Public Aquaria (Marine)

National Marine Aquarium Rope Walk Coxside Plymouth PL4 0LF. Tel: 01752 600301  The National Marine Aquarium is an educational and conservation charity, dedicated to promoting the sympathetic understanding of the marine environment.

SILENT WORLD
AQUARIUM
THE BOOK OF THE SHOW
[Cleddau Press, Haverfordwest 1995]
ISBN 01834-844498

The most frequent comment I hear from visitors to Public Aquaria is the lack of information available. The late Chris Batt has gone a long way in rectifying this by publishing an 80 page guide to the 'Silent World' Aquarium at Tenby, which was first published in April 1995 just three weeks before his death (see page 47).
 The excellent guide provides information on the history of the Aquarium, how the aquarium works - filtration, collecting seawater, feeding etc. - collecting specimens from the shore, and a guide to the exhibits on display. There is a list of books and societies at the rear of the book.
 The book contains many excellent black and white illustrations, including pictures of Victorian aquaria. 'Silent World' exhibits pond life and reptiles and amphibians in addition to the marine display.

Link to picture of the exterior of the Aquarium

Extract:
Crab tank

Crabs and their relatives live in many kinds of habitat but it is convenient for us to keep the larger ones all together here. They are aggressive beasts and will have a go at soft-bodied animals bigger than themselves if they can catch them. They have absolutely no table manners when feeding and will just as happily crunch up fish-bones or mussels shells as some other crab's leg in their claws.

When a crab or lobster moults, it is soft and vulnerable until they have hardened (which is why you may see odd lobsters here and there). Upstairs you will probably see an empty cast-off shell

The guide is available from

'Silent World Aquarium & Wildlife Gallery'
Slippery Back
Narberth Road
Tenby, Pembrokeshire.
Tel: 0834 844498