Our Fish
Na hÉisc

Seahorse
Capall Mara

  • Seahorses are the only animals where the male becomes pregnant.
  • Seahorse fins beat at rates of 30-70 times per second! This is a similar speed to a hummingbird’s wings.
  • Seahorses have armoured plates all over their body instead of scales.
  • There are about 50 different species of seahorses around the world.
  • They live in seaweed beds in warm water and are very slow swimmers.
  • Seahorses can change their colour to camouflage themselves in order to hide from enemies.

Pufferfish
Iasc Bolgach

  • Pufferfish is a delicacy in Japan, where it’s known as fugu. Licenced chefs must train for at least 3 years before they can serve it to limit the risk of poisoning, and death, to their guests.
  • Pufferfish have a powerful neurotoxin called tetrodotoxin. To humans this is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.
Dingle Aquarium

Catfish
Cat Mara

  • A catfish has about 100,000 taste buds, and their bodies are covered with them to help detect chemicals present in the water and to respond to touch.
  • Some species of catfish can breathe through their skin, which is why most species of catfish are lacking scales and have smooth, mucus covered skin.

Clownfish
An Gairéadach

  • There are around 28 to 30 species of clownfish found in yellow, orange, maroon and other colours.
  • All the clownfish are born males. Some turn into females when the dominant female of the group dies. The change cannot be reversed.
  • Clownfish live among anemone, which are fish-eating animals that look like undersea flowers and have hundreds of poisonous tentacles.
  • The clownfish eat the anemone's leftover food. It also eats dead anemone tentacles and plankton.

Piranha
Piorána

  • Red-bellied piranhas bark to warn predators to leave them alone.
  • Piranhas travel in groups for protection and not so-much for hunting.
  • The piranha's top and bottom teeth work together like scissors to cut up food. They lose and regrow teeth, much like sharks.

Guppies
Gupaí

  • Guppies give birth to live young; females can give birth every two week.
  • Female guppies are larger than males, but males are more colourful.
Dingle Aquarium jellyfish

Jellies
Smugairle Róin

  • Jellies are made up of 95% water.
  • Jellies can sting even when they are dead.
  • Moon Jellies sting for food but their sting is not considered to be harmful to humans.
  • Jellies don't have a brain, a skeleton, lungs or a heart.
  • Moon Jellies are eaten by many animals, such as turtles and sunfish.
  • Moon Jellies only have limited motion, and will drift with the current, even when swimming.