Fish
All of the following fish can be found in the Aquarium due to the way we stock the aquarium and the process of releasing fish after a period on show we can not guarantee all of the following species will be on display |
Fish
All of the following fish can be found in the Aquarium due to the way we stock the aquarium and the process of releasing fish after a period on show we can not guarantee all of the following species will be on display |
Mullet
On a warm summers day the mullet is often seen feeding near the surface the mullet in the aquarium are some of the most tame fish in the aquarium and like a good feed.
Lobster
Lobsters live in holes in rocky areas and typically
feed off worms and other fleshy material including feeding off weaker lobsters. Lobsters are very sensitive to temperature and hibernate in temperatures of sub 5 degrees.
Star Fish
Starfish can be found in rock pools around Lyme Regis.
Starfish are unmistakable with their five arms with rows of tube feet on the underside. The central mouth of the starfish is underneath the upper body. The common starfish is orange in colour and is occasionally seen with missing arms.
Ballan Wrasse
The Ballan wrasse Labrus bergylta, of the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Its maximum length is 66 cm. AllBallan wrasse are female for their first eight years before a few change into males. Large Ballans are almost certainly male.
Short Spined Sea-Scorpion (Father Lasher)
The head of this aggressive little fish is covered in sharp spines. Itwill eat any other fish that can fit in its large mouth it hides in weed and pounces out to eat the fish whole.
Velvet Swimming Crab
An aggressive small crab that feeds on carrion and is found all round the harbour. If you lift large rocks, at low tide, crabs can be found hiding from the seagulls and other predators. The back pincers are flat and can be used for swimming. They are easily caught in small drop nets from the side of the Cobb.
When cornered the velvet crab raises its front claws in a aggressive manor. In France they fish for the velvet sea crab and sell them by the kilo.
Sea Mouse
The head and scales of the scaleworm are completely hidden by its hairy body. It likes to live on muddy sand of which there is abundance off the shore of Lyme Regis. It does look like a small mouse, but it is not related. Many children visiting the aquarium think that the sea mouse lives on cheese.
The Lesser-Spotted Dogfish
The lesser-spotted dogfish is also known as the rough hound. It is a small member of the shark family easily confused with the greater spotted dogfish. The main distinguishing feature is the nasal flap, which connects to the mouth, whereas in its cousin the greater spotted dogfish the nasal flaps are unconnected. The underside of the fish is off-white and the top a light brown covered in small dark brown spots. The normal habitat is a sand or gravel bottom, feeding on crabs, prawns and small fish. The sexes are often found shoaling in their own gardens. Spawning takes place in spring. The females lay eggs which resemble a purse and hence their name ‘mermaids purses’. The capsules are attached to rock and weed, though many become washed up on the beach after storms. The egg takes about eight months to hatch.
The Great Spotted Dogfish, (Nursehound, Bull Huss)
The greater spotted dogfish closely resemble the ordinary dogfish though can be identified by the positioning of the first and second dorsal fin over the pelvic and anal fin. In the greater spotted dogfish the dorsal fins are midway above the pelvic and anal fins. The skin of the greater spotted dogfish is rough, the colour a sand brown with large rounded dark brown blotches. The underside is a creamy white with dusky edges on the lobes of the tail. In length the nursehound (as it is also known) rarely exceeds 152cm (60 inches), and the average length is 120cm (47 inches). The nursehound is bottom living, feeding on crustaceans, molluscs and small fish. Spawning takes place in spring and early summer; the smooth rounded eggs laid among seaweed with the tendrils from the egg latching onto the weed. It takes up to 9 months for the eggs to hatch. The greater spotted dogfish is less common than the ordinary dogfish, though trawlers and anglers catch them both.
Hermit Crab
The HERMIT CRAB is not like other crabs as it does not have a hard shell of its own, but instead lives in theempty shells of other creatures such as WINKLES and WHELKS.
