As the world’s largest open-air marine habitat, Atlantis celebrates world animal day every day!
Join us as we explore seven extraordinary species in our care, many of which are critically endangered, and during your next trip to the island,
spend the day seeing them for yourself.
(Eretmochelys imbricata)
Status: Critically Endangered
Hawksbills get their name from their unique, beak-like mouth, which resembles that of a hawk and is perfect for finding food sources in hard-to-reach cracks and crevices.
Size: They can grow up to 3 feet in shell length and weigh between 100 and 150 pounds.
Diet: They are omnivorous (feeding on both plants and other animals), but their preferred food is sea sponges. Not available? Not a problem: they’ll also eat marine algae, mollusks, crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish and jellyfish.
Threats: Although it’s illegal in most parts of the world, Hawksbills are hunted and harvested for their beautiful shells, which are carved into jewelry and accessories. Hawksbills are also losing their nesting and feeding grounds as coral reefs are destroyed by warming oceans, rising waters and pollution.
(Chyrsaora pacifica)
The newest addition to our marine life facility, the Japanese sea nettle is distinguished by its dark lines radiating from top to bottom. Although not very venomous, stay clear: their sting can cause serious skin irritation and burning sensations and even cause allergic reactions.
Size: The bell of this species can measure up to 12 inches wide, but their tentacles can reach as long as 10 feet.
Diet: They feed on zooplankton, including small crustaceans and other jellies.
Threats: In the past, jelly populations were kept in check by predators like sea turtles (link to Hawksbill turtle) and jelly-eating fish. Due to the reduction of their predators, jelly populations are growing.
(Sphyraena barracuda)
Ever snorkeled before? Chances are you’ve been trailed by the inquisitive, sight-oriented barracuda. You’d have recognized its long, tubular shape and up close, you’d see its pointed snout filled with two rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Size: They can grow to over five feet long and weigh in excess of 100 pounds.
Diet: They are opportunistic predators who chase prey in bursts of up to 35 mph and feed on an array of fishes.
Threats: They live and hunt in nearshore coral reefs, seagrasses and mangroves, and are therefore susceptible to habitat destruction.
(Pristis pectinata)
Status: Critically endangered
Although they’re often mistaken for sharks or swordfish, smalltooth sawfish are a type of ray, as their gills and mouth are underneath their bodies. Instead of bones, their skeletons are made of flexible cartilage that helps them glide effortlessly through the water. In 2012, Atlantis became the world’s first marine facility where smalltooth sawfish have successfully reproduced.
Size: The largest confirmed length is 18.2 feet – three feet longer than a Volkswagen Jetta!
Diet: Sawfish primarily eat fish but also consume shrimp and crabs.
Threats: Their biggest threat is decades-long habitat destruction caused by overdevelopment, warming ocean waters and pollution.
(Sphyrna mokarran)
Streamlined. Powerful. Predator. Hammerheads have all the characteristics of sharks with one obvious advantage: a distinctive, hammer-shaped head used to batter and trap prey. Fun fact: females can give birth to up to 42 live pups, each of which can each measure three feet long.
Size: The common length for adult females (the larger of the genders) is 15-18 feet.
Diet: Basically, these sharks eat anything they want: stingrays, bony fish like grouper and sea catfish, squid and yes, even other sharks.
Threats: Like all marine animals, hammerheads are affected by polluted oceans.
Epinephelus itajara
Status: Vulnerable
Lobster, anyone? Few fish eat such massive crustaceans because of their size, but goliaths, which can weigh up to 800 pounds, love spiny lobster!
Size: They can grow up to 8 feet in length
Diet: In addition to lobster, they feed on turtles, fish and stingrays (all of which they swallow whole).
Threats: Decades of overfishing led to a 1990 ban on harvesting grouper, which stands today. Yet goliath populations are declining, especially with the loss of mangrove habitat, where young juveniles shelter in relative safety.
(Pterois volitans)
These gorgeous showstoppers are native to the Pacific and Indian oceans but are considered an invasive species in the Atlantic and Caribbean. But don’t cozy up: their spines deliver a venomous sting that can last for days and cause extreme pain.
Size: They can grow as large as 18 inches.
Diet: Lionfish have big appetites and very few predators and consume over 50 species of fish!
Threats: As an invasive species, lionfish themselves are the threat. Females can spawn up to two times per week year-round, releasing millions of eggs and rapidly multiplying their populations. They also consume fish that are ecologically important to the health of coral reefs.