Latest Bristol Aquarium News

In the coldest nights in January, we like to snuggle up in our favourite pyjamas at home, but for the latest fishy friend at Bristol Aquarium, they’re just settling in to their new home. The Pajama Cardinalfish family have arrived.

The European Commission is calling all aquariums to educate visitors on the global reality of marine litter in a ‘World Aquariums against Marine Litter’ campaign.

This week a giant Pacific octopus, the world’s largest species of octopus, has made Bristol Aquarium its new permanent home.

Head to Bristol Aquarium and immerse yourself in the wonders of water at H-2-WOAH this May half term.

Three thornback rays (Raja clavata) have outgrown their nursery tank and have just been introduced into the aquarium’s Bay of Rays exhibit. The young rays are around 16months and whilst they have outgrown their nursery tank they are still very small in comparison to the fully grown rays in the display.

Behind the scenes, Bristol Aquarium has successfully bred a herd of around 70 Lined Seahorses (Hippocampus erectus); aquarists are hard at work giving these tiny babies the best possible start in life.

Hundreds of tiny orange starfish eggs have been laid at Bristol Aquarium and the fascinating cluster can be seen by visitors in the nursery display tanks. The 200 or so eggs will remain almost microscopic until they undergo metamorphosis into small starfish when visitors will be able to spot their five legs in about 12 months time.

We aren't done talking about the importance of women yet!!

A rare species of fish that is found in only one place in the world is on display at Bristol Aquarium. Banggai cardinalfish were first discovered in the 1930s living among coral reefs off a series of tiny Indonesian islands.

Aquarists at Bristol Aquarium, are celebrating after the birth of 26 baby sharks, with more due to hatch out soon. These tiny sharks are far from terrifying now, but these adorably squishy members of the native catshark family are currently thriving in a special nursery tank at the aquarium - safely away from the attentions of their larger cousins – after being collected from the ocean display by divers.

Delighted aquarists at Bristol Aqaurium are celebrating the arrival of dozens of rare phantasmal poison dart frogs – believed to be one of the most toxic amphibians on the planet.

This weekend, the yearly stock-take is taking place at Bristol Aquarium with their own version of a ‘fishy census!’ Throughout the weekend, staff at this award-winning aquarium are inviting visitors to volunteer to help spot and record the number of certain aquatic species including rays, seahorses and even sharks!

It’s not just the staff at Bristol Aquarium who are getting ready for Christmas – now it would appear even the fishy residents are entering into the festive spirit. New arrivals at the Harbourside attraction this month are very Christmassy indeed and include tropical Christmas tree corals and Candy Cane Pipefish. During the day the Christmas tree coral unfolds its tentacles to capture passing food items. These tentacles resemble the drooping branches of a Christmas tree – hence its common name. The Candy Cane Pipefish are also a fun sight to behold. Found throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific the fish gets its name from the coloured bands which cover its body.

A sextet of seahorses are undergoing startling colour changes as they settle in to their new home at Bristol Aquarium. Despite all six being members of the same species they have distinct colouration and markings as a result of the environment they were brought up in. An adult female which was donated to the Harbourside attraction by their sister Blue Reef Aquarium in Portsmouth was olive green when it arrived but has now transformed into a bright yellow colour.The other five captive-bred juveniles were a dark brown colour on arrival but have now developed white stripes.

Aquarists at Bristol Aquarium have been hard at work creating some special marine-themed mince pies for their aquatic residents.

Waste not, want not! A severed spiny starfish leg is growing itself an entirely new body at Bristol Aquarium.Aquarists discovered the detached leg in one of the Harbourside attraction’s native marine displays. Noticing it had part of its central disc attached, they decided to leave it in the display alongside the remaining four-legged starfish to see what would happen.

The newest arrival at Bristol Aquarium is perfect for Halloween – it’s a baby batfish that thinks it’s a poisonous flatworm.

A sextet of endangered thornback rays, born at the start of the year, are thriving at Bristol Aquarium.

The Aquarists at Bristol Aquarium, have been celebrating since the birth of a baby shark, with more due to be hatched soon.

A lobster from Bristol Aquarium is set to star in a national radio broadcast next week.

The newest arrivals at Bristol Aquarium are being treated with extreme care by the keepers.

Over the May Half Term Holidays (Saturday, May 28th – Sunday, June 5th), visitors to Bristol Aquarium will have the chance to immerse themselves in a world of sharks and rays.

Following an unexpected breeding boom, the keepers at Bristol Aquarium are celebrating the arrival of dozens of baby pipefish.

Shell-shocked staff thought they were seeing double at Bristol Aquarium, when they discovered Charlotte, their rare blue lobster, apparently sharing her display with an identical twin.

At Bristol Aquarium, a quartet of giant conger eels are setting in to their new shipwreck home.

Throughout the October Half Term holidays (October 22nd – November 1st) visitors to Bristol Aquarium are being invited to take part in a week-long exploration of predators big and small.

Bristol Aquarium is inviting visitors to enjoy a Deeply Creepy experience during the October Half Term Holidays (Saturday, October 26th - Sunday, November 3rd).