Smithsonian Channel

Where can you find the largest collection of fish in the world?

Right here in Washington, DC!

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History is home to approximately 4 million fish specimen, including the colorful little guy below who goes by the name, Royal Gramma. Why, you may be wondering, does the Smithsonian have such a massive collection? It came about because in 2002, several teams of scientists traveled to Belize to photograph live larvae in the field.  The 2002 team included Julie H. Mounts, David G. Smith, Carole C. Baldwin, and James Van Tassell.

(uploaded to Flickr by Smithsonian Institution)

If you’d like to see this fish and his many friends up close and personal, come visit the new Sant Ocean Hall exhibit, which opened to the public on September 27th.  The 23,000-square-foot exhibition is at the center of an Institution-wide initiative focused on highlighting the complexity of the oceans and impressing upon people how crucial this vast resource is to mankind.

I’ll be visiting the exhibit in the coming days and will, I’m sure, have plenty to share.  We are also working on a video from the big opening night gala at the Hall, so stay tuned for much more on this timely exhibition- and of course, if you’re in DC, be sure to stop by and check it out for yourself.