THE AQUARIUM OF THE SPECIFIC

The California moray (Gymnothorax mordax) is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found in the eastern Pacific from just north of Santa Barbara to Santa Maria Bay in Baja California. They are the only species of moray eel found off California, and one of the few examples of a subtropical moray. They typically occupy boulder or cobble habitats up to 40 m in depth. They can attain lengths of about 5 ft (1.52 m) and are believed to live for upwards of 22-26 years. Like other morays, they have no pelvic or pectoral fins or gill covers. (source)

Did you know? When I was a senior in high school, I started dating someone I called my "fishing partner." I gave him this nickname because we were comfortable spending long periods of silence together. It was easy to imagine sitting on a fishing vessel together, passing an afternoon in mutual quiet while waiting for fish to bite. He took this photo of me while we were on a date at the Aquarium of the Pacific in 2013.

R. glesne is the world's longest ray-finned fish. Its shape is ribbon-like, narrow laterally, with a dorsal fin along its entire length, stubby pectoral fins, and long, oar-shaped pelvic fins, from which its common name is derived. Its coloration is silver and blue with spots of dark pigmentation, and its fins are crimson. Its physical characteristics and undulating mode of swimming have led to speculation that it might be the source of many "sea serpent" sightings. (source)

This silvery ribbon-like fish swam into Big Fisherman Cove on Catalina Island in 2006. It was identified as an oarfish (Regalecus glesne) by researchers from the Wrigley Marine Science Center located in the Cove, who were able to dive with and photograph the fish as it swam. They collected it, froze it, and brought the fish by boat to the mainland where it was transported to the Natural History Museum and prepared for display. (source)

Did you know? I treasure every outing I have with my family. My parents and brother aren't big museum-goers, so visiting the LA Natural History Museum together was a big deal to me as a young adult. Some of my fondest childhood memories also include going to the National Museum of Natural Science in Taichung, Taiwan. My psyche was shaped by those dark halls filled with dinosaur animatronics and volcanic eruptions.

The Pacific footballfish (Himantolophus sagamius) is a species found in the Pacific. It has a wide range, extending from the coasts of Honshu (Gulf of Sagami) and Hokkaido islands through the Kuril-Kamchatka trough, in the northwest Pacific, to the eastern Pacific from California to Peru. The footballfish is a species of anglerfish, and is known to live in waters as deep as 3,000 feet (900 m) or 500 fathoms. (source)

Did you know? There's a free marine center in Long Beach called the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Coming here was, in retrospect, a last-ditch attempt to salvage my last relationship. There was something magical about my ex having found this place. We took so many pictures next to strange marine animals. We'd been to so many different aquariums over our six-year-long relationship. Cabrillo was one of my favorites, even though our relationship fell apart just a few months later.

The red king crab is the largest species of king crab. Red king crabs can reach a carapace width up to 28 cm (11 in), a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and a weight of 12.7 kg (28 lb). Males grow larger than females. Today, red king crabs infrequently surpass 17 cm (7 in) in carapace width and the average male landed in the Bering Sea weighs 2.9 kg (6.4 lb). It was named after the color it turns when it is cooked rather than the color of a living animal, which tends to be more burgundy. (source)

Did you know? I met this king crab at a dim sum and seafood restaurant in Burlingame. My friend Tucker captured me in a moment of whimsy (we were attending Big Bad Con 2024 together alongside our friend Nico). Tucker later set this photo as their contact photo for me, replacing an older, more formal picture. It tickles me to think that this photo represents me in Tucker's phone.

The Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is a species of marine crab and is the biggest one that lives in the waters around Japan. At around 3.7 meters, it has the largest leg-span of any arthropod. The Japanese name for this species is taka-ashi-gani, literally translating to "tall legs crab." It goes through three main larval stages along with a prezoeal stage to grow to its great size. (source)

Did you know? When I think about the two exes who took me to aquariums, I also think about how often they ignored my physical boundaries. My skin prickles when I think about it. I am still trying to figure out how to deal with those memories.

Under high demand for canned fish, fish meal and oil, this species was fished to the point of commercial extinction. A commercial harvest moratorium was enforced from 1967 to 1986. Due to strict fisheries management, Pacific sardine populations began to recover in the 1980s and populations are closely monitored today. The commercial fishing of Pacific sardines is regulated and allowances fluctuate based on population trends. (source)

Did you know? Cannery Row was the first work I read by John Steinbeck. I was mesmerized by his kaleidoscopic descriptions of ocean life, of Monterey Bay, of human nature. Steinbeck writes: "It's all fine to say, 'Time will heal everything, this too shall pass away. People will forget' - and things like that when you are not involved, but when you are there is no passage of time, people do not forget, and you are in the middle of something that does not change.'"