News
11.11.2021 – Leatherjacket & Co. join the tropical community of the Aquarium
Fifteen species of fish and invertebrates have recently been added to the Primorsky Aquarium collection of tropical marine life. While several newcomers are already familiar to our visitors, others will definitely surprise them.
08.11.2021 – The nights of horseshoe crabs: arthropods are shedding their exoskeletons
It is molting season for horseshoe crabs at the Primorsky Aquarium now: the animals are shedding their old tight exoskeletons (hard external shells) to grow larger. The arthropods gain weight between molts but the change in size only occurs after the animal has cast off its outer covering: an “upgraded” horseshoe crab is sometimes a third bigger than its shed shell.
22.10.2021 – Primorsky Aquarium biologists participate in All-Russian Science Festival
On October 16, 2021 Vladivostok served as one of the venues for NAUKA 0+, an annual All-Russian Science Festival for all ages. The Festival’s events took place in Vladivostok State University of Economics and Service and were free but required advance registration.
20.10.2021 – Akula (Shark), Homyak (Hamster), and Volchonok (Wolfie): all the river giants have their names
Two kaluga sturgeon, the largest freshwater fish in Russia, are really the gems of the Rivers and Lakes exhibit. There are six more of these giant fish in the Science and Acclimation Building, kept together with their relatives, sturgeon and carp. Special fish need special attention: the kaluga and their neighbors have personal diets and are hand-fed.
14.10.2021 – International conference on marine biology held in Vladivostok
On October 6-8, 2021 an international conference entitled “Marine Biology in the 21st Century: Achievements and Development Outlook” took place in Vladivostok. It was hosted by the A. V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (NSCMB FEB RAS) and the Primorsky Aquarium – Branch of the NSCMB FEB RAS. Run both in-person and virtually, the event was attended by scientists from various countries — Russia, China, India, Germany, the USA and Canada. Academician Valentin Sergienko, Chairman of FEB RAS, and Academician Andrei Adrianov, Vice President of RAS, gave opening addresses to the conference on behalf of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
04.10.2021 – How sharks grow up
Alpha — the first zebra shark born in Russia — has turned one year old! The pup has quadrupled her hatching length of 27 cm to a length of 120 cm and reached almost 50 times her hatching weight of 110 grams — now she weighs 5 kg.
29.09.2021 –
The RV Akademik Lavrentyev has completed a large-scale expedition organized by the A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology (NSCMB FEB RAS) to explore deep-sea ecosystems of the Emperor Seamount Chain.
29.09.2021 – Plankton stories, or How to raise live display specimens
Being one of the most species-diverse habitats at the Primorsky Aquarium, the Sea of Japan/East Sea exhibit is also interesting in relation to “biographies” of its inhabitants: many of them have been raised right at the Aquarium. Biologists of the scientific and educational center grow future residents of the exhibit from ichthyoplankton collected in Peter the Great Bay.
16.09.2021 – One-of-a-kind: Primorsky Aquarium welcomes a baby white whale
Jessica, a 14-year-old beluga at the Dolphinarium of the Primorsky Aquarium, has become a mother for the first time: an energetic calf was born on August 1. This event is particularly unique because Jessica is the first white whale to deliver a baby in the aquarium setting in Russia.
13.09.2021 – The first five-year milestone: Primorsky Aquarium in facts and figures
Over the past five years, about 2 million people from 30 countries have attended the Aquarium: our guests burst into applause during 2,800 performances at the Dolphinarium, watched and filmed 1,250 Dancing with Rays programs on their mobile phones and joined almost 15,000 highlight and themed tours.
13.09.2021 – “Sea-wonders crowd around…”: Major upgrades in the Aquarium exhibits
Two of the Primorsky Aquaruim exhibits have seen major changes: the renovation of aquaria and terraria was followed by a big shipment of new species, including the golden cuttlefish, big-belly seahorses, unusually coloured horseshoe crabs, and spotted jellies.
27.08.2021 – Temporary changes to the Aquarium’s operating schedule
There will be temporary changes to the operating days of the Primorsky Aquarium in early September: on Thursday, September 2, the scientific and educational center will be closed to the public.
27.08.2021 – With metallic tint: bitterlings put on their spawning dress
The male rose bitterlings (Rhodeus ocellatus) residing in the Rivers and Lakes exhibit have changed colour – their tails and fins have become red, and scales on the back are metallic blue: now the fish are in full spawning dress.
23.08.2021 – Great and small: Horseshoe crabs of the Aquarium
New horseshoe crabs have arrived in the Primorsky Aquarium. They are from 5 to 30 cm in length, selected specially to show their developmental stages.
10.08.2021 – Unusual relicts: New fish attract visitors’ attention
Relict newcomers have recently been added to the Rivers and Lakes exhibit. Unusually looking paddlefish Polyodon spathula, closely related to sturgeons, now live together with the inhabitants of the middle reaches of the Amur River.