Will Travel for Fish: Zach Ouellette Widens Sanctuary’s Net for Diverse Marine Life

Fish have been an important part of Zach Ouellette’s life since he was 10. That’s when he started his first aquarium, with a 20-gallon tank he got from a yard sale.

Zach Ouellette at feeding time

Zach Ouellette at feeding time

Since then, Zach has remained fascinated by fish. These days, he curates and maintains the aquariums at Wellfleet Bay’s Nature Center.  He also keeps his own lobster pots. In college at the University at Connecticut’s Avery Point campus, he majored in marine science. During school,  he had the chance to intern at the Woods Hole Science Aquarium, an experience that led to a great contact and source of cool fish—aquarist Kristy Owen.

“She keeps a breeding pair of chain catsharks and gave me a juvenile this summer. They can be tricky to keep and don’t always do well, but ours seems to be well and is noticeably growing,” Zach notes, somewhat proudly.

Chain Catshark or Chain Dogfish (photo by Mark Faherty)

Chain Catshark or Chain Dogfish (photo by Mark Faherty)

For those who wonder how a shark interacts with smaller fish that live in the same tank, Zach says he monitors the fish for signs of aggression. If and when they get too big, they’re traded to a bigger facility.

Two lumpfish using their respective suction cups to attach to the filter (photo by Zack Ouellette)

Two lumpfish using their respective suction cups to attach to the filter (photo by Zach Ouellette)

The interaction of fish collectors is not very different from those who love rare stamps or coins—they make trades to improve their respective collections.  Thanks to his success raising lumpfish (which attach to surfaces with little suction cups on their bellies in order to catch food that floats by), Zach was able to offer Kristy a few in exchange for a longhorn sculpin, which had also logged some time at the New England Aquarium.

Longhorn sculpin (photo by Zack Ouellette)

The very cool Longhorn Sculpin (photo by Zach Ouellette)

Zach says some of his best scores have come during special trips such as the one he took as a volunteer scientist with NOAA on its annual fall bottom trawl survey. “Most of the species I picked up on that trip were from hundreds of feet deep off North Carolina,” he says.

This midshipman is usually found from Virginia, south. (photo by Zack Ouellette)

This Atlantic Midshipman is usually found from Virginia, south. They bury themselves in sand by day and emerge at night (photo by Zach Ouellette).

In the past, most of the sanctuary’s aquarium fish have come from local waters. Zach figures he’s doubled the diversity with his various acquisitions.

Underwater world at Wellfleet Bay Nature Center (photo by Zack Ouellette)

A clear view of the underwater world at Wellfleet Bay’s Nature Center (photo by Zach Ouellette)

It’s also been noted the tanks have never looked so clean and tidy. “I try to replicate the natural habitat,” he says.” No neon gravel and fake plants!” The water is well filtered and the finely textured white sand is the real thing—straight from Skaket Beach.

Zach says for him an aquarium is a window into another world. Thanks to him, it’s a window that for the rest of us is clearly fascinating.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *