots, sedges, aquat ...

Spot-billed toucanet The spot-billed toucanet (''Selenidera maculirostris'') is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. ...

*Toco toucan ;The River *

Antillean manatee The West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), also known as the North American manatee, is a large, aquatic mammal native to warm coastal areas of the Caribbean, from the eastern US to northern Brazil. Living alone or in herds, it feeds on un ...

Arapaima The arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche is any large species of bonytongue in the genus ''Arapaima'' native to the Amazon and Essequibo basins of South America. ''Arapaima'' is the type genus of the subfamily Arapaiminae within the family Osteoglossi ...

*Arrau turtle * Redtail catfish * Ripsaw catfish * Spotted sorubim *

Xingu River ray The Xingu River ray, white-blotched river stingray, or polka-dot stingray (''Potamotrygon leopoldi'') is a species of freshwater fish in the family Potamotrygonidae. It is endemic to the Xingu River basin in Brazil and as such prefers clear wat ...

Cloud Forest Trek

The newest exhibit in the aquarium, the Cloud Forest Trek was opened in November 2021. The aquarium collaborated with SNA Displays to create a LED video screen that can transition from day to night to simulate a real-time rainforest. Here, see the only public display of

three-toed sloth The three-toed or three-fingered sloths are arboreal neotropical mammals . They are the only members of the genus ''Bradypus'' and the family Bradypodidae. The four living species of three-toed sloths are the brown-throated sloth, the maned sloth ...

s in the United States, plus many other Andean animals. ;Rapids * White-faced whistling duck ;The Lek *

Andean cock-of-the-rock The Andean cock-of-the-rock (''Rupicola peruvianus''), also known as ''tunki'' (Quechua), is a large passerine bird of the cotinga family native to Andean cloud forests in South America. It is widely regarded as the national bird of Peru. It has ...

Golden-headed quetzal The golden-headed quetzal or corequenque (''Pharomachrus auriceps'') is a strikingly coloured bird in the genus ''Pharomachrus''; it is also referred to as ''Trogon auriceps''. It is found in moist mid-elevation forests from eastern Panama to nor ...

Plate-billed mountain toucan The plate-billed mountain toucan (''Andigena laminirostris'') is a species of bird in the family Ramphastidae. It is native to the west slope of Ecuador and extreme southern Colombia, where it lives in the high-altitude humid mountain forests of ...

Purple-throated fruitcrow The purple-throated fruitcrow (''Querula purpurata'') is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, the cotingas. It is the only species of the genus ''Querula''.Schulenberg, T. S., Ed. 2010Purple-throated Fruitcrow (''Querula purpurata'').Neo ...

;Others *

Brown-throated sloth The brown-throated sloth (''Bradypus variegatus'') is a species of three-toed sloth found in the Neotropical realm of Central and South America. It is the most common of the four species of three-toed sloth, and is found in the forests of South ...

Channel-billed toucan The channel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos vitellinus'') is a near-passerine bird in the family Ramphastidae found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad and in tropical South America as far south as southern Brazil and central Bolivia. Taxonomy an ...

Cotton-top tamarin The cotton-top tamarin (''Saguinus oedipus'') is a small New World monkey weighing less than . This New World monkey can live up to 24 years, but most of them die by 13 years. One of the smallest primates, the cotton-top tamarin is easily recogn ...

Southern pudu The southern pudu (''Pudu puda'', Mapudungun ''püdü'' or ''püdu'', es, pudú, ) is a species of South American deer native to the Andes of Chile and Argentina. It is found in high-altitude forests and is classified as Near Threatened in the ...

Mundo Maya

Tropical and marine animals indigenous to

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

are featured in this gallery. The area also has a 400,000 gallon tunnel tank with sharks and stingrays. ;River Delta *

Axolotl The axolotl (; from nci, āxōlōtl ), ''Ambystoma mexicanum'', is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. Instea ...

* Hernandez's helmeted basilisk * Hourglass treefrog *

Jack Dempsey William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey (June 24, 1895 – May 31, 1983), nicknamed Kid Blackie and The Manassa Mauler, was an American professional boxer who competed from 1914 to 1927, and reigned as the world heavyweight champion from 1919 to 1926. ...

* Jaguar cichlid *

Mexican musk turtle The Mexican musk turtle (''Staurotypus triporcatus''), also known commonly as the narrow-bridged musk turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Kinosternidae. The species occurs in Central America and Mexico. Geographic range ''S. triporc ...

Red-eared slider The red-eared slider or red-eared terrapin (''Trachemys scripta elegans'') is a subspecies of the pond slider (''Trachemys scripta''), a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States, ...

Antilles pinktoe tarantula The Antilles pinktoe tarantula (''Caribena versicolor''), also known as the Martinique red tree spider or the Martinique pinktoe is popular as a spider pet because of its docile character and unique coloration. Previously placed in the genus ''Av ...

* Crevice spiny lizard ;Fish of the Cenotes *

Blind cave fish The Mexican tetra (''Astyanax mexicanus''), also known as the blind cave fish, blind cave characin, and blind cave tetra, is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae of the order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to ...

Eastern screech owl The eastern screech owl (''Megascops asio'') or eastern screech-owl, is a small typical owl, owl that is relatively common in Eastern North America, from Mexico to Canada. This species is native to most wooded environments of its distribution, a ...

;Los Petenes *

Burrowing owl The burrowing owl (''Athene cunicularia''), also called the shoco, is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. Burrowing owls can be found in grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts, or an ...

Desert cottontail The desert cottontail (''Sylvilagus audubonii''), also known as Audubon's cottontail, is a New World cottontail rabbit, and a member of the family Leporidae. Unlike the European rabbit (''Oryctolagus cuniculus''), they do not form social burrow s ...

;Cenote *

Atlantic goliath grouper The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara (''Epinephelus itajara''), formerly known as the jewfish, is a saltwater fish of the grouper family and one of the largest species of bony fish. The species can be found in the west ranging from northeaste ...

Bonnethead The bonnethead (''Sphyrna tiburo''), also called a bonnet shark or shovelhead, is a small member of the hammerhead shark genus ''Sphyrna'', and part of the family Sphyrnidae. It is an abundant species in the littoral zone of the North Atlantic ...

Largetooth sawfish The largetooth sawfish (''Pristis pristis'', syn. ''P. microdon'' and ''P. perotteti'') is a species of sawfish, family Pristidae. It is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical coastal regions, but also enters freshwater. It has declined dra ...

Sandbar shark The sandbar shark (''Carcharhinus plumbeus'') also known as the brown shark or thickskin shark, is a species of requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. It is distinguishable by its ...

;Marine Creatures *

Atlantic horseshoe crab The Atlantic horseshoe crab (''Limulus polyphemus''), also known as the American horseshoe crab, is a species of marine and brackish chelicerate arthropod. Despite their name, horseshoe crabs are more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorp ...

* Bluehead wrasse *

Cane toad The cane toad (''Rhinella marina''), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad native to South and mainland Central America, but which has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania ...

* Arrow crab * Clarion angelfish *

Foureye butterflyfish The foureye butterflyfish (''Chaetodon capistratus'') is a butterflyfish (family Chaetodontidae). It is alternatively called the four-eyed butterflyfish. This species is found in the Western Atlantic from Massachusetts, USA and Bermuda to the Wes ...

* Royal gramma *

Slender seahorse The slender seahorse or longsnout seahorse (''Hippocampus reidi'') is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae that usually inhabits subtropical regions. Description The slender seahorses have a gestation period of around two weeks and typ ...

;Serpent's Den *

Brown basilisk The brown basilisk (''Basiliscus vittatus''), also commonly referred to as the striped basilisk or in some areas as the common basilisk, is a species of basilisk lizard in the family Corytophanidae. The species is native to Mexico, Central Ameri ...

Eyelash viper ''Bothriechis schlegelii'', known commonly as the eyelash viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central and South America. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of ...

* Fer-de-lance *

Mexican beaded lizard The Mexican beaded lizard (''Heloderma horridum'') is a species of lizard in the family Helodermatidae The Helodermatidae or beaded lizards are a small family of lizards endemic to North America today, but formerly more widespread in the ancien ...

;House of Zotz *

Barred owl The barred owl (''Strix varia''), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus '' Strix'', whic ...

Boa constrictor The boa constrictor (scientific name also ''Boa constrictor''), also called the red-tailed boa, is a species of large, non-venomous, heavy-bodied snake that is frequently kept and bred in captivity. The boa constrictor is a member of the family B ...

Morelet's crocodile Morelet's crocodile ''(Crocodylus moreletii)'', also known as the Mexican crocodile or Belize crocodile, is a modest-sized crocodilian found only in fresh waters of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. It usually grows to about ...

Painted wood turtle The ornate or painted wood turtleRed-eyed tree frog *

Seba's short-tailed bat Seba's short-tailed bat (''Carollia perspicillata'') is a common and widespread bat species in the family Phyllostomidae. They are found in Central America, the northern parts of South America, and in the Antilles islands. Description ''C. per ...

Spectacled owl The spectacled owl (''Pulsatrix perspicillata'') is a large tropical owl native to the neotropics. It is a resident breeder in forests from southern Mexico and Trinidad, through Central America, south to southern Brazil, Paraguay and northwestern ...

;Caribbean Creatures * Blue parrotfish *

French angelfish The French angelfish (''Pomacanthus paru'') is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a marine angelfish belonging to the family Pomacanthidae. It occurs in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Description The French angelfish has a laterally compressed bo ...

Hogfish The hogfish (''Lachnolaimus maximus''), also known as boquinete, doncella de pluma or pez perro in Mexico is a species of wrasse native to the Western Atlantic Ocean, living in a range from Nova Scotia, Canada, to northern South America, includ ...

Lesser devil ray The lesser devil ray (''Mobula hypostoma'') is a ray in the family Mobulidae. They occur along the coasts of the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to northern Argentina. Habitat These rays live in shallow waters and can be found singly or i ...

Lookdown The lookdown (''Selene vomer'') is a game fish of the family Carangidae. It was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus, in the 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae''. Description Although the lookdown is similar to the Atlantic moonfish, it ...

Queen angelfish The queen angelfish (''Holacanthus ciliaris''), also known as the blue angelfish, golden angelfish, or yellow angelfish, is a species of marine angelfish found in the western Atlantic Ocean. It is a benthic (ocean floor) warm-water species that ...

Spotted eagle ray The spotted eagle ray (''Aetobatus narinari'') is a cartilaginous fish of the eagle ray family, Myliobatidae. As traditionally recognized, it is found globally in tropical regions, including the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Recent auth ...

;Birds of El Triunfo *

Harpy eagle The harpy eagle (''Harpia harpyja'') is a neotropical species of eagle. It is also called the American harpy eagle to distinguish it from the Papuan eagle, which is sometimes known as the New Guinea harpy eagle or Papuan harpy eagle. It is the ...

*Keel-billed toucan *

Scarlet macaw The scarlet macaw (''Ara macao'') is a large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of the Neotropics. Its range extends from ...

;Mayan Temple *

Ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...

;Selva Maya *

American flamingo The American flamingo (''Phoenicopterus ruber'') is a large species of flamingo closely related to the greater flamingo and Chilean flamingo native to the Neotropics. It was formerly considered conspecific with the greater flamingo, but that trea ...

Black hawk-eagle The black hawk-eagle (), also known as the tyrant hawk-eagle, is a species of eagle found from central Mexico through Central America into the south of Brazil to Colombia, eastern Peru, and as far as northern Argentina. There are two known subspe ...

Central American agouti The Central American agouti (''Dasyprocta punctata'') is a species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. The main portion of its range is from Chiapas and the Yucatan Peninsula (southern Mexico), through Central America, to northwestern Ecuad ...

Great tinamou The great tinamou (''Tinamus major'') is a species of tinamou ground bird native to Central and South America. There are several subspecies, mostly differentiated by their coloration. Taxonomy The great tinamou was described and illustrated in 1 ...

;Pelican Reef *

Brown pelican The brown pelican (''Pelecanus occidentalis'') is a bird of the pelican family, Pelecanidae, one of three species found in the Americas and one of two that feed by diving into water. It is found on the Atlantic Coast from New Jersey to the mout ...

South Africa

;Cape of Good Hope *

African penguin The African penguin (''Spheniscus demersus''), also known as Cape penguin or South African penguin, is a species of penguin confined to southern African waters. Like all extant penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and wings stiff ...

;Madagascar *

African green pigeon The African green pigeon (''Treron calvus'') is a species of bird in the family Columbidae, and one of 5 green pigeon species in the Afrotropics. The species has a wide range in Sub-Saharan Africa with around 17 accepted races. Description and ...

Great blue turaco The great blue turaco (''Corythaeola cristata'') is a bird species of the family Musophagidae. At in length, it is the largest species of turaco. It has predominantly grey-blue plumage with an upright blue-black crest around high. The male and ...

Madagascan big-headed turtle The Madagascan big-headed turtle (''Erymnochelys madagascariensis'') is a turtle native to the waters of permanent slow moving rivers and lakes in western Madagascar. These turtles are critically endangered and have been evaluated to be the mos ...

Madagascar giant day gecko ''Phelsuma grandis'' is a diurnal arboreal species of day gecko. These geckos are part of the ''Phelsuma'' group, which consists of in excess of 70 species and subspecies. They are commonly referred to as the Madagascar giant day gecko, due to t ...

*Malagasy giant chameleon *Panther chameleon *Radiated tortoise *Dyscophus antongilii, Tomato frog *Furcifer verrucosus, Warty chameleon *White-crested turaco

Aquarium

The lower level houses aquaria featuring: fish, sea anemones, coral, jellyfish and other sea animals from around the world. The 10 main tanks feature the aquatic life of: Japan, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, British Columbia, Fiji, Palau, Southern Australia, Lord Howe Island and the Solomon Islands. Other tanks on display include a large tank with a tunnel where visitors can observe fish of the continental shelf swimming around them. ;Solomon Islands *Naso elegans, Elegant unicornfish *Photoblepharon palpebratum, Flashlightfish *Hymenocera, Harlequin shrimp *Aurelia aurita, Moon jelly *Amphiprion leucokranos, White-capped clownfish ;Southern Australia *Big-belly seahorse *Leafy seadragon *Weedy seadragon *Rhycherus filamentosus, Tasselled anglerfish ;Lord Howe Island *Combfish *Amphiprion mccullochi, McCullouch's anemonefish *Painted anthias *Chaetodontoplus, Spectacled angelfish *Amphiprion latezonatus, Wide-band anemonefish ;Palau *Magnificent rabbitfish *Synchiropus splendidus, Mandarin dragonet *Chrysiptera starcki, Starck's demoiselle *Genicanthus watanabei, Watanabe's angelfish ;Fiji *Siganus doliatus, Barred spinefoot *Bicolored foxface *Genicanthus semifasciatus, Japanese swallowtail angelfish *Pink skunk clownfish *Sea goldie *Tomato clownfish ;New Guinea *Paracanthurus, Blue hippo tang *Copperband butterflyfish *Orange clownfish *Aeoliscus strigatus, Razorfish *Haliichthys taeniophorus, Ribboned pipefish ;British Columbia *Patiria miniata, Bat star *Rhinogobiops, Blackeye goby *Giant Pacific octopus ;Sri Lanka *Rhinopias eschmeyeri, Eschmeyer's scorpionfish *Zebrasoma gemmatum, Gem tang *Moorish idol *Threadfin anthias *Genicanthus caudovittatus, Zebra angelfish ;Denizens of the Deep *Japanese spider crab *Longspine snipefish ;Indonesia *Banggai cardinalfish *Acanthurus pyroferus, Chocolate surgeonfish *Metasepia pfefferi, Flamboyant cuttlefish *Hawkfish anthias *Ocellaris clownfish *Orange skunk clownfish *Genicanthus bellus, Ornate angelfish ;Japan *Acanthurus japonicus, Powder brown tang *Spotted garden eel *Chaetodon daedalma, Wrought-iron butterflyfish ;Continental Shelf *Bluespine unicornfish *Bluespotted ribbontail ray *Clown triggerfish *Novaculichthys, Dragon wrasse *Harlequin tuskfish *Humphead wrasse *Magnificent rabbitfish *Redtoothed triggerfish *Sailfin snapper

Education

The aquarium is also part of a joint initiative between local companies and corporations and the Dallas Public School district. Many of its employees are also full-time students at the School of Business and Management at the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet High School. This joint venture, as part of a work-study program by the school, emphasizes real-world business techniques and practices to teach the upcoming generation on maintaining and running the day-to-day operations of one of the city's largest and most well-known attractions. File:Potamotrygon leopoldi.jpg, Three

s at the Dallas World Aquarium File:Underside of a shark, Dallas World Aquarium 2.JPG, The underside of a shark, taken from an under-tank tunnel at the Dallas World Aquarium File:Lionfish at Dallas World Aquarium.JPG, Lionfish at the Dallas World Aquarium File:Dallas World Aquarium January 2019 09 (Orinoco crocodile).jpg,

at the Dallas World Aquarium File:Dallas World Aquarium January 2019 10 (flamingos).jpg, Flamingos at the Dallas World Aquarium File:Dallas World Aquarium January 2019 14 (black-footed penguin).jpg, Black-footed penguin at the Dallas World Aquarium

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Zoos of Texas Buildings and structures in Dallas Culture of Dallas Landmarks in Dallas Economy of Dallas Tourist attractions in Dallas Aquaria in Texas Zoos established in 1992 1992 establishments in Texas