Tiny Fish, Bright Future

Some colorful fish are hatching at our Animal Care and Rescue Center lab! Senior Aquarist Laura Garber raises neon gobies behind the scenes, from tiny fry to slightly larger adults. These striking fish are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Larval Fish Program. This program encourages AZA-accredited organizations to breed certain fish species to protect fish populations in the wild. As part of this program, the National Aquarium also shares breeding advice and sends neon gobies to other AZA facilities to help future breeding efforts.

After they mature, the neon gobies we keep swim over to our Atlantic Coral Reef and Lurking exhibits. Aquarium guests can often see these colorful cleaners near other fish, eating dead tissue and parasites from their mouths, scales and gills.