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#SheddSecret

Congrats—You've unlocked secret content!

You found the eNews "Easter Egg!" We hide Shedd Secrets in each of our eNews for our most curious and resourceful readers to find.

What is a Shedd Secret? When you find the hidden link, you can discover exclusive videos, fun facts, early announcements, or anything we think is worth finding.

Keep scrolling to view all of Shedd Aquarium's current and past secrets we've hidden so far!

Related content

A plastic skeleton sits in a habitat surrounded by bright fish.

Secret #12

Thursday, May 5

This relaxation break is brought to you by green chromis. These iridescent reef-dwellers flash green and blue depending on how the light hits them.

Secret #11

Thursday, March 23

The Mandarin dragonet is a small saltwater fish found in the Western and Indo-Pacific. Along with being incredibly colorful, this fish doesn’t have scales! Instead, it secretes a toxic mucus to protect its body from parasites and to deter predators.

A tiny fish with a bright orange face almost appears to glow in front of a dark background.

The mandarin dragonet is a tiny fish about the size of one's thumb, constantly fanning its fins as it searches for food along the reefs where it lives.

A tiny, stunningly colorful fish with large fins striped in blue, green, orange and yellow.

Secret #10

Thursday, March 10

The American paddlefish is a unique freshwater fish that inhabits rivers of the Mississippi River basin from New York to Montana and south to the Gulf of Mexico. Paddlefish are known as a “primitive fish,” meaning they have evolved very little since the earliest fossil records show the species existed about 125 million years ago. Paddlefish swim with a wide-open mouth to catch food drifting by on the current.

When viewed sidelong, a paddlefish's long, paddle-like nose is almost as long as its body

Secret #9

Friday, February 25

Welcome to Wild Reef! Make sure your sound is on 🔉 to hear Senior Aquarist Heather Urbaniak talk about the colorful reef fish and incredible sharks you see while answering some shark FAQs!

Secret #8

Thursday, February 10

Unicorns are real! The unicorn tang is a species of saltwater fish that inhabits coral reefs from the Red Sea and East Africa to Hawaii, northward to southern Japan and southward to New South Wales and Lord Howe Island. They grow their distinctive, bony horn as they age.

A unicorn tang's distinctive horn makes this otherwise ordinary-looking fish special.

Unicorn tang

Secret #7

Thursday, January 27

Ever wondered how sea stars move? They have feet! Their tiny tube act like suction cups, slowly moving them from one place to the next.

Shedd small wonders: small steps

Secret #6

Thursday, December 30, 2021

Bullfrog Facts!

  • Some people think that a bullfrog's call sounds like a cow mooing, which is why it's called a "bull" frog
  • Bullfrogs cannot move their heads from side to side. 
  • They are carnivores (meat eaters) and eat insects, mice, snakes, fish, and other small creatures. 
  • A group of bullfrogs is called a colony or army
  • They are able to lay 12,000 - 20,000 eggs at one time. 
  • An American bullfrog poses in front of a white background.
  • This American bullfrog, held tight in the hands of a trainer lest it jump away, is about the size of one of her hands.
  • A fat bullfrog sits facing the camera
  • A bullfrog's head emerges from the water's surface through a carpet of duckweed.
  • A fat bullfrog sits crouched on a white background

Secret #5

Thursday, December 16, 2021

Shrimp Facts!

As you head into the holiday season, impress your family and friends with these fun facts. 

  • There are more than 2,000 species of shrimp found around the world
  • Shrimp hearts are in their heads
  • Shrimp are omnivorous - meaning they eat both plant and animal matter
  • Some species live in salt water while other species live in freshwater
  • A mantis shrimp stands on sand near a rock.
  • Two harlequin shrimp sit on a rocky bottom.
  • A coon strip shrimp stand on smooth rocks.
  • A tiny transparent shrimp glows against a black background.
  • A cave shrimp clings to a coral with its long, spindly legs, standing upside down in a habitat in Shedd's wild reef.

Secret #4

Thursday, November 4, 2021

If you think Lake Sturgeon look prehistoric, you're right—the species has been around since the days of the dinosaurs! Before you meet them at Sturgeon Touch, watch their feeding time! 

Secret #3

Thursday, October 21, 2021

After so much Halloween content, how about we take a "Break for Beauty?"

Secret #2

Thursday, October 7, 2021

In honor of Octopus Day tomorrow, October 8, here are some videos to surprise and delight you about the wonderful world of octopuses (and yes, it's octopuses)!

Secret #1

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Happy Sea Otter Awareness Week! See this exclusive otter video before we share on social next week.