Jessie Jean

3/31
Artifact 7

This is a picture that I took of a striped burrfish. This is a tropical species of fish that is normally
found in the southern part of the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Gulf of Mexico. We have this
species at the aquarium because it is a tropical stray that is found in our waters during the Spring
and Summer seasons. Visitors love this creature because of its colorfulness and smiling face. The
visitors are also fascinated by this fish when I tell them that this tropical species can be found off
of our coast because of the warmer waters. Above all, this burrfish helps my fieldwork because it
is a creature that the visitors love hearing about as well as observing its exotic appearance.

Artifact 8

This is a picture I took of our new Calico lobster. Callie, our famous and beloved Calico
lobster, who was more of a blue-fluorescent color, passed away during February vacation.
Fortunately, we had another Calico lobster who made Callies old tank her new home. She has
bright orange/yellow spots with bright orange claws. We have not come up with a name for her
yet, but she is already becoming just as popular as Callie. A few weeks ago, our new lobster went
through an incredible change as she molted her exoskeleton (her old claw can be seen in the
lower right corner). This was a thrilling event for our guests as we explained the molting process
and they caught a glimpse of her new exotic shell. I explained to visitors that lobsters bury their
old exoskeleton and consume it in order to obtain the calcium carbonate needed to harden their
new shell. Therefore, this rare lobster helps my fieldwork because the guests love seeing her
colorful pattern as well as hearing about her growth process, behavior, and rare status.