A colony of giant seahorses at Bristol Aquarium are enjoying a new addition to their naturally-themed display – in the form of a large anchor, now resting on the seabed.
As well as providing a nautical-theme to their tank, it is hoped it will also encourage the seahorses to ‘anchor’ themselves all over it at different heights.
Although the aquarium is located in Anchor Road, and incorporates a giant ship in to its overall design, it is thought this is actually the first proper anchor to go on show at the Harbourside attraction.
“The anchor was constructed over a month by aquarist Jake Graham with team support and has been created out of drainpipes, mesh netting and Perspex for the anchor tips,” said Bristol Aquarium’s Sarah Moore.
“It was sprayed and plastered to give it an authentic look and then covered with a sealant spray. Seaweed was even attached to make it look even more realistic,” she added.
The anchor was then kept submerged in a vat of water for a month before going in to the display.
Fellow aquarist Charlotte bravely volunteered to pull on the waders and squeeze into the empty display to drop anchor and ensure it was settled and safe.
The Australian pot-belly or big-belly seahorses can grow to more than 30cms in length. The fish get their name because of their prominent bellies which are shared by both males and females.
The seahorse is unique in the animal kingdom in that it is the male rather than the female which carries the babies and gives birth to them via a special brood pouch on their stomach.
The female seahorse lays her eggs in the male’s pouch. He then fertilises them and incubates them until they’re ready to emerge into the great outdoors.
In the wild virtually all of the approximate 35 species of seahorse are now under threat from a variety of sources. These include loss of habitat, pollution, the souvenir trade and traditional medicine.
The big-bellied seahorses at Bristol Aquarium are part of a captive-breeding programme which aims to ease the pressure on wild populations.
Issued by Bristol Aquarium. For more information please contact Sarah Moore or David Waines on 0117 929 8929.
SEAHORSES DROP ANCHOR AT BRISTOL AQUARIUM A colony of giant seahorses at Bristol Aquarium are enjoying a new addition to their naturally-themed display – in the form of a large anchor, now resting on the seabed. As well as providing a nautical-theme to their tank, it is hoped it will also encourage the seahorses to ‘anchor’ themselves all over it at different heights. Although the aquarium is located in Anchor Road, and incorporates a giant ship in to its overall design, it is thought this is actually the first proper anchor to go on show at the Harbourside attraction. “The anchor was constructed over a month by aquarist Jake Graham with team support and has been created out of drainpipes, mesh netting and Perspex for the anchor tips,” said Bristol Aquarium’s Sarah Moore. “It was sprayed and plastered to give it an authentic look and then covered with a sealant spray. Seaweed was even attached to make it look even more realistic,” she added. The anchor was then kept submerged in a vat of water for a month before going in to the display. Fellow aquarist Charlotte bravely volunteered to pull on the waders and squeeze into the empty display to drop anchor and ensure it was settled and safe. The Australian pot-belly or big-belly seahorses can grow to more than 30cms in length. The fish get their name because of their prominent bellies which are shared by both males and females. The seahorse is unique in the animal kingdom in that it is the male rather than the female which carries the babies and gives birth to them via a special brood pouch on their stomach. The female seahorse lays her eggs in the male’s pouch. He then fertilises them and incubates them until they’re ready to emerge into the great outdoors. In the wild virtually all of the approximate 35 species of seahorse are now under threat from a variety of sources. These include loss of habitat, pollution, the souvenir trade and traditional medicine. The big-bellied seahorses at Bristol Aquarium are part of a captive-breeding programme which aims to ease the pressure on wild populations. Issued by Bristol Aquarium. For more information please contact Sarah Moore or David Waines on 0117 929 8929.
