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The Newport Aquarium is an
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 ...
located in
Newport, Kentucky Newport is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city at the confluence of the Ohio River, Ohio and Licking River (Kentucky), Licking rivers in Campbell County, Kentucky, Campbell County, Kentucky. The population was 15,273 at the 2010 United ...
, United States at
Newport on the Levee Newport on the Levee is a dining and attraction destination located on Third Street in Newport, Kentucky. It is located adjacent to the Purple People Bridge along the Ohio River and boasts views of downtown Cincinnati and the Ohio River. The Lev ...
, across the river from
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
. It has 70 exhibits and 14 galleries, including five seamless acrylic tunnels totaling over in length. The aquarium also showcases thousands of animals from around the world in of water, including Scooter and Sweet Pea, two of the few shark rays in captivity. It is the first aquarium to have success in breeding shark rays. It also hosts a collection of alligators, including albino alligators and Mighty Mike (left in 2018). Newport Aquarium is 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 ...
, a leader in global wildlife conservation. The aquarium has many outreach programs, including the mobile shark cart and the WAVE Foundation, that seeks to educate the public about our oceans and promote STEM. Throughout the year, they have seasonal events to engage the public and promote ocean conservation. The Newport Aquarium is part of
Herschend Family Entertainment Herschend Family Entertainment (HFE) is a privately owned themed-entertainment company that operates several theme parks and tourist attractions within the United States, and as of 2021, one aquarium in Vancouver, Canada. Founded by Jack and P ...
, a for-profit company.


Exhibits

Gator Alley is home to the pair of albino
American alligator The American alligator (''Alligator mississippiensis''), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile native to the Southeastern United States. It is one of the two extant species in the g ...
as well as many other reptiles. Amazon includes
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 ...
,
pacu Pacu () is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater serrasalmid fish that are related to the piranha. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw alignment; piranha hav ...
, redtail catfish,
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 ...
,
black arowana The black arowana (''Osteoglossum ferreirai'') is a South American freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae. Black arowanas are sometimes kept in aquariums, but they are predatory and require a very large tank. It is generally common, b ...
,
long-tailed river stingray The long-tailed river stingray or antenna ray (''Plesiotrygon iwamae'') is a species of freshwater stingray in the family (biology), family Potamotrygonidae. It is found in the Amazon basin in South America, ranging from Ecuador to Belém. It liv ...
, and
perch Perch is a common name for fish of the genus ''Perca'', freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which three species occur in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Percif ...
. Shark Central lets visitors pet the many species of sharks including lesser guitarfish,
pyjama shark The pyjama shark or striped catshark (''Poroderma africanum'') is a species of catshark, and part of the family Scyliorhinidae, endemic to the coastal waters of South Africa. This abundant, bottom-dwelling species can be found from the intertid ...
,
Port Jackson shark The Port Jackson shark (''Heterodontus portusjacksoni'') is a nocturnal, oviparous (egg laying) type of bullhead shark of the family (biology), family Bullhead shark, Heterodontidae, found in the coastal region of southern Australia, including th ...
,
leopard shark The leopard shark (''Triakis semifasciata'') is a species of houndshark, in the family Triakidae. It is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from the U.S. state of Oregon to Mazatlán in Mexico. Typically measuring 1.2–1.5 m (3.9 ...
,
small-spotted catshark The small-spotted catshark (''Scyliorhinus canicula''), also known as the sandy dogfish, lesser-spotted dogfish, rough-hound or morgay (in Scotland and Cornwall), is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found on the continental shelves ...
,
crested bullhead shark The crested bullhead shark (''Heterodontus galeatus'') is an uncommon species of bullhead shark, in the family Heterodontidae. It lives off the coast of eastern Australia from the coast to a depth of . This shark can be distinguished from other ...
, spotted gully shark (
sharptooth houndshark The sharptooth houndshark, or spotted gully shark (''Triakis megalopterus'') is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae found in shallow inshore waters from southern Angola to South Africa. Favoring sandy areas near rocky reefs and gullie ...
). Kroger Penguin Palooza includes
king penguin The king penguin (''Aptenodytes patagonicus'') is the second largest species of penguin, smaller, but somewhat similar in appearance to the emperor penguin. There are two subspecies: ''A. p. patagonicus'' and ''A. p. halli''; ''patagonicus'' i ...
,
Inca tern The Inca tern (''Larosterna inca'') is a tern in the family Laridae. It is the only member of the genus ''Larosterna''. This uniquely plumaged bird breeds on the coasts of Peru and Chile, and is restricted to the Humboldt Current. In 2021 a si ...
, chinstrap penguin,
gentoo penguin The gentoo penguin ( ) (''Pygoscelis papua'') is a penguin species (or possibly a species complex) in the genus ''Pygoscelis'', most closely related to the Adélie penguin (''P. adeliae'') and the chinstrap penguin (''P. antarcticus''). The ear ...
,
macaroni penguin The macaroni penguin (''Eudyptes chrysolophus'') is a species of penguin found from the Subantarctic to the Antarctic Peninsula. One of six species of crested penguin, it is very closely related to the royal penguin, and some authorities conside ...
and
rockhopper penguin The rockhopper penguins are three closely related taxa of crested penguins that have been traditionally treated as a single species and are sometimes split into three species. Not all experts agree on the classification of these penguins. Some c ...
. Ring of Fire is a gallery which focuses on certain species that visitors requested to come back the most. This gallery features
giant pacific octopus The giant Pacific octopus (''Enteroctopus dofleini''), also known as the North Pacific giant octopus, is a large marine cephalopod belonging to the genus '' Enteroctopus''. Its spatial distribution includes the coastal North Pacific, along Mexic ...
,
Japanese spider crab The Japanese spider crab (''Macrocheira kaempferi'') is a species of marine crab that lives in the waters around Japan. It has the largest known leg-span of any arthropod. It goes through three main larval stages along with a prezoeal stage to g ...
,
moon jellyfish ''Aurelia aurita'' (also called the common jellyfish, moon jellyfish, moon jelly or saucer jelly) is a species of the genus ''Aurelia (genus), Aurelia''. All species in the genus are very similar, and it is difficult to identify ''Aurelia'' medus ...
,
longspine snipefish The longspine snipefish, bellowfish, common bellowsfish, snipe-fish, snipefish, spine trumpet fish, or trumpetfish, ''Macroramphosus scolopax'', is a snipefish of the genus '' Macroramphosus''. It is also known as the slender snipefish off the So ...
, and pinecone fish. Frog Bog includes green tree frog,
American bullfrog The American bullfrog (''Lithobates catesbeianus''), often simply known as the bullfrog in Canada and the United States, is a large true frog native to eastern North America. It typically inhabits large permanent water bodies such as swamps, po ...
,
African clawed frog The African clawed frog (''Xenopus laevis'', also known as the xenopus, African clawed toad, African claw-toed frog or the ''platanna'') is a species of African aquatic frog of the family Pipidae. Its name is derived from the three short claws ...
, red-eyed tree frog,
gray tree frog The gray treefrog (''Dryophytes versicolor'') is a species of small arboreal holarctic tree frog native to much of the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. It is sometimes referred to as the eastern gray treefrog, northern gray tree ...
,
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 ...
,
tomato frog Tomato frogs are any of the three species of genus ''Dyscophus'' (family Microhylidae): ''D. antongilii'', ''D. insularis'', or ''D. guineti''. ''Dyscophus'' is the only genus in subfamily Dyscophinae. They are endemic to Madagascar. The common ...
, and other frog and toad species. Dangerous and Deadly includes
Gila monster The Gila monster (''Heloderma suspectum'', ) is a species of venomous lizard native to the Southwestern United States and the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is a heavy, typically slow-moving reptile, up to long, and it is the only v ...
,
red lionfish The red lionfish (''Pterois volitans'') is a venomous coral reef fish in the family Scorpaenidae, order Scorpaeniformes. It is mainly native to the Indo-Pacific region, but has become an invasive species in the Caribbean Sea, as well as along the ...
, pinecone fish,
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 ...
,
Gaboon viper The Gaboon viper (''Bitis gabonica''), also called the Gaboon adder, is a viper species found in the rainforests and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.McDiarmid RW, Campbell JA, Touré T. 1999. ''Snake Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geograp ...
,
spotted wobbegong The spotted wobbegong (''Orectolobus maculatus'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, endemic to Australia. It is a large, robust species, typically reaching in length. Coloured green, yellow, or brown, it has distinctive O-shaped ...
,
stonefish ''Synanceia'' is a genus of ray-finned fish belonging to the subfamily Synanceiinae, the stonefishes, which is classified within the family Scorpaenidae, the scorpionfishes and relatives. Stonefishes are venomous, dangerous, and fatal to huma ...
,
redeye piranha The redeye piranha (''Serrasalmus rhombeus''), also known as the black piranha, white piranha, spotted piranha or yellow piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a piranha from the family Serrasalmidae. It is found in northern South Am ...
,
whitespotted bamboo shark The whitespotted bamboo shark (''Chiloscyllium plagiosum'') is a carpet shark with an adult size that approaches one metre in length. This small, mostly nocturnal species is harmless to humans. The whitespotted bamboo shark is occasionally kept ...
,
tentacled snake The tentacled snake or tentacle snake (''Erpeton tentaculatum'') is a rear-fanged aquatic snake native to Southeast Asia. It is the only species of the genus ''Erpeton''. The two tentacles on its snout are a unique feature among snakes. Descr ...
, white-blotched river stingray and a
cottonmouth ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. As ...
(
water moccasin ''Agkistrodon piscivorus'' is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. A ...
). Seahorses: Unbridled Fun includes six-line wrasse,
splendid garden eel ''Gorgasia preclara'', the splendid garden eel or orange-barred garden eel, is a species of marine garden eel. Description The splendid garden eel is a medium-sized fish, up to 40 cm maximum length. Its body has a circular shape with a dia ...
,
spotted garden-eel The spotted garden eel (''Heteroconger hassi'') is a heteroconger belonging to the family Congridae. It is native to the Indo-Pacific. Description The spotted garden eel is a small fish that can reach a maximum length of . Its body is anguiform ...
,
Barbour's seahorse Barbour's seahorse (''Hippocampus barbouri'') is a species of fish of the family Syngnathidae. Habitat ''Hippocampus barbouri'' is found in seagrasses and shallow waters off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Individuals h ...
,
many-banded pipefish ''Dunckerocampus multiannulatus'' (many-banded pipefish) is a species of marine fish of the family Syngnathidae. It is widespread in the Indian Ocean, from the Red Sea and South Africa to the Andaman Islands and Sumatra, Indonesia. It inhabits ...
,
trumpetfish The trumpetfishes are three species of highly specialized, tubularly-elongated marine fishes in the genus ''Aulostomus'', of the monogeneric family Aulostomidae. The trumpetfishes are members of the order Syngnathiformes, together with the seaho ...
, whitespotted surgeonfish,
opossum pipefish ''Microphis lineatus'', the opossum pipefish, is a species of fish in the family Syngnathidae. It is found in fresh, brackish and marine waters in the West Atlantic region, ranging from New Jersey, United States, to São Paulo, Brazil, including ...
,
longspine snipefish The longspine snipefish, bellowfish, common bellowsfish, snipe-fish, snipefish, spine trumpet fish, or trumpetfish, ''Macroramphosus scolopax'', is a snipefish of the genus '' Macroramphosus''. It is also known as the slender snipefish off the So ...
, big-bellied seahorse, ribboned sea dragon,
razorfish Razorfish may refer to: Species Fish A common name used for three unrelated groups of fishes: * The genera ''Aeoliscus'', and ''Centriscus'', also known as shrimpfishes, in the family Centriscidae * The genus ''Xyrichtys'' of the family Labridae * ...
,
dwarf seahorse The dwarf seahorse (''Hippocampus zosterae'') is a species of seahorse found in the subtidal aquatic beds of the Bahamas and parts of the United States. It is threatened by habitat loss. According to ''Guinness World Records'', it is the slowest ...
,
flame angelfish The flame angelfish (''Centropyge loricula'') is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae found in tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean. Other common names include flame angel, flaming angelfish and Japanese pygmy angelfish. Description Th ...
, Hawaiian reef lobster, and a group of
paddlefish Paddlefish (family Polyodontidae) are a family of ray-finned fish belonging to order Acipenseriformes, and one of two living groups of the order alongside sturgeons (Acipenseridae). They are distinguished from other fish by their titular elongla ...
. Surrounded by Sharks includes
bowmouth guitarfish ''Rhina ancylostoma'', the bowmouth guitarfish, shark ray or mud skate, is a species of ray and a member of the family Rhinidae. Its evolutionary affinities are not fully resolved, though it may be related to true guitarfishes and skates. Th ...
( shark ray),
sand tiger shark The sand tiger shark (''Carcharias taurus''), gray nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark or blue-nurse sand tiger, is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf, from sandy sho ...
,
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 ...
,
scalloped hammerhead shark The scalloped hammerhead (''Sphyrna lewini'') is a species of hammerhead shark in the family (biology), family Hammerhead shark, Sphyrnidae. It was originally known as ''Zygaena lewini''. The Greek language, Greek word ''sphyrna'' translates into ...
,
whitetip reef shark The whitetip reef shark (''Triaenodon obesus'') is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, and the only member of its genus. A small shark that does not usually exceed in length, this species is easily recognizable by its slen ...
,
blacktip reef shark The blacktip reef shark (''Carcharhinus melanopterus'') is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, which can be easily identified by the prominent black tips on its fins (especially on the first dorsal fin and its caudal fin). ...
,
nurse shark The nurse shark (''Ginglymostoma cirratum'') is an elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae. The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN List of Threatened Species. They are considered t ...
,
zebra shark The zebra shark (''Stegostoma tigrinum'') is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of . Adult zebra sharks ...
,
southern stingray The southern stingray (''Hypanus americanus'') is a whiptail stingray found in tropical and subtropical waters of the Western Atlantic Ocean from New Jersey to southern Brazil. It has a flat, diamond-shaped disc, with a mud brown, olive, and gr ...
,
Nassau grouper The Nassau grouper (''Epinephelus striatus'') is one of the large number of perciform fishes in the family Serranidae commonly referred to as groupers. It is the most important of the groupers for commercial fishery in the West Indies, but ha ...
,
giant grouper The giant grouper (''Epinephelus lanceolatus''), also known as the Queensland grouper, brindle grouper or mottled-brown sea bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serr ...
,
reticulate whipray The reticulate whipray or honeycomb stingray (''Himantura uarnak'') is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It inhabits coastal waters in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea, Natal and the Arabian Sea; also a Lessepsian tra ...
also known as the
honeycomb stingray The reticulate whipray or honeycomb stingray (''Himantura uarnak'') is a species of stingray in the family Dasyatidae. It inhabits coastal waters in the western Indian Ocean including the Red Sea, Natal and the Arabian Sea; also a Lessepsian tran ...
, and Denver the
loggerhead sea turtle The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around in carapace length when fully ...
. Coral Reef includes
honeycomb moray ''Muraena melanotis'' is a moray eel found in the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean.''Mu ...
, unicorn fish,
cownose ray The cownose ray (''Rhinoptera bonasus'') is a species of Batoidea found throughout a large part of the western Atlantic and Caribbean, from New England, United States to southern Brazil (the East Atlantic populations are now generally considered ...
, blue tang,
powderblue tang ''Acanthurus leucosternon'' is a marine tropical fish belonging to the surgeonfish family, Acanthuridae. Its common names are powder blue tang and powder-blue surgeonfish. Description The fish can reach an average size of 23 cm (9 in) ...
,
yellow tang The yellow tang (''Zebrasoma flavescens'') is a saltwater fish species of the family Acanthuridae. It is one of the most popular marine aquarium fish. It is bright yellow in color, and it lives in reefs. The yellow tang spawn around a full mo ...
,
humphead wrasse The humphead wrasse (''Cheilinus undulatus'') is a large species of wrasse mainly found on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It is also known as the Māori wrasse, Napoleon wrasse, Napoleon fish, Napoleonfish, ''so mei'' 蘇眉 (Cantonese), ...
and
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 ...
.


Shark Ray breeding program

The shark ray breeding program is one of the first of its kind, with two sharks, Sweet Pea and Scooter, producing offspring. However, the process is difficult due to the tendencies of shark rays to have "rough sex", which caused one of the new females, at the time, to be killed. The aquarium has a total of four adult shark rays on exhibit today and scientists have been able to learn more about their reproductive behaviors and gestation periods, which is being used to better care for them.


Outreach programs

Mobile Shark Cart is a mobile cart that is used as an education/touch pool that is taken to schools, events, etc. and is used to bring awareness to shark protection and ocean conservation. WAVE Program is a program that promotes the importance of ocean conservation, leadership, and
STEM Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure * Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
(Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) to young children through young adults. Individuals can go behind the scenes with a staff member and see how the aquarium works and learn about the conservation programs and species at the aquarium.


Seasonal events

Mermaid's Cove is an interactive event, in which guests get to see and talk to mermaids throughout the aquarium. Locations includes Shark Ray Bay Theater and Coral Reef tank. The mermaids advocate for ocean conservation and teach kids ways to save the planet. This event is normally scheduled during September. Scuba Santa arrives at the aquarium starting at the end of November through January 1 each year, excluding Christmas Day. He can be seen in the shark tank with his elves.


Albino alligators

Albino alligators, Snowflake and Snowball, returned to Newport in 2014 and have permanent residency. They are about six feet long and weigh between 65 and 85 pounds. There are fewer than 100 albino alligators known in the world today and this is due to poor blending in with their natural environment and their sensitivity to UV rays.


Mighty Mike

Mighty Mike, the 14 foot and 800 pound American alligator, left the aquarium in September 2018. He was the biggest alligator outside of
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. He returned to his home, Florida`s Crocodilian Conservation Center, after being on loan to Newport Aquarium for five years. He was housed in Alligator Alley at the aquarium. He is an ambassador for his species and helps to promote conservation of wetland ecosystems.


Gallery

File:Shark at Newport Aquarium.jpg, Shark tank File:Sharktank at Newport Aquarium.jpg, Shark tank File:Petting station Newport Aquarium.jpg, Petting station File:Penguins at Newport Aquarium.jpg, Penguins at Newport Aquarium File:US Navy 110901-N-HZ247-083 Master Chief Navy Diver Joe Howard, right, answers questions while swimming with the sharks at the Newport Aquarium in N.jpg, Divers in the shark tank File:Himantura uarnak.jpg, Honeycomb whiptail ray


References


External links


Shark Ray Presentation
{{HFEC Aquaria in Kentucky Buildings and structures in Campbell County, Kentucky Tourist attractions in Campbell County, Kentucky Newport, Kentucky Herschend Family Entertainment 1999 establishments in Kentucky Zoos established in 1999