New technology at the Virginia Aquarium allows visitors to get more information on fish in an exhibit besides just asking “what fish is that?” A new exhibit called “Fish and Chips” uses microchips and an antenna to flash details and information on fish to visitors.
In the display, around 40 fish have microchips implants and as they swim by an antenna outside the tank, information on the fish is displayed on a screen for visitors to see. You’ll be able to get a visual identification plus information on the fish’s species, habitat and range.
For special specimens, additional details about that specific fish will be displayed including details about when and where it was collected, its age and weight and even its nickname.
Jeffry Mahon, director of exhibits and animal husbandry at the aquarium, helped bring the technology to the exhibit after bringing in the idea from when he first used it at his last job at Underwater World in Singapore.
Originally developed to monitor movement of wild fish, the RFID technology has been used for some time in the Aquarium’s sharks and sea turtles. The chips were scanned during veterinary procedures, but until recently, did not allow in-water identification.
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