Chester Zoo Chester Zoo 2015 #2

Status
Not open for further replies.
One of the round-eared elephant shrews is now on-show in Secret World of Okapi (where spiny mice used to be)

Very good news - a whole order back on display in the UK. :)
 
To be a little more specific, there are at least 3 different Microrasbora species, a small tiger barb (I think it was hexazona but that may be an error) and a few liquorice gouramis (I don't know the species - perhaps they are listed in the annual report). They were only introduced to the aquarium in the Tripa station yesterday, but they looked to be quite well settled and they will be impressive when all the lights above the tank are turned on.
There are no plans to add predators like the giant freshwater pipefish (Doryichthys boaja) which remain off-show - they would consume vast numbers of the little ones.

Alan

The labels are now on the tank

Neon Green Rasbora Sundadanio axelrodi
Eight-banded Barb Eirmotus insignis/octozona
Kubota's Rasbora Microasbora kubotoi
Six-banded Barb Desmopuntius hexazona
Chilli Rasbora Bovaras brigittae
Blueline Gourami Parosphromenus sp.

Don't really understand the Eirmotus insignis/octozona on the label, could they be hybrids?
 
Very good news - a whole order back on display in the UK. :)

Indeed; just need someone to bring in a pangolin, a sirenian and a colugo for the UK to have the placental set :p

Ain't gonna happen mind you!
 
Don't really understand the Eirmotus insignis/octozona on the label, could they be hybrids?
octozona was split in 2008 into four species, one of which was insignis. I would guess the zoo simply doesn't know which species they have. I guess they would have bought them from a fish wholesaler in the UK under the common name.
 
Don't really understand the Eirmotus insignis/octozona on the label, could they be hybrids?

Three reasons occur - they're hybrids or possible hybrids; they know they're one of those two but don't know which they are; or it is intended to reflect a taxonomic change from the one to the other.

FishBase indicates only one species of Eirmotus - E. octozona - was recognised prior to 2008, when a review paper was published that established three new recognised species, including insignis, so it could be the latter.

That's a nicely nerdy line-up though - would have been very easy to stock that house entirely with common pet shop fish species (only the Scissortail Rasboras already in place really fall into that category).
 
octozona was split in 2008 into four species, one of which was insignis. I would guess the zoo simply doesn't know which species they have. I guess they would have bought them from a fish wholesaler in the UK under the common name.

Cross-post alert!
 
The labels are now on the tank

Neon Green Rasbora Sundadanio axelrodi
Eight-banded Barb Eirmotus insignis/octozona
Kubota's Rasbora Microasbora kubotoi
Six-banded Barb Desmopuntius hexazona
Chilli Rasbora Bovaras brigittae
Blueline Gourami Parosphromenus sp.

Don't really understand the Eirmotus insignis/octozona on the label, could they be hybrids?

now that's a very exciting list- i think i've only seen the Boraras brigittae before! though, if you want to get technical, the M. kubotoi isn't actually found in the Malay Archipelago... :p
 
The labels are now on the tank

Neon Green Rasbora Sundadanio axelrodi
Eight-banded Barb Eirmotus insignis/octozona
Kubota's Rasbora Microasbora kubotoi
Six-banded Barb Desmopuntius hexazona
Chilli Rasbora Bovaras brigittae
Blueline Gourami Parosphromenus sp.

Only Microdevario kubotai is illustrated in the Islands section of the zoo's website (although Boraras brigittae is very similar to the Phoenix rasbora B. merah). I'm not sure whether any of the other species shown there could be added safely to the tank - perhaps one of the smaller Betta species might, although I wonder how well such a deep tank suits small anabantids. There may be more cyprinids to be added later.
It will be a pity if we don't see any of the other species mentioned on the website, as I've said before, I want to see both the pikeheads. I would also mention Oryzias (Xenopoecilus) sarasinorum; it's not mentioned on the website, but it's an endangered species from one lake in Sulawesi, so it would be a good example of the need for conservation in freshwaters.

Alan
 
Last edited:
Does someone know why the elephant house was closed today? I really hope the elephants are ok.
 
And either it's so insignificant no one noticed, or more probably they did know but the Chester vow of secrecy didn't allow anyone to tell us.

The first i knew about it was when I saw it on the forum.

In common with many collections Chester does not announce every death in the zoo.

If they did it would be a never ending stream of deaths been reported,given the number of fish they keep they must have a few die each day!!

I know the zoo don't announce every death but I am really sad about this little girl, and about Latifah's death last year.

It just seems ironic that there are people who seem to know about every fish and blade of grass at Chester, and have means of communicating with me or other people about significant losses that would matter to us, offline if that seems more tactful or in less public groups. When one of the chimps died it was obvious on here that people knew but weren't saying.

I know apes are just boring abcs to some people but to some of us they are people!
 
Last edited:
I've been thinking - sorry to everyone I've offended in this moaning. I am just still really upset that little Latifah's loss just appeared to go unnoticed by anyone (obviously NOT the people who cared for her), at least anyone I know!
 
I've been thinking - sorry to everyone I've offended in this moaning. I am just still really upset that little Latifah's loss just appeared to go unnoticed by anyone (obviously NOT the people who cared for her), at least anyone I know!

We all have a rant now and again. I'm certainly not offended.
 
We all have a rant now and again. I'm certainly not offended.

It didn't sound like a rant to me but then I am another Zoochatter who is genuinely saddened by ape deaths, for example those of orangs at Duisburg and Apenheul recently. I was very surprised to read the casual reporting of the loss of two orangs at Chester, even while accepting that we all have different interests.

I appreciate that zoos can be touchy about information getting out before they've made it public, but now that these deaths are public, does anyone have any details about them?
 
I know the zoo don't announce every death but I am really sad about this little girl, and about Latifah's death last year.

It just seems ironic that there are people who seem to know about every fish and blade of grass at Chester, and have means of communicating with me or other people about significant losses that would matter to us, offline if that seems more tactful or in less public groups. When one of the chimps died it was obvious on here that people knew but weren't saying.

I know apes are just boring abcs to some people but to some of us they are people!
Well seeing as you are probably meaning me as one of the people that knows,about every fish and blade of grass at Chester Zoo!I have news for you I am not even close to knowing all that info,it would be nice if I did but I don't.Also Chester put down a Giraffe this year that I have known since she was a calf at Belfast Zoo,but it never got mentioned on here and I certainly haven't gone crying that I wasn't told by somebody,yes its sad that she was PTS but they had their reasons for not announcing that it had happened,and more to the point I still don't know why it was done,and if I never find out it will still not bother me as I know that the staff and the zoo did their best for her and that it would not have been an easy decision to make!
 
Chill out ZG, OP was only asking out of interest and genuine care as far as I read and she even posted again in case she upset anyone.

We all care about animals well being on Zoo Chat. Sure there are posters here who post for postings sake but two knowledgable people like yourself and OrangePerson are in the same boat I say.

I'd enjoy to meet either of you for a chat and a coffee at the zoo one day. I would learn plenty about several zoos and animal experiences from the pair of you I am sure. :)
 
Zoogiraffe, no one is doubting the standard of animal care in Chester zoo!!
I am just wondering why they are so very reluctant to let people who really care know what is going on and that includes bad news.

Which brings me to the question that is currently killing me - the elephant house has been closed for the last two days and the female elephants are completely off-show. Everyone in the zoo who I asked claims not to know a thing. Is almost like the elephant house is on another planet and not just a new meters away!! I am really concerned that this is another herpes (EEHV) outbreak and in case it`s not (which I hope so much), it would be really nice to able to stop worrying.
 
I have not heard anything myself Yassa, but on Saturday I met someone who would know if there was a problem and they did not say anything about one.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top