Learning about Lumpfish at Exploramer
Learning about Lumpfish at Exploramer
Staff from the Gespe’gewagi Mi’gmaq Resource Council gathered around the aquarium watching thick, round fish with a short head and rounded snout swim through the eel grass. They travelled to Exploramer, an aquarium located in Sainte-Anne-Des-Monts, to gain more knowledge about lumpfish for their ongoing research. Lumpfish are “threatened” species according to COSEWIC. It’s a species that is often caught as bycatch in lobster traps. During spawning, the male changes colour and turns red. Next to the adult lumpfish, was a smaller aquarium housing baby lumpfish, smaller than a button. The team learned about how the young lumpfish will attach itself to floating seaweed and feed on plankton. They watched in awe as the juvenile lumpfish were given some plankton in the aquarium. GMRC staff and Exploramer are looking at ways to collaborate with one another on outreach projects in the future.