CephalopodsBrains Over Brawn
Sidebar: Caring for Cephalopods
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Keeper Mike Henley checks water quality. (Jessie Cohen/NZP) |
Keeping cephalopods in captivity poses significant habitat challenges. The biggest challenge when caring for any marine animal in captivity is recreating its natural habitat. At the Invertebrate Exhibit, the aquariums that the cephalopods live in have to be meticulously maintained. The water temperature must be just right.
Even more important than the temperature is getting the chemical composition of the water right. At the Zoo, there is no seawater on hand, and there is no ocean current to act as a natural filter in a tank. “So it’s up to us to refresh that water and check the chemical composition,” says invertebrates curator Alan Peters.
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