The UK’s first aquarium for extinct-in-the-wild freshwater fish has opened at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.
The aquarium is the first of its kind to be dedicated to conserving threatened and extinct-in-the-wild freshwater fish.
It is hoped the first aquarium in a zoo’s 90-year history will increase support for ‘the most highly threatened habitats in the world’, an expert said.
The facility at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is dedicated to conserving threatened and extinct-in-the-wild freshwater fish. These include La Palma pupfish and Greek killifish.
The aquarium recreates 10 of the planet’s aquatic habitats, from a flooded forest in Brazil to an African puddle, and will house ‘some of the rarest and most unique fish species in existence’, says the BBC News.
Aquarium team leader, Alex Cliffe, said only 1% of water in the world is freshwater and that 1% contains 50% of the species of fish and they are under a great deal of threat.
