Aquaria KLCC

Annabelle loved the Nutria Water Rat even though she thought it was a beaver and indeed they have many features in common. They have orange teeth, enriched with iron to make them strong as beaver teeth (which she knows from her favourite book: "What if you had animal teeth") and they also live close to the water hence the name. An interesting fact is that the female nutria teats are high on the sides so young nutria can nurse as the mother swims. This south american animals are strict vegetarians and mainly feed on aquatic plants and roots. 

This huge fellar is called an Alligator Garfish and is very playful they say this species likes to engage in a game of mouse and cat with the smaller fish and can reach a stunning age of 50 years. This one just seemed to have such a distinct personality.

A Red Lionfish uses its numerous spiny projections to camouflage by mimicking algae growth, to catch pray and to defend themselves. To us they were just stunning creatures.

This was the best exhibit ever... Since I was a little girl I always wondered how little sharks live in the little eggs I found ashore. It was amazing to watch the little shark embryo still attached to its yolk sac to move around inside the egg.

The light in this display frequently changed its colour and therefore let the transparent Moon Jellyfish glow in different colours. The moon jellyfish themselves may change colour depending on the food they ate. They can get up to 25 years and normally live in huge groups called smack. As they don't have lungs they just breathe by diffusing oxygen from the surrounding water through their thin membranes.

I was very excited to spot the Pot Bellied Seahorses, the biggest sea horses in the world who can live up to 20 years. Annabelle bounced up and down infront of the aquarium and happily told me that she already rode on one of these. I looked at the 35cm horses and asked her- are you sure sweety? And she said yes yes, she rode on a horse. It is really funny how she remembers things we have done and maybe because she can't remember the actual situation only the story we have told her, this imagination of riding a seahorse is just as vivid as riding a real one. By the way male seahorses are the only male species who gets pregnant, that's why male seahorses pump up their belly with water in order to attract females as a big belly is seen as a beauty feature. Seahorses can rotate their eyes 360°, each eye seperately. Furthermore say have to constantly eat as they lack a stomach. Now you can see why these long-snouted creatures in their upright position are so wonderful.

The Spotted Garden Eels were playing a game of hide and seek therefore Annabelle couldn't get enough of them.
Even though I don't like the idea of animals crammed in little cages or aquariums, I still think it was a great experience and gives people the opportunity to love and admire wildlife. We were really lucky and got a glimpse of the Giant Softshell Turtle who stays burried in the sand for 95% of its life. I didn't even take any pictures of the highlight- one of the longest underwater tunnels in the world with sharks, mantas, sting rays, sea turtles, etc. Most people stood on some kind of luggage belt and were moved through the tunnel, Annabelle and I used the "buggy lane" and watched each animal as long as we enjoyed it. A very educational and fun morning well spent and our last chance before leaving KL.