Friends of Rookery Bay announces a “Name the Mascot” contest for the new Batfish character at the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Naples. The winner will receive a Family membership in the Friends group, a private behind-the-scenes tour and aquarium fish feeding opportunity for up to six people, a Rookery Bay water bottle and a Rookery Bay Continuum Poster. They will also be featured in announcements about the winning mascot name. The contest runs through April 22, 2011, and the winner will be announced during Rookery Bay’s “Dive Into Oceans Day” event on April 30, 2011.

The large green and pink mascot has large yellow bulging eyes and bright red lips. The costume was manufactured for Rookery Bay to represent the polka-dot batfish (Ogcocephalus radiatus), which lives in Rookery Bay waters and has become a signature image for the organization.

“We wanted a mascot that would truly stand out in a crowd,” said Bruce Robertson, president of the Friends of Rookery Bay. “No one else in the world, as far as we know, has a batfish costume.”

The batfish mascot will be featured at Rookery Bay special events, in parades, as part of marketing campaigns and social media videos, and during on-site and outreach programs. It arrived in time to welcome guests at the Friends’ second annual Batfish Bash for the Bay on March 12 and dozens of schoolchildren who recently visited the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center for field trips and education programs.

“Everyone’s immediate response is that they want to hug the mascot and have a picture taken,” Robertson notes. “For something so unusual-looking, it is quite attractive.”

Polka-dot Batfish
The polka-dot batfish is a triangular-shaped fish that can grow up to 15 inches long. It relies on camouflage and slow, stealthy movements to sneak up on food. Several batfish species can be found in sub-tropical waters around the world, and this species is commonly caught while trawling in Rookery Bay. The fish is on display in aquariums at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center.

Contest Closes Friday, April 22, 2011
The “Name the Mascot” contest is open to anyone other than employees of Friends of Rookery Bay, Inc., the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Each person may submit up to five names on the contest form, available at rookerybay.org and the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, 300 Tower Road, Naples, FL. Submission forms must be received at the Center, or emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , by 5 p.m. (EDST) on Friday, April 22, 2011. A panel of staff representatives will review the submitted names and select the winner. In the event that the winning mascot name is submitted by more than one person, the winner of the contest will be determined by random, blind selection of one of the people submitting the winning mascot name. The winner must be able to visit the Center in person to receive the prizes. By entering the contest, the winner also consents to use of his/her name and image in public announcements.