The Sharks
Shark tank
Sharks are the protagonists of the Cattolica Aquarium.
Bull sharks and nurse sharks live in the large central tank of 700,000 liters of water.
In recent decades many species have been classified at risk due to the increase in the human population, the technological development of fishing and environmental degradation.
The characteristics that have allowed sharks to adapt to the evolution of planet earth are the same that make them vulnerable to the negative effects of human action.
Penguins
Penguins in the aquarium
Aloo, Tikka, Lalla, Babba, Yuki and the other penguins are waiting for you!
Humboldt penguins are another endangered species. They come from the coasts of Chile and Peru, live at temperatures between –3 ° C to +24 ° C and usually form a fixed pair for life.
As adults they reach 60 cm in height and 5 kg in weight and can live up to 20 years. They feed on molluscs, sardines and Krill, which they hunt while remaining in groups.
They become adults between 2 and 7 years old and lay 2 eggs that are hatched for 42 days by both individuals. Your kids will fall in love with it!
Penguins
Aquarium Clown fish
The colorful clownfish and anemones live in symbiosis in front of a rocky backdrop. These minnows have tough, slime-covered skin that protects them from the stinging tentacles of anemones.
They form a tight pair and each produce around 200 eggs. The male takes care of the young while the larger female defends the home and family. Young fish are very sociable and form large groups.
Aren’t they adorable?
Oriental small-clawed otter
Oriental small-clawed otter
At the Aquarium you can meet the three sisters: Eva, Costanza and Marta!
Tender and playful, it is the smallest otter in the world. It is distinguished by its front legs which it uses to eat, it feeds on molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
It lives in the freshwater swampy areas of Bangladesh, southern India, China, Indochina and the Philippines. This species spends most of its time on the ground unlike any other otter.
Habitat degradation, pollution and hunting lead the small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea) to be considered a ‘vulnerable’ species and is part of the IUCN Red List.
Dwarf Caiman
Cuvier’s dwarf caiman
The dwarf caiman is a reptile and has a color that can vary from brown to black, with the body covered with bone plates.
The Paleosuchus palpebrosus, or Dwarf Caiman, is perhaps the smallest specimen of alligator existing on the face of the earth, and is found in South America, in flooding forests or ponds. As an adult it does not exceed 1.5 meters in length with a maximum weight of 15 kg.
The females are generally smaller and less heavy. His mouth of the dwarf caiman has about 80 teeth and a jaw of enormous strength. Small but dangerous! It appears that there are only about 1,000,000 specimens left.
For this reason this species was declared CITES protected species in 1973.
Snakes
Snakes of the Aquarium
Much loved and feared at the same time, the Ophidians include almost 3000 different species, from a few centimeters to 10 meters in length. They crawl on the ground, and perceive sound vibrations and follow the scent tracks of their prey.
They are carnivorous animals, they feed on small animals, such as reptiles and snakes, birds, eggs or insects.
Some species have a poisonous bite with which they kill or paralyze their prey before feeding on it; others instead kill prey by constraint. Inside the stomach they have acids that are used to dissolve the prey, the bones are instead expelled.
Many snakes, not only poisonous species, are also used in medical research.
Amphibians
Amphibians
Amphibians include frogs, toads, tree frogs, salamanders, tritons and cecilias.
The word amphibian derives from the Greek term Amphibios, which means “from double life”. In fact, amphibians have 2 different types of life: the larval one, which generally takes place in water, and an adult stage that begins after a real transformation and that lives much longer on earth. Amphibian adults are carnivorous, but some species are known to feed on fruits.
They breathe through the skin and catch the prey with the tongue. To defend themselves, many species secrete antibiotic substances, toxic poisons and fluids with a disgusting taste.
The species belonging to amphibians are among the most threatened due to deforestation, pollution, bacterial diseases … In Italy, the two most common toads, the Bufo bufo and the Bufotes viridis can be considered at risk because of their habit of returning to the reproductive site, being crushed while crossing the streets.
Chameleons
Chameleons
Chameleons are cute scaled reptiles belonging to the Sauri suborder. The name chameleon means “land lion”. They are capable of changing color to blend in, have a long, retractable and sticky tongue with which they catch insects, and the eyes can rotate independently of each other, allowing the chameleon to observe the surrounding environment at 360 degrees.
Chameleon legs have two main toes, each of which has two or three claws. They live in warm habitats ranging from rain forests to deserts, and many species are native and present in Africa, Madagascar, southern Europe and throughout southern Asia to Sri Lanka. Some species have also been introduced to Hawaii, California and Florida and are often kept as pets.
PURPLE ENTRANCE
Abyss, alien land
The marine ecosystem is the largest environment on earth. The strangest creatures on the planet await you at the ‘Abyss alien land’ exhibition at the purple entrance to the Aquarium. In the oceans, sunlight only penetrates up to 200 meters. The deep sea is an extreme environment, dark and cold, inhabited by a few organisms that have incredible shapes, seem to belong to an alien and imaginary world. These include the 13-meter giant squid. The exhibition was created by Naturaliter, a leading company in the museum set-up sector.
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