A bizarre type of salamander which never grows up and is thought to be the inspiration for the character ‘Toothless’ in ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ has gone on display at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium. The tiny axolotl salamander was recently classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ in their native Mexico where they are only found in … Continued
A colony of fire-bellied toads has taken up residence at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium. The toads are part of a new display area featuring a variety of exotic reptiles and amphibians from around the world. As they mature it is hoped the amphibians will form their own satellite captive breeding programme at Blue Reef. … Continued
Marine experts at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay are taking extra precautions with their latest arrivals – a quartet of bizarre baby boxfish. The baby boxfish, which get their name from their curious box-shaped bodies, are being looked after in the aquarium’s nursery area, alongside a quartet of equally unusual-looking long horned cowfish. Closely … Continued
Visitors to Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium will be able to find out more about some of the aquatic world’s most fearsome inhabitants during a special Predators Week event running throughout the Half Term Holidays (February 14th – 22nd) The predators in question range from slow-moving starfish and poison-tipped lionfish to stingrays and tropical sharks. Visitors … Continued
A poorly puffer fish which was donated to Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium has delighted staff by piling on the pounds over the festive period. When he arrived at the Towan Promenade aquarium after being donated, along with several other tropical marine fish, Trevor the white-spotted puffer fish was looking decidedly under the weather. He was … Continued
A quartet of southern stingrays has been born at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium. Newquay has been so successful breeding this particular species of stingray in captivity it has been able to provide captive-bred individuals to a number of other UK aquariums. The aquarium now plans to halt its breeding programme to avoid any unwanted additional … Continued
Aquarists at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium have created a brand new display dedicated to the secret word of the shore crab. Common throughout the British Isles, the crab is one of the marine world’s ultimate survivors and is capable of withstanding extreme changes in both temperature and salinity. Widespread around the British coastline the shore … Continued
A pair of builders have donated a giant lobster to Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium after spotting it at a Cornish food festival. Derek Mitchells, from Camborne, and Paul Tresidder, from Fourlanes took pity on the giant crustacean, who they nicknamed Rocky, when they came across him at a seafood festival in Penzance. They paid £30 … Continued
A colony of hundreds of baby cuttlefish has gone on display at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium. The mini-marvels, each just under one centimetre long, were born from eggs donated by fisherman Cameron Henry from Mylor, who discovered them attached to his crab pots. So many of the eggs have hatched that Newquay is planning to … Continued
JELLY BABIES WITH A STING IN THE TAIL Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium is awash with dozens of jelly babies. The jelly babies in question are actually moon jellyfish, hunters that use their stinging tentacles to paralyse microscopic animals floating in the water. Moon jellyfish get their name from the four purplish ‘half moons’ on top … Continued