The Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park invites visitors to look, but don’t touch, a special exhibit of venomous and poisonous fish from around the world. The toxic, aquatic animals range from cute and cuddly to menacing and illusive.
“Sea Venom — A Stinging Sensation” assembles one of the largest and most diverse collections of fish that use barbs, spines, and teeth to inject poisons into their attackers. “The pain can range from a wasp sting to almost instant death,” says Frank Elia, aquarium supervisor. Many of the animals rely on camouflage as their first line of defense, he says, and poisons are often used as an added measure of deterring predators or even to capture a meal.
Take the freshwater stingray for instance. Barely visible in the sandy bottom of its tank, the flat fish is known as one of the most dangerous creatures in the Amazon. Seldom aggressive, the animal has a serrated barb on its tail that can inflict a painful wound on an unsuspecting foot.
Other fish, like the scorpion fish and the stonefish, blend into their environments so well that divers seldom see these odd-looking creatures. Their natural defense of resembling a rock allows them to ambush smaller fish. The sharp barbs on their head and fins can produce deep wounds.
One of the strangest specimens in the exhibit is the walking batfish from the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. Looking like a chicken carcass without feathers or a head, the creature walks on the ocean floor where it feeds on debris. Although this rare fish isn’t toxic, it is right at home in the tank with the scorpion fish and the stonefish.
Outside of this exhibit, few people will see a deep-water ratfish. Housed in a special tank illuminated with red light, the fish has a face that resembles a rabbit, but got its name from its long, pointed tail. Elia calls it a “butterfly shark” because it is a member of the shark family and flutters like a butterfly as it rides the current in its tank. A resident of the darkness in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, its big eyes are sensitive to light, and the dorsal spine harbors a deadly venom.
Not all of the venomous fish are unsightly. It would be hard not to adore the yellow puffer fish. The fish with a sad, puppy-dog face can inflate its body by taking in large quantities of water and air. The meat of the puffer is a delicacy in Japan, but only the most experienced chefs are allowed to serve the fish. The fish’s ovaries, gut, and liver contain a poison so powerful that a dose less than one-tenth the weight of an aspirin tablet can kill 30 people. “When done correctly the meat will have just enough poison to tingle the tongue,” Elia says. Not surprising, about 150 cases of puffer fish poisoning are reported each year.
“Our main goal is to get people to appreciate the animals of the water,” Elia says. By commercial standards the Dallas Aquarium is small, but it fulfills a big mission. Thousands of school children tour the site every year, and the staff provides educational programs daily at 11:30am and 2:30pm and extra “Meet the Keeper” presentations at noon and 1:30pm on weekends.
The aquarium also provides valuable research in the survival and breeding of fish. When the staff first obtained the batfish over 10 years ago, industry professionals predicted the fish would not survive. Working with veterinarians at the Dallas Zoo, the staff successfully identified that parasites contracted in the wild were killing the animals and came up with a cure.
The breeding of endangered Texas salamanders and West Texas pupfish leads the aquarium research efforts. “A lot of the trick of breeding is finding that little thing that triggers the event,” Elia says. “Sometimes you take educated guesses, and sometimes you find just the right thing by dumb luck.”
In addition to the “Stinging Sensation” exhibit on view through the State Fair in October, the Dallas Aquarium has an excellent collection of Texas fish and turtles. Some of the most popular residents at the aquarium are from the Amazon River, including the piranha, which are fed Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 2:30pm. The new shark tank comes alive at feedings on Sundays and Wednesdays at 2:30pm.
With an admission of $3 for adults and $1.50 for children, this is one of the best entertainment values in the state, with a little bit of learning thrown in at no additional charge. Also at Fair Park are the African-American Museum, Women’s Museum, Age of Steam Museum, Science Place, and Museum of Natural History.
For more information about the aquarium call 214/670-8443 or visit www.dallaszoo.org.
577th in a series. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of Day Trips 101-200, is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 33284, South Austin, TX 78704.
This article appears in June 28 • 2002.
