X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out

September 18, 2021 through May 8, 2022

When many of us think of X-rays, we think of peering beneath the skin to detect an illness or injury. Imagine using the technology to see into vertebrates with the goal of learning evolutionary stories.

That is precisely what the Smithsonian’s National Collection of Fishes has accomplished with their largest and most diverse collection of fish X-rays in the world. While the X-rays featured in the national collection were made for research purposes, the striking images demonstrate the natural union of science and art.

Now, these ethereal images are coming to the High Desert Museum in X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out, an exhibition from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). 

The exhibition features approximately 40 black-and-white digital prints of different fish species. Arranged in evolutionary sequence, these X-rays give a tour through the long stream of fish evolution. Species featured in the exhibit include the rainbow trout (Oncohynchus mykiss), native to the High Desert, and others such as Shiho’s seahorse (Hippocampus sindonis) and the rarely seen pelican eel (Eurypharynx pelecanoides).

The exhibition curators work in the Division of Fishes at the National Museum of Natural History and have collected thousands of X-rays of fish specimens to help ichthyologists understand and document fish diversity. The X-rays have allowed Smithsonian and other scientists to study the skeleton of a fish without altering the specimen, making it easier for scientists to build a comprehensive picture of fish diversity.

X-Ray Vision: Fish Inside Out will be on display through May 8, 2022.

It is organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History and SITES. It was inspired by the book Ichthyo: The Architecture of Fish (Chronicle Books in association with the Smithsonian Institution, 2008) by Stephanie Comer and Deborah Klochko.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C., welcomes more than 6 million visitors annually. The museum is open daily. Admission is free. For further information, call (202) 633-1000, TTY (202) 633-5285 or visit the museum’s website at mnh.si.edu.

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for over 70 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at sites.si.edu.

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