A ‘SUPER shoal’ of more than 400 tropical reef fish will go on display at the Blue Planet Aquarium, Cheshire Oaks.
The giant school of exotic fish will take up residence in the aquarium’s 3.8-million-litre Caribbean Reef display, alongside three-metre-long sharks and stingrays.
The shoal, which is currently in quarantine at the aquarium before being released into the main display, is made up of yellow tang and foxface fish.
Blue Planet Aquarium assistant curator Andrea Swatman said: “Our main ocean display is among the largest in the country and is home to literally thousands of fish, ranging from tiny cleaner wrasse to huge sharks.
“We wanted to introduce a really impressive number of the same type of fish that will congregate together to form a shoal.
“As both the yellow tangs and the foxface are so colourful they should create an amazing effect as they move among our coral reefs.”
The yellow tang is a member of the surgeonfish family, so called because of their long noses, thin heads and scissor-like teeth – suited for grazing algae from rocks and between coral heads.
The solid yellow colour is broken only by the two white spines on the base of the tail used to defend itself and battle rival fish.
Yellow tangs live in large groups on the reef, but form huge ‘super’ groups at breeding times.
In the film Finding Nemo, the character Bubbles is a yellow tang.
Found throughout the western Pacific, foxfaces live in large groups grazing the coral reefs of algae.
Also known as the badger fish due to the black-and-white bars on their heads, this bright colouring is retained throughout the day.
However at night, or when they are stressed, they have the ability to change into a mottled dark-brown colour. This is used as a camouflage against predators.
The dorsal fin rays are venomous and can cause a painful sting.
