Wellington Zoo
Encyclopedia
Distinguished from the fictional Wellington Zoo near the Forest of Dean
Forest of Dean
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. The forest is a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.The...

 in England in the Primeval (TV series).

Wellington Zoo is nestled in the green belt of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. Now over 100 years old, it was the country’s first Zoo and has 13 hectares (32.1 acre) dedicated to over 100 different species of fauna from across the globe. Wellington Zoo is a significant contributor to conservation efforts including breeding programs for endangered species such as the Sun Bear
Sun Bear
The sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...

 and Sumatran tiger
Sumatran Tiger
The Sumatran tiger is a tiger subspecies that inhabits the Indonesian island of Sumatra and has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN in 2008 as the population is projected at 176 to 271 mature individuals, with no subpopulation having an effective population size larger than 50...

, as well as spreading conservation and sustainability messages to the wider community.

History

Wellington Zoo was opened in 1906 by the late Prime Minister Richard Seddon, after he was given a young lion - later named King Dick - by the Bostock and Wombwell Circus. Over time the Zoo was expanded and upgraded, and committed itself to a future in environmental education, bringing animals and people closer together.

Historically, Wellington Zoo operated under the auspices of the Wellington City Council. However, in June 2003 the Zoo became a charitable trust and is now governed by a board of six trustees, with the Wellington City Council as principal source of funds.

Conservation and Sustainability

Wellington Zoo is committed to the welfare of animals and wildlife both within the Zoo and around the world. As well as caring for their own animals, Wellington Zoo participates in breeding programs both locally and internationally, and contributes to conservation and research programs both within the Zoo, around the country and even overseas.

It works co-operatively with other Zoos around the world through studbook keepers, who are responsible for maintaining relevant data on a particular species within a programme to ensure genetic diversity. Wellington Zoo is a full institutional member of the Australasian Association of Zoological Parks and Aquaria.

In addition to breeding programmes, the Zoo is also involved in a number of community conservation projects. The Kereru Discovery Project is a cooperative effort with Zealandia: Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Karori Wildlife Sanctuary
Zealandia, formerly known as the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, is a protected natural area in Wellington, New Zealand, where the biodiversity of 225 ha of forest is being restored...

, Te Papa
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand, located in Wellington. It is branded and commonly known as Te Papa and Our Place; "Te Papa Tongarewa" is broadly translatable as "the place of treasures of this land".The museum's principles...

 and Pukaha (Mount Bruce). This project aims to make Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...

 a better place for kereru, the native wood pigeon. Places for Penguins is a cooperative effort with Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand
The Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc. is an environmental organisation specialising in conservation of indigenous plant and animal life in and around New Zealand....

 to identify and protect nesting areas used by blue penguins around Wellington coastal areas.

Wellington Zoo is further committed to reducing the environmental and social impact of its activities. Its dedication to conservation includes a focus on sustainable building practices in all its ongoing and future projects; including insulation and construction materials to reduce energy consumption, rainwater recovery systems for cleaning animal enclosures, the use of FSC-approved or recycled timber and solar water heating, as well as a range of other responsible approaches.

Interaction

Wellington Zoo is focused on providing an immersive and interactive experience for Zoo visitors and has several unique activities on offer.

A variety of talks and demonstrations are held on a day-to-day basis including the chance to meet Wellington Zoo’s unofficial mascot, Tahi the one-legged Kiwi, up close.

The Zoo has Close Encounters opportunities with cheetah, giraffe and red panda, where visitors can meet, touch and learn about the animals. In the Big Cat Experience, visitors can see how the lions and tigers are trained to make medical care simpler, and can participate in feeding the animals. At The Nest – Te Kōhanga, visitors can observe and ask questions of the Zoo veterinarians while they provide previously behind-the-scenes medical care to a wide range of animals on a daily basis. In the Living Room, Zoo educators entertain children with fun and informative sessions that have proven to be a great hit.

For children, the Zoo accommodates school visits and sleepovers, while for adults there are a variety of locations for holding functions. These experiences can include guided tours and the chance to meet the Zoo’s contact animals.

Zoo Capital Development Programme

Over ten years, Wellington Zoo is spending $21m to create a more unique, accessible and interactive environment to the benefit of the animals and visitors alike. The already completed Wild Theatre has become the heart of the Zoo, hosting presentations about the animals and available for concerts and Christmas parties. The Nest – Te Kōhanga animal hospital allows the public to watch the wildlife vets at work, narrating as they handle check-ups and surgeries and answering questions through an incorporated intercom system. Coming soon is 'Meet the Locals', an area dedicated to local fauna and conservation. Much more will be unfolding over the next few years, including the Asia Precinct and The Roost native bird care and breeding facility.

The Nest – Te Kōhanga

The Nest - Te Kōhanga is Wellington Zoo's latest major edition. State-of-the-art facilities and equipment provide the dedicated veterinary staff with everything they need to treat every animal resident of the Zoo, except the giraffes, and is also used for rescued native wildlife. Each of the main surgical rooms has an open viewing gallery and a communication system, allowing staff to narrate procedures for visitors and visitors to ask questions of staff. Whether it's a routine check-up or first-of-its-kind surgery, there is always something going on in this unique animal hospital.

Resident animals

Mammals

  • Carnivores
African lions
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...

Serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...

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Cheetah
Cheetah
The cheetah is a large-sized feline inhabiting most of Africa and parts of the Middle East. The cheetah is the only extant member of the genus Acinonyx, most notable for modifications in the species' paws...

Sumatran tigers
African wild dogs
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...

Dingoes
Asian small-clawed otters

  • Omnivores
Malaysian sun bears
Sun Bear
The sun bear , sometimes known as the honey bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia; North-East India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Southern China, Peninsular Malaysia, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.-Description:The sun bear...

Chimpanzees
Hamadryas baboon
Hamadryas Baboon
The Hamadryas baboon is a species of baboon from the Old World monkey family. It is the northernmost of all the baboons; being native to the Horn of Africa and the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. These regions provide habitats with the advantage for this species of fewer natural...

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White-cheeked gibbon
Capuchins
Capuchin monkey
The capuchins are New World monkeys of the genus Cebus. The range of capuchin monkeys includes Central America and South America as far south as northern Argentina...

Emperor tamarins
Emperor Tamarin
The Emperor Tamarin is a tamarin allegedly named for its resemblance to the German emperor Wilhelm II. It lives in the southwest Amazon Basin, in east Peru, north Bolivia and in the west Brazilian states of Acre and Amazonas....

Cotton-top tamarins
Cottontop Tamarin
The cotton-top tamarin , also known as the Pinché tamarin, is a small New World monkey weighing less than 1 lb...

Pygmy marmoset
Pygmy Marmoset
The pygmy marmoset or dwarf monkey is a New World monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, and northern Bolivia. It is one of the smallest primates, and the smallest true monkey, with its body length ranging from...

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Meerkat
Meerkat
The meerkat or suricate, Suricata suricatta, is a small mammal belonging to the mongoose family. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan"...

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Hedgehog
Hedgehog
A hedgehog is any of the spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 17 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand . There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to the Americas...

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Peccaries
Brown rat

  • Herbivores
Giraffes
Nyala
Nyala
The Nyala is a Southern African antelope. It is a spiral-horned dense-forest antelope that is uncomfortable in open spaces and is most often seen at water holes. Nyalas live alone or in small family groups of up to 10 individuals.The male stands up to 110 cm , the female is up to 90 cm ...

Blackbuck
Blackbuck
Blackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Their range decreased sharply during the 20th century. Since 2003, the IUCN lists the species as near threatened....

Black and white ruffed lemur
Spider monkeys
Little red flying fox
Eastern grey kangaroos
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is a marsupial found in southern and eastern Australia, with a population of several million. It is also known as the Great Grey Kangaroo and the Forester Kangaroo...

Tammar wallabies
Tammar Wallaby
The Tammar Wallaby , also known as the Dama Wallaby or Darma Wallaby, is a small member of the kangaroo family and is the model species for research on kangaroos and marsupials. It is found on offshore islands on the South Australian and Western Australian coast...

Grevy's Zebra
Grevy's Zebra
The Grévy's zebra , also known as the Imperial zebra, is the largest extant wild equid and one of three species of zebra, the other two being the plains zebra and the mountain zebra. Named after Jules Grévy, it is the sole extant member of the subgenus Dolichohippus. The Grévy's zebra is found in...

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Red pandas
African crested porcupines
Crested Porcupine
The crested porcupine is a species of rodent in the Hystricidae family.It is extant in mainland Italy, Sicily, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.-Physical Attributes:...

Agouti
Common agouti
The popular term Agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Middle America, the West Indies, and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar but have longer legs. The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with...


Birds

  • Aquatic
Pelicans
Cape barren geese
Cape Barren Goose
The Cape Barren Goose is a large goose resident in southern Australia. The species is named for Cape Barren Island, where specimens were first sighted by European explorers.-Taxonomy:...

Kotuku
Eastern Great Egret
The Eastern Great Egret is a white heron of the genus Ardea, is considered a subspecies of the Great Egret . Although a study argued for full species status in 2005, most taxonomists consider it to be a subspecies...

Brolga cranes
Brolga
The Brolga , formerly known as the "Native Companion", is a bird in the crane family. The bird has also been given the name "Australian Crane", a term coined in 1865 by well-known ornithological artist John Gould in his Birds of Australia.The Brolga is a common gregarious wetland bird species in...

Kingfisher
Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds in the order Coraciiformes. They have a cosmopolitan distribution, with most species being found in the Old World and Australia...

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Australian shelduck
Australian Shelduck
The Australian Shelduck, Tadorna tadornoides, is a shelduck, a group of large goose-like birds which are part of the bird family Anatidae, which also includes the swans, geese and ducks. The Anatidae article should be referred to for an overview of this group of birds.This is a bird which breeds...

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Little black shag
Little Black Cormorant
The Little Black Cormorant is a member of the cormorant family of seabirds. It is common in smaller rivers and lakes throughout most areas of Australia and northern New Zealand. It is around sixty centimetres long, and is all black with blue-green eyes.-References: Database entry includes...

Little blue penguins
Little Penguin
The Little Penguin is the smallest species of penguin. The penguin, which usually grows to an average of in height and in length , is found on the coastlines of southern Australia and New Zealand, with possible records from Chile.Apart from Little Penguins, they have several common names...

Campbell Teal
Scaup
New Zealand Scaup
The New Zealand Scaup commonly known as a Black teal, is a diving duck species of the genus Aythya. It is endemic to New Zealand. In Maori commonly known as papango, also matapouri, titiporangi, raipo .-Description:...

  • Terrestrial
Ostriches
Emus
Guinea fowl
Monal pheasant
Himalayan Monal
The Himalayan Monal, Lophophorus impejanus also known as the Impeyan Monal or Impeyan Pheasant or Danphe is a bird of genus Lophophorus of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. It is the national bird of Nepal, where it is known as the Danfe, and the state bird of Uttarakhand.Traditionally, the...

Bantam chickens
Banded rail
Buff-banded Rail
The Buff-banded Rail, Gallirallus philippensis is a distinctively coloured, highly dispersive, medium-sized rail of the family Rallidae....

Brown kiwi
  • Parrots
Sulphur crested cockatoos
Red-tailed black cockatoo
Red-tailed Black Cockatoo
The Red-tailed Black Cockatoo , also known as Banksian- or Banks' Black Cockatoo, is a large cockatoo native to Australia. This species was known as Calyptorhynchus magnificus for many decades until the current scientific name was officially conserved in 1994. It is more common in the drier parts...

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Major Mitchell cockatoos
Major Mitchell's Cockatoo
The Major Mitchell's Cockatoo also known as Leadbeater's Cockatoo or Pink Cockatoo, is a medium-sized cockatoo restricted to arid and semi-arid inland areas of Australia...

Red-fronted macaws
Red-fronted Macaw
The Red-fronted Macaw, Ara rubrogenys, is a parrot endemic to a small semi-desert mountainous area of Bolivia. It is highly endangered, and there may only be 150 or so birds left in the wild; it has been successfully bred in captivity, and is available, if not common, as a pet.-Description:The...

Sun conures
Kea
Kea
The Kea is a large species of parrot found in forested and alpine regions of the South Island of New Zealand. About long, it is mostly olive-green with a brilliant orange under its wings and has a large narrow curved grey-brown upper beak. The Kea is the world's only alpine parrot...

Kaka
  • Pigeons
Crested pigeons
Crested Pigeon
The Crested Pigeon is a bird found widely throughout mainland Australia except for far tropical north areas. It is the only member of the genus Ocyphaps.There are only two Australian pigeon species that possess an erect crest, being the Crested Pigeon and the Spinifex Pigeon...

Emerald dove
Emerald Dove
The Common Emerald Dove is a pigeon which is a widespread resident breeding bird in the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian Subcontinent and east through Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, to northern and eastern Australia. The dove is also known by the names of Green Dove and...

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Kereru
Kereru
The New Zealand Pigeon or kererū is a bird endemic to New Zealand. Māori call it Kererū in most of the country but kūkupa and kūkū in some parts of the North Island, particularly in Northland...

  • Predatory
Tawny frog mouth
Morepork
Kookaburra
Kookaburra
Kookaburras are terrestrial kingfishers native to Australia and New Guinea. They are large to very large, with a total length of . The name is a loanword from Wiradjuri guuguubarra, and is onomatopoeic of its call...

Magpies
Australian Magpie
The Australian Magpie is a medium-sized black and white passerine bird native to Australia and southern New Guinea. A member of the Artamidae, it is closely related to the butcherbirds...


Reptiles

  • Aquatic
African clawed frog
African clawed frog
The African clawed frog is a species of South African aquatic frog of the genus Xenopus. Its name is derived from the three short claws on each hind foot, which it uses to tear apart its food...

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Southern bell frogs
Leopard tortoise
Leopard Tortoise
The Leopard tortoise is a large and attractively marked tortoise found in the savannas of eastern and southern Africa, from Sudan to the southern Cape. It is the only member of the genus Stigmochelys, but in the past it was commonly placed in Geochelone instead...

Red-eared slider
Red-eared slider
The red-eared slider is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and also popular in the rest of the world...

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Axolotl
Axolotl
The axolotl , Ambystoma mexicanum, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the Tiger Salamander. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the adults remain aquatic and gilled. It is also called ajolote...

Australian water dragon
Australian Water Dragon
The Australian Water Dragon , which includes the Eastern Water Dragon and the Gippsland Water Dragon The Australian Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii), which includes the Eastern Water Dragon (P. l. lesueurii) and the Gippsland Water Dragon The Australian Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii),...

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  • Terrestrial
Tuatara
Tuatara
The tuatara is a reptile endemic to New Zealand which, though it resembles most lizards, is actually part of a distinct lineage, order Sphenodontia. The two species of tuatara are the only surviving members of its order, which flourished around 200 million years ago. Their most recent common...

Grand skink
Grand skink
The grand skink, Oligosoma grande, is an endangered species of large skink endemic to the central Otago region of New Zealand.- Physical characteristics :...

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Otago skink
Otago skink
The Otago skink, Oligosoma otagense, is an endangered species of large skink of the family Scincidae, found in the central Otago region of New Zealand.-Physical characteristics:...

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Blue-tongued skinks
Cunningham skinks
Cunningham's Skink
Cunningham's Skink is a large skink species native to southeastern Australia. It can reach up to 30 cm in length, and may be confused with blue-tongued lizards....

Shingle backed skinks
Common skinks
Chatham Islands skink
The Chatham Island skink, Oligosoma nigriplantare, is a species of skink in the family Scincidae.It is the sole reptile species found on the Chatham Islands of New Zealand where it occurs on all the major islands except Chatham Island itself. Given the geological history of the Chatham Islands, it...

Duvaucel's geckos
Madagascan giant day geckos
Forest gecko
Forest gecko
The forest gecko, Hoplodactylus granulatus, is a species of gecko in the family Gekkonidae. Granulatus refers to the granular texture of the skin. It is endemic to New Zealand, found in all areas except the Far North, Marlborough, and Canterbury....

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Auckland green gecko
Auckland green gecko
The Auckland green gecko, Naultinus elegans elegans, is a subspecies of gecko found only in the northern half of the North Island of New Zealand, except north of Whangaroa. The other subspecies, the Wellington green gecko, is found in the southern half of the North Island and the two ranges do not...

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Common geckos
Eastern bearded dragon
Eastern Bearded Dragon
The Eastern bearded dragon is an agamid lizard found in wooded parts of Australia. It is one of a group of species known commonly as Bearded Dragons...

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Inland bearded dragons
Central Bearded Dragon
Pogona vitticeps, the Central Bearded Dragon, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semi-arid regions of Australia...


Insects

Goliath bird-eater spiders
Goliath birdeater
The Goliath bird-eater Spider is an arachnid belonging to the tarantula group, Theraphosidae, and is considered to be the second largest spider in the world , and they may be the biggest by mass...

Redkneed tarantulas
Mexican redknee tarantula
The Brachypelma smithi , is a terrestrial tarantula native to the western faces of the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre del Sur mountain ranges in Mexico. They are a large species, of which are a popular choice for enthusiasts...

Chilean rose tarantula
Chilean rose tarantula
The Chilean rose tarantula , also known as the Chilean flame tarantula, Chilean fire tarantula or the Chilean red-haired tarantula or the Chilean rose hair tarantula , is probably the most common species of tarantula available in pet stores today, due to the large number of wild-caught specimens...

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Costa-rican zebra tarantulas
Aphonopelma seemanni
The Costa Rican Zebra Tarantula, also known as the Striped-knee Tarantula , inhabits most of western Costa Rica, as well as other parts of Central America, such as Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. It is black with white stripes near the joint. Specimens from Nicaragua are tan-coloured.Zebra...

Peruvian pinktoe tarantulas
Pinktoe Tarantula
The pinktoe tarantula, Avicularia avicularia, is a species of tarantula native to South America, Costa Rica to Brazil, and the southern Caribbean...

King baboon spider
King baboon spider
The King baboon spider is a tarantula species native to East Africa. The King baboon spider can grow up to 20 cm in leg span. It is a slow growing species. The spider is often rusty brown or orange in colour. As a burrowing species, the back legs are very thick and used for digging burrows...

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Fish

Inanga
Common galaxias
The common galaxias or the inanga , is a species of fish from the galaxiid family that is very widespread in the southern hemisphere. It is a slim narrow fish with a forked tail and as an adult it lives in freshwater rivers and lakes. Common galaxias grows to a length of 40 to 120 mm, but can grow...

Turquoise discus
Discus (fish)
Discus are a genus of three species of cichlid freshwater fishes native to the Amazon River basin. Discus are popular as aquarium fish and their aquaculture in several countries in Asia is a major industry.-Taxonomy:...

Rummy-nose tetra
Rummy-nose tetra
The rummy-nose tetra, Hemigrammus rhodostomus, is a species of tropical freshwater characin fish originating from South America, popular among fishkeepers as an aquarium fish. One of many small tetras belonging to the same Genus, it is a 5 cm long fish when fully grown, and is a long...

Cochu's blue tetra
Cochu's blue tetra
The Cochu's blue tetra or blue tetra, Boehlkea fredcochui, is a species of characin. Its natural range is in the Amazon Basin. It is commonly kept as an aquarium fish.-Aquarium Care:* Maximum length: 5.5 cm* Colors: Blue, pink...

Cardinal tetra
Cardinal tetra
The cardinal tetra, Paracheirodon axelrodi, is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. It is native to the upper Orinoco and Negro Rivers in South America....

Bristlenose catfish
German blue ram
Clown loach
Clown loach
The clown loach, Chromobotia macracanthus, is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the Cobitidae family. It is the sole member of the Chromobotia genus. It originates in inland waters in Indonesia on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo...

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