Michigan Region
Belle Isle Aquarium Volunteering Opportunity
May 2000
 

At the May meeting of the Greater Detroit Aquarium Society, Doug Sweet walked up to NANFA member Bob Muller (MI) and said, "I need fish."
 
Since Doug is the Curator of Fishes at Belle Isle Aquarium, which is part of the Detroit Zoo, Bob thought this was a very odd statement. After all, Doug has far more tanks than Bob ever will. But what Doug really meant was, would the Michigan Chapter of NANFA help him obtain fishes for an Ozark stream exhibit that will be part of the Zoo's new National Amphibian Conservation Center (NACC)?

Naturally, without question or hesitation, the Michigan Chapter obliged.
 
"This will do more to expose the public to native fish than showing a few friends the tanks in our homes," Bob said. "The NACC is the first facility in the world designed solely for the exhibit and scientific study of amphibians. Over half the facility will be research space, holding and breeding rooms. The NACC will bring together cutting-edge techniques of exhibition, education, conservation and research."

Belle Isle is the oldest aquarium in continuous operation the United States. (It opened in 1904 and is still in its original building.) Aquarists there have a long history in working with endangered North American fishes. Examples include Charco la Palma pupfish, desert pupfish, green goodeids, bluetail goodeids, and golden skiffia. As a matter of fact, Belle Isle pioneered captive breeding efforts for the golden skiffia, a Mexican native which is extinct in the wild.

The Ozark Stream exhibit will be an eight-foot slice of a stream with above and below viewing. Its main function is to showcase the hellbender, America's largest salamander. Doug has supplied us with a wish list of fish they would like to add to this exhibit. Many of the fish live in Michigan and will present no problem to collect. A few of the fish, however, either are threatened in Michigan or can't be found in the state. These include the gilt darter, southern redbelly dace, redside dace, bleeding shiner, and cardinal shiner. If there are any NANFA members who could help us secure these fish, everyone would be grateful. The Ozark exhibit isn't complete yet and it's not yet known when they will need the fish.

If you're interested in helping, please contact Bob Muller at 248-398-0195, or at Michiganfish@aol.com.

- From Summer 2000 American Currents