The Academy is reopening to the public on March 17! Learn more
Water Planet
Explore the dramatic connections between water and life in a luminous gallery of jellies, pythons, pipefish, seahorses, lumpsuckers, and other remarkably adapted animals.
Water Planet features an ever-changing cast of fish, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and more—all organized by adaptations to water. Seven clusters of tanks highlight animals that have evolved fascinating methods of feeding, movement, reproduction, defense, sensing their surroundings, surviving in deserts, and living both in and out of water.
Getting Around
In the movement cluster, colorful cowfish use their dorsal and tail fins to "hover" in place.
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Going to Extremes
Beaded lizards and gila monsters represent the expert water conservation adaptations of desert dwellers, while leafy and weedy seadragons drift gracefully at the opposite end of spectrum, requiring large bodies of water to survive.
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Salty Seas
Columns of ethereal jellyfish reveal surprising ideas about how salinity affects movement.
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Dining In
In the tank devoted to feeding adaptations, a paddlefish—one of the strangest and oldest species found in this country—startles visitors with an enormous rostrum and a gaping mouth designed for filter feeding.
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Steinhart Webcams
Be mesmerized by colorful coral reef fish, soaring stingrays, and adorable African penguins—streaming live to your device, 24/7.
Cuttlefish vs. Crab
It's feeding time at the Academy—witness the intense changes in coloration that accompany a dwarf cuttlefish's crab-attack.
Can the high seas be sustainably managed to protect it from overfishing?
Diverse marine mammals have much in common, right down to their adaptations for ocean living.
Could a bloom of sea slugs in northern California underscore a change in ocean climate?
Explore a living 4-story rainforest, home to free-flying tropical butterflies and birds. Reservations required.
Explore the animal kingdom's most outrageous strategies for meeting and mating. Closing January 5, 2020!
Explore our evolutionary history while surrounded by dioramas of African wildlife and splashing penguins.