At St Andrews Aquarium, we have more than 120 species for you to meet. Everything from the fishy to the fluffy, the pretty to the poisonous, and the solitary to the very sociable (that’s you, meerkats!) Have a look at some of our visitors’ favourites so you can plan your visit.

The Humboldt Penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) is named after the cold water current it swims in, the Humboldt Current! This current runs through area of South America, making them a Subtropical species that breed in Chile and Peru, but they live happily in St Andrews too!

Humboldt Penguins are distinguished by their unique feather patterns. They have a white stripe which runs from their eyes, round their ears, and onto their chin. This pattern is what makes them look like they have “eyebrows”. These white markings are separated from their white stomach by a black “strap” of feathers across their chest. They also have patterns of dots on their white stomach which is unique for each individual penguin!

Our colony of penguins would love to meet you, including our baby penguin, JJ.

The common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is a large reptile that can be found in freshwater habitats across North America. They have a large, rugged shell and can weigh upwards of 10kg. They also have a strong hooked beak, powerful jaws, and long necks, allowing them to rapidly snap at their prey, hence the name. Despite them seeming like a fearsome predator they are omnivorous. Meaning as well as catching fish and mammals, they also eat surrounding plants.

Snapping turtles spend a lot of time in the water, being able to spend hours underwater at a time, but they do venture onto land to lay eggs and bask! Our snapping turtle, Gary, is a male but he can be seen sticking his head out of the water under into his basking area, he just prefers to keep the rest of his body in the water!

Caribe Piranhas (Pygocentrus cariba) are fascinating fish that live in the rivers of South America. They are famous for their sharp teeth and powerful jaws. Piranhas have a reputation for being ferocious and aggressive, but they mostly feed on other fish and aquatic plants. They have excellent senses, especially their sense of smell, which helps them find food. Piranhas often live in groups called shoals, where they work together to catch their prey. While they may look intimidating, piranhas are an important part of their ecosystem!

The salmon pink bird eating tarantula (Lasiodora parahybana) is one of the largest species of spider in the world. They are native to areas of north-east Brazil.

Contrary to their name, their diet primarily consists of bugs. The spider digs a burrow and lie in wait for bugs to cross their path, then they quickly ambush their prey! Birds therefore rarely come across their path, but their ability to consume them is impressive enough to give them their name!

Spiders are not for everyone, but they are more scared of you than you are of them! The bird eating tarantula will move away from danger but, when necessary, will use their hind legs to flick hairs to warn off potential predators.

The Argentine horned frog (Ceratophrys ornate), also known as the Pacman frog, is native to South America. They get the nickname “pacman” as their large mouth and round shape remind people of the popular video game character. They also have large bulging eyes, bumpy skin, and a unique brown/green colour!

Their colour gives them the perfect camouflage for an ambush predator. The Argentine horned frog digs themselves into the soil and wait for their prey to walk past before striking. The juveniles will mainly eat insects, but adults can eat prey as large as small rodents!

See if you can spot our Pacman in their enclosure!

Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) are the smallest species of Alligator in the crocodilian family. They are native to areas of Central and South America where they can be found living in rivers and wetlands.

Dwarf Caiman have tough protective skin and long powerful jaws. They hunt by waiting patiently in the water for their prey to come close, before catching their prey, usually fish, birds, or other small animals.

Come and meet Orinoco and Sao Franciso! Our juvenile caiman are two sisters named after the rivers which flow through their natural habitat!

Tropical fish can be found in many different shapes and forms and refers to any species which are found in warm waters!

Tropical marine fish are those which are found in saltwater regions, whether this is in the open ocean or on coral reefs. We have some impressive fish in our tropical marine area, including some huge lionfish and our own Nemo and Dorys!

Tropical freshwater fish are those which are found in freshwater regions, like the amazon river basin. In our amazon section we have a huge variety of fish from our tiny Cory Catfish to our Giant Pacu!

Native animals refer to any animals naturally found living in that area, so in the UK our native creatures are those found in the cold water straight off our own coast!

In our native section we have a variety of fish from those that live in the local rockpools such as the Butterfish, to those than live in the deep ocean, like our Atlantic Wolfish.

We also have some other iconic creatures such as our European Lobster, and our variety of anemones!

Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are a species of salamander which are endemic to Mexico, meaning they are only found in this geographic location. The axolotl is now only found in the Xochimilco still-water lake complex and are classes as an endangered species.

Axolotls have many unique features, such as their large external gills, which give them their “fringe” around their face! They also have the incredible ability to regenerate lost limbs, this ability does get slower in older axolotls.

Axolotls are also famous for their large variety in colour. In wild axolotls, it is beneficial to be darker in colour to allow them to blend in with the murky water, however, different colour morphs do still naturally appear and can even be preferred in captive populations!

Sharks and Rays can be found all over the globe, with there being over 500 species of each!

At the aquarium we house many species of native sharks and rays which can be found along our coast! In our ocean tank you will find Bull Huss, Starry Smooth hounds, and Catfish sharks, as well as Thornback and Blonde rays. They also have some seabass to keep them company!

Our ocean tank was created in partnership with the Shark Trust to promote the conservation of these wonderful species!

Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) are a large reptile which are native to tropical regions of Central and South America. Iguanas are primarily arboreal animals, meaning they spend most of their time in trees, so they have strong legs and a large muscly tail to help them climb and keep them balanced. This gives them plenty of access to the plants and leaves which they feed on; unlike many other lizards the green iguana is completely herbivorous! They are also surprisingly good swimmers as they can use their powerful tails to propel themselves through the water!

The green Iguana, despite their name, can be a variety of colours, including green, brown, and orange. Come along and meet our iguanas which are very bright shades of orange!

Meerkats (suricata suricatta) are a very charismatic small mammal – each one with their own cheeky personality!

Meerkats are a part of the mongoose family and aren’t related to cats at all! Meerkats spend most of their days active, either foraging for food or taking turns on “look-out”. This look-out is known as sentry duty, where you will see the meerkats standing on a high branch or rock, up on their tip toes, warning the rest of the group of any dangers – usually birds of prey!

At night, the meerkats will retire to their complex burrows to sleep in a cosy group!

The red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria) is a reptile native to the forests of South America. They are naturally herbivores and will eat the fresh plants and fruits they find on the forest floor. They have strong legs can move surprisingly quickly through the forest!

As their name suggests, the red footed tortoise has vibrant red and orange scales on its legs and a beautiful, patterned shell. They can be seen showing off their colours when basking in the sun to warm up their bodies.

As the red-footed tortoises are a ground-dwelling species in South America, they would naturally come across other native species such as the common marmoset and get along well.

The Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis) is found living in the rainforests of New Guinea and Australia. They are an arboreal snake, meaning they live up in the branches of trees, which they will wrap their long tails around to help them hold on.

The bright green colour of the tree python helps them camouflage up in the branches where they act as an ambush predator, striking fast to catch prey such as birds, rodents, and other small animals. Interestingly, the baby green tree python does not hatch with their signature colour, when they are born, they are orange/red and turn green as they grow!