What is a bowl show?
It is an opportunity for you to show off your prettiest, most interesting, or most outstanding fish! Just bring in a small bowl or large jar with a fish or pair of fish, and the folks attending the meeting will vote on which fish should take first, second, and third place. The night's top three winners get an award ribbon; the top three year-end winners receive trophies.

When do they take place?
Bowl shows run from September through June. There will be no bowl shows at the July and August meetings.

What kind of fish can I bring?
A calendar is available at meetings and published in the Daphnian. Certain bowl shows are open to all fish; others will concentrate on one kind of fish. Please pay attention. If your fish does not meet that night's criteria, it will be disqualified.

How do I enter?
Place your bowl (complete with fish) on the bowl show table in the room adjoining the meeting room. Find the Bowl Chairperson and inform her that your bowl is there so that she can assign a letter to it. This is your responsibility; your fish will be disqualified if it is not assigned a letter. You need to know the common or Latin name for your fish as well, so please come prepared.

How do I vote?
Ballots are available on the bowl show table. Fill it out once only and insert into the ballot box. Voting is closed when the auction begins. Votes will be tabulated during the auction and winners announced during the course of the auction. Seasonal points are kept and awards are given out at the Summer Buck-A-Bag auction. The last bowl show of the season is at the June meeting.

Bowl Show Rules

You may only bring one fish or one pair of fish per meeting.

If your fish wins one month, you may not enter the same fish the following month.

Only water and fish can be in the bowls; anything there besides water and the fish (plants, decorations, etc.) will serve to disqualify the entry.

Only members in good standing of the Boston Aquarium Society may participate. Please make sure you have your membership card available.

Decisions of the Bowl Chairperson are final.