Rainbow Reef beautifully recreates the warm and inviting coral seas of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Here you can enjoy the kaleidoscope of fish that flash around their idyllic home, and learn more about their precious but endangered habitats.
Sometimes called rainforests of the sea, coral reefs are rich in life, with a variety of organisms that is rarely equaled. The structure of a reef lends itself to creating not just one habitat, but thousands of micro-habitats, and often exhibit extraordinary adaptations and specialist lifestyles.
The Picasso Triggerfish, also known as humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa, is the state fish of Hawaii. Triggerfish are named for their dorsal fin which they raise and lower at will, often using it to wedge themselves into tight crevices when they are threatened.
Harlequin Tuskfish can be identified by their bright blue-lined orange bands and their four sharp, protruding teeth are perfect for tearing into hard-shelled invertebrates.
The Lunare Wrasse is named for its crescent moon-like tail fins. This tropical beauty has powerful jaws that can even take down the mantis shrimp (with a punch fast enough to split fingers to the bone) in the wild.
These large, easy to spot Batfish share both a name and colours with Batman himself! While they are welcome members of the Ripley’s family, Batfish are considered invasive and aggressive fish. Adults are often seen in small schools, searching for prey such as small fish and invertebrates.
Unicorns do exist at Ripley’s Aquarium! Although not all unicorn fish have “horns” on top of their foreheads, male “horns” tend to be a little bigger. Instead of using these appendages for defence, surgeonfish use sharp spines at the base of their tail that are said to be as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel!
Sailfin Tangs are named after their extremely large, sail-like fins. When threatened, they can extend their fins to make their body look as tall as it is wide in order to scare off predators!
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is designated as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).
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