Aquaria Welcomes 20 Endangered Pot-Bellied Seahorses from Sea Life M’sia to Conserve Marine Life

By Edleena Sephia  •  27 Apr 2021 in News

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In an initiative to conserve aquatic species for future generations, Aquaria KLCC and Sea Life Malaysia are collaborating on an animal exchange programme to conserve the endangered pot-bellied seahorse and other sea creatures.

According to a press releases, Sea Life Malaysia manager Kristian Griffin said, “We are always open to forming partnerships with reputable and sustainable organisations and looking for new ways to highlight more of the many interesting and wonderful creatures of the ocean to the public.”

Classified under the Cites Appendix II, the pot-bellied seahorse is not currently threatened with extinction but trade must be under control in order to prevent future extinction as it is endangered. The seahorses are endangered due to overfishing and habitat loss.

Apart from the 20 newly hatched pot-bellied seahorse fry, Aquaria KLCC also received eight juveniles of the same species as part of the deal.

In return, Sea Life Malaysia’s marine sanctuary located at Legoland Malaysia Resort in Johor, welcomed two striped carp and 10 hampala barb from Aquaria’s Freshwater Fish section.

In case you’re curious on what the two aforementioned fishes look like, here are some pictures to clear your curiosity:

If you didn’t know, Sea Life has marine sanctuaries all over the world and partnered up with Legoland Malaysia to open one of its sanctuaries here.

Under their global Breed, Rescue, and Protect (BRP) Programme, Sea Life Malaysia has successfully bred two blue spotted rays and 14 epaulette sharks besides the breeding of the pot-bellied seahorses since they opened their doors in Malaysia back in 2019.

By offering up-close experiences with aquatic animals, Kristian hopes that the sanctuary can help raise awareness to the public on the importance of marine conservation.

“With the addition of these marine animals, visitors at both sanctuaries will be able to appreciate Malaysia’s thriving underwater ecosystem,” Kristian added.

For more information on Sea Life Malaysia, click here.