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. It’s a South American (warm climate) species that normally breeds in Peru and Chile, but they live happily here in St Andrews too!
Humboldts are medium-sized penguins and, unlike their royal cousins the Kings and the Emperors who can grow to almost 1 metre tall, will be fully grown at between 56–70 cm in height and a weight of around 4 or 5 kg.
Their black heads are distinguished by a white border that runs from behind the eye, around the black ear-coverts and chin, and is separated from their white belly by a band of black feathers – that why they’re sometimes known as Banded Penguins!.
Our ppppeckish penguins would love you to feed them (Covid permitting), including our adorable baby penguin Nathaniel (looking cute there on the right).
These lively wee monkeys are the newest members of the St Andrews Aquarium family! Two super-cute common marmosets arrived at their new home in December, having been rescued from a private collection.
Our new marmoset enclosure has been created to help educate our visitors about the effects of deforestation on our planet, including the impact it has on our oceans.
Remember to make our marmosets welcome when you meet them!
We love our octopus and we know our visitors do too! He is a master of hide and seek: you may need to have a good look in the tank to find him as he likes to squash himself into small spaces.
Octopus are known for being exceptionally intelligent, have no skeleton, and three hearts!
You’ll find our octopus in the newly refurbished Cold Water Wonders, along with many other amazing species.
Our lead cutter ants are a favourite with visitors and staff! They’re such a fascinating species and with hundreds of thousands of them on display, they’ll keep you entertained. We haven’t actually counted them but you’re welcome to give it a go…
Ants have different roles to play within their colony and you’ll notice distinct differences between some of our ants. Some are soldiers, workers, trash gatherers, and in any colony there’s one egg-laying queen.
This display is located in our Amazing Amazon room where you can watch them travel along tree branches from their nest to their feeding station (and back) whilst carrying big sections of leaves with them.
We have many different types of frogs at St. Andrews Aquarium including Dart Frogs and White’s Tree Frogs.
There are lots of fascinating species to see on your visit, and there are so many differences from one type to another. Some of our frogs are happy to hop around in the open whilst others are more shy, and tend to bury into the soil or hide behind leaves. Keep your eyes peeled to make sure you see them all!
We have two West African Dwarf Crocodiles which have recently moved into a new display. These crocs are the world’s smallest species, although they can still reach almost six feet in length!
These crocs know how to chill, and you’ll be able to see them lounging under the heat of the lights. If you’re lucky you’ll catch them taking a dip in their pool!
Where do we start?! It’s no surprise that at St Andrews Aquarium we have literally hundreds of fish!
From the exotic to the unusual, there are fish of all colours and sizes for you to enjoy on your visit. Every visitor has their favourite species, but a few of ours are the Piranhas, who work together to attack larger animals, and the spiny Lionfish, whose spines contain poisonous venom.
Come and see if you can count the fish!
This is an excellent opportunity to see impressive sharks and rays right up close!
Our new tank, which has been produced in partnership with the Shark Trust, will give you so much information about these native species, and the conservation challenges they face.
In this display you’ll find Bull Huss and Smooth-hound Sharks, as well as Thornback, Blonde and Spotted Rays. There are also Cuckoo Wrasse which are brightly coloured fish found in the Mediterranean Sea.
The aquarium is home to a fantastic selection of reptiles, including Iguanas, Chinese Water Dragons, and a variety of snakes. It’s a great chance to see some of these beautiful creatures up close – especially during our daily reptile handling sessions!
Meerkats (Suricata suricatta) are one of the most charismatic of the small mammals – everyone knows how much fun they are!
They are around 24cm long with a 20cm tail and weigh only a few hundred grams. Meerkats are very busy during the day, and they take shelter in their warm burrows at night.
They are highly sociable animals, and like to take turns to act as “look-out” from a high branch or rock, warning the rest of the group of any approaching danger from their main enemies – birds of prey. While on guard they often stand up on their hind legs, in that classis meerkat pose!
The Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina) or Common Seal is one of 33 species of seals worldwide, and one of two species of seals that live in Britain.
Our seals are always a firm favourite with our visitors and our daily seal feeding and talks are a must. You will learn all about how our keepers look after these amazing animals and also a bit about each of our seals and their unique personalities.
Love them or loathe them, when spiders are BIG they are just that little bit more interesting – and we’ve some of the world’s biggest spiders for you to admire.
Come and take a peek … if you’re brave enough!
Then check out our Whip Scorpions – but be careful because these guys bite!
7 Days a Week 10am – 5pm. Last Admission 4pm
The Scores
St Andrews
KY16 9AS
Tel: +44(0)1334 474786
