Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, Voted America’s Number One Aquarium in the United States, welcomes their new Bowmouth Guitarfish.
This incredible fish also known as the “shark ray” has a very distinctive profile and is related to sharks and rays, but mostly stingrays. It looks like a cross between a ray and a shark. The head is flattened and broad like a stingray, while the rest of the body is long and sleek, like a shark. This very special combination is what gives the Bowmouth it’s guitar like silhouette.
Often described as prehistoric in appearance, the bowmouth guitarfish’s broad rounded head has several horny ridges on it’s top side. Ripley’s Shark Lagoon exhibit has an under water tunnel and surface viewing which allows their guest unique vantage points to view this animal’s extraordinary features.
“The Bowmouth Guitarfish is a great addition to the Aquarium. It is so incredible and it stands out because it swims like a shark, but looks like a guitar when you see it from above or below,” said Ryan Desar, general manger of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies.
This cartilaginous fish reaches lengths of 10 feet or more and eats mainly crabs and shellfish, but will also eat many of the same food items as the large sharks.
The Bowmouth Guitarfish’s conversation status is listed as a vulnerable species.
Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies (www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com), the second most attended attraction in Tennessee, was Voted The Number One Aquarium in America by TripAdvisor.com and Forbes Traveler has named it one of America’s Best Aquariums.
More than 100,000 exotic sea creatures live in its 1.4 million gallons of water. The aquarium is known for its shark exhibit that features 11-foot sharks and one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies is part of the Ripley Entertainment Inc. family of worldwide entertainment facilities that includes another world class aquarium, Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach, S.C. More than 13 million people visit Ripley’s 70-plus attractions in 13 countries each year. Ripley Entertainment Inc. is a division of the Jim Pattison Group, the third largest privately held company in Canada.
The aquarium is located at traffic light #5 on the Parkway in Gatlinburg and is open 365 days a year. For information call 888-240-1158 or see us on the web at www.ripleysaquariumofthesmokies.com.
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