List of Waikiki Aquarium “firsts” in the United States:

First black-tip sharks on display (1955)

First chambered nautilus on display (1976)

First cuttlefish in the U.S. on display (1977)

First giant clams on display (1979)

First mahimahi spawned and raised in an aquarium (1982)

First exhibits of living corals in the U.S. (1978)

First chambered nautilus embryo in the world (1985)

First chambered nautilus hatches (1990) – AZA Bean Award for achievement (1991)

First exhibit of living black corals (1998)

First breeding of the white-tip reef shark (1998)

And, one of the first “coastal gardens” featuring native Hawaiian plants in the U.S.

and surprisingly possibly the first in Hawaii!

First known case of sex-reversal in coral: the large green mushroom coral in the Lagoon Corals exhibit (Gallery #1) has spawned every April as a female, but in 1998 produced only sperm.

Other highlights:

Masked angelfish (Gallery #2,4) endemic to Hawaii and extremely rare

Seagrass exhibit (Gallery #1) – one of the few successful sea grass exhibits in the U.S.

Mangrove exhibit (Gallery #1) – one of the first to successfully raise these trees (1980)

White-tip reef shark skeleton in Gallery #2 : shark skeletons are difficult to prepare and

rarely seen in any exhibits.

Stream fishes (Gallery #4) are Hawaii’s only native freshwater fishes

Hawaiian monk seals – the Waikiki Aquarium was first in the world to exhibit this

endangered species.

The majority of corals in the Coral Farm exhibit were grown in captivity and did not

come from the ocean.

Many Waikiki Aquarium animals have been spawned and raised in captivity rather than coming from the ocean. These include:

-Most of the anemones in the Reef Partners exhibit, Gallery #1 (reproduced in aquarium)

-All of the anemonefishes were reared by WAQ staff

-The majority of South Pacific corals were fragmented and cultured at the WAQ

-The giant clams were spawned in captivity (Palau giant clam farm, 1982)

-Freshwater fishes in Gallery #4

-Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle (bred at Sea Life Park)

-Moi in the outdoor round tank were cultured at Oceanic Institute

One last item: Director’s office has the best view of any in the U.S.!