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The Oceanarium is on the area of around 5000 sq. m, on which are 41
aquariums of total volume more than 1.5 millions litres of water. The
largest aquarium has about 750 thousands litres of water and the
smallest 300 litres.
The exhibition consist of
the six sections:
Freswater fishes of Russian North-West
The journey in a
mysterious underwater world of our planet starts from this particular
zone. At the very entrance you will meet very typical inhabitants of
waters in our region. The natural conditions of the Russian North-West
are extremely various and favourable for underwater inhabitants. A lot
of rivers, large and small lakes with their variety of fresh-water fauna
are situated at this vast territory. At the same time in the Gulf of
Finland we can meet sea animals.
There are about 110 fish
species counted only in Leningrad Region. The most quantity of them – 58
species – is known as those from the Gulf of Finland. It is easy to
explain this phenomenon: fresh-water, migratory and sea fishes live
constantly and temporarily here.
Almost one third of all
fishes in our regional reservoirs are carps - 22 species. Among them
there are the species preferring to live in flowing waters: vimba vimba,
sabrefish, gudgeon, dace and sazan. Other fishes usually live in the
rivers with a slow and quiet current or in small lakes: tench, crucian
carp. Some species live equally well in different reservoirs. They are
nerfling, bream, muvarica, and ubiquitous roach. Newcomers from other
regions also live in our area. Thus, recently Koi carp with its
remarkably bright coloration has widely settled in the European
reservoirs. The history of brown bullhead is very interesting. In 1947
during the lean post-war years brown bullhead was brought to Russia and
there were made several attempts to breed it as a food item. Brown
bullhead was not widely spread, but sometimes it can be found in our
reservoirs. It stands to reason, that we cannot show all these species
simultaneously, but periodically renewed display will give you an
opportunity to see various fishes of the Russian North-West.
In addition to the
well-known fishes our visitors will be able to see the fishes that
became very rear nowadays. We display several sturgeon species.
Tropical forest
The representatives of
both fresh-water and brackish-water ichthyofauna from various geographic
regions are displayed here. They are combined by their habitation in the
tropical rain forest.
The vegetation zone with
a wet and warm climate stretches out along the equator. Tropical rain
forest can exist exactly in such conditions. During raining season,
rivers and lakes overflow the banks flooding the vast territories.
Various species of fishes adapted to existence at such flooded
territories in a different manner.
Amazon River stretches
out for 6565 km. A dense network of turns, bends and cutoffs at the vast
territory, constantly changing existence conditions, where heavy showers
alternate with heat periods, happened to be the superb environment for
appearance of the richest and most variegated ichthyofauna on the Earth.
Ichthyologists count about 2500 fish species here, i.e. one third of the
whole variety of fresh-water fish kingdom on our planet. Well-known
piranhas, dragon fishes, fresh-water bluespotted stingrays and other
exotic fish species are displayed as the unique inhabitants of the
Amazon.
Mangroves are woody-bush
brakes growing on regularly flooded areas of the sea coasts and river
mouths protected from surf and storms by coral reefs or coastal islands.
Mangroves are spread mainly in wet tropics – on the sea coasts of
Eastern Africa, South Asia, Australia and Oceania.
Out of the most
interesting inhabitants of mangroves we display banded archerfishes
(schooling fishes of small size that bring down insects flying above the
water by a water jet from the mouth), blue discuses and several species
of shrimps.
Cliffy coast
At the entrance to this
zone you will be able to see (if you are lucky), how a famous angler
fish is catching its prey. This unique animal derived its name from the
original way of hunting. Its female has the first ray of the dorsal fin
shifted to the head and used as a fishing-rod. At the tip of this rod
there is a lure attracting the prey that doesn't expect to fall into a
trap. After visiting our cave you will be able to feel a boundless power
of the sea surf.
One of the most
interesting places on the planet is sea coasts. They can be various:
steep and sloping, sandy and cliffy. The representatives of the animal
world living in these places are also various and interesting. In our
open tanks you will be able to see how starfishes are moving, how small
bamboo sharks (which do not exceed 50 centimeters when in their
adulthood) are living, how Diogenes-crabs are trying their new
shells-houses on and how rays are fed. In delusively empty tank you will
hardly be able to notice at once attentive eyes of a ray or flounder
staring at you.
Fishes of the Main aquarium
The central point of
interest in our Oceanarium is the Main Tank with the capacity of 750
thousand liters. The only in Russia underwater tunnel of 35 meters long
with a moving path is at the depth of 3 meters. The acrylic glass of 8
cm thick separates the underwater inhabitants from the visitors. It is
completely safe and extremely enthralling to be inside the tunnel as the
entire underwater life is displayed before your eyes.
Our Main Tank is a
dwelling for 23 sharksof 5 species with the length of 50 centimeters to
3 meters. In addition to them morays are hiding in secluded grottoes,
night predators – groupers (giant snappers) – are sleeping during the
day in the shadow of flat corals. Pilot-fishes are escorting the largest
male shark, which name is Pirate. Having lost its host, a clingfish is
anxiously rushing about until it finds again a suitable “carrier”.
Daily at 7 p.m. you can
become a witness of a breathtaking performance – «Shark Show». Our
professional divers will prove you that not only sea bears and dolphins
but also sea predators – sharks - yield to training..
Exotic fishes - coral reef
Coral
reef is a complex natural community of various animal species living in
the same harmonious rhythm as the parts of a single organism. In the
tanks of this zone you will see rear exotic fishes, swaying underwater
coral tangle of fabulous colours, sea anemones and their permanent
lodgers – anemonefishes. You will be struck by inexpressible brightness
and smartness of this tropical nature corner transferred under severe
Saint-Petersburg sky.
Marine mammals
The story of seals
appearance in the Oceanarium is very extraordinary. On the 8th of April
2007 (at Eastertide!) there was a call made to the Oceanarium. “I found
out a small seal. And I do not know what to do with it. Please, help!”
That was Alexey Groshev, a citizen of Lomonosov City, who discovered and
picked up a grey seal between railway stations “Bronka” and “Dubochki”.
On the 14th of April the seal was delivered to the Oceanarium for
veterinary examination. Based on the examination made by the
Oceanarium’s specialists a conclusion was made that the animal was a
female of grey Baltic seal suffering from exhaustion and requiring
medical help and therefore it could not be freed. The weight of a small
seal comprised 7.32 kg only and its length was 52 cm. Thus, after
numerous hardships our first seal found its new warm house. We gave the
name of Uma to the seal. The name is derived from the word “umnaya”
(clever) since the seal turned out to be very smart. Uma had to spend a
lot of time in the certified quarantine zone of the Oceanarium under
constant twenty-four-hour control of our specialists. In the course of
time its wounds closed and a pilage appeared on their places. All
employees of the Oceanarium gave heart to Uma sincerely.
In order for Uma not to get bored two more grey Baltic seals with names
of Dasha and Gosha appeared in the Oceanarium soon. They were born in
April 2007 in the Lithuanian Sea Museum in Klaipeda City. They were bred
there after their birth until September. Afterwards they were
transported in special cages by air to the Oceanarium.
Why are the seals shown
in the Oceanarium behind the glass? The matter is that these animals
need the specific “sanitary” microclimate; they are very prone to
respiratory infections and catch pneumonia very often. There is a
special intake ventilation functioning behind the glass, where the seals
are kept, which creates some excessive pressure. The conditions, under
which the seals are kept, are at the most comfortable for the animals,
since they are very similar to the habitat.
A special group of
divers-trainers, who have passed through the advanced training in
biology, behavior features and veterinary medicine, are working with the
seals. One can see the seal show in the Oceanarium twice per day. In
spite of the fact that they are still very small, the seals can execute
more than 20 commands. The Oceanarium’s plans are to prepare the unique
underwater show with the seals with no analogue in the world.
Source: official site of the
Saint
Petersburg Oceanarium
(2013)
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