Limassol Zoo opens aquarium with exotic fish species

The new aquatic museum is part of EUR 10m upgrade to the city zoo

Limassol Zoo, a must-visit attraction of the Cypriot city, has been expanded with a new aquarium worth EUR 350,000. The aquatic museum featuring exotic fish species, including small fish from the Amazon, was inaugurated on Saturday by the Mayor of Limassol Nicos Nicolaides.

Funded through donations by local companies

Visitors from all age groups attended the opening ceremony spiced up by the jazz band of Limassol Philharmonic Orchestra and a children's choir, while a magician and a man on stilts entertained young kids with their tricks. Later on, attendees were offered the opportunity to tour the aquarium.  

Inaugurating the feature, the Mayor thanked local business entities for making the aquarium a reality through their donations. He explained that the selection of fish had been made in consultation with ichthyologists of the Limassol Development Agency and the zoo personnel had undergone special training for the proper handling of the facility.

The aquarium is spread over an area of 80m² and is equipped with new mechanical filtration equipment including devices to control water quality, temperature, oxygenation and radiation.

Part of EUR 10m upgrade to the zoo

The new aquarium is part of a wider effort by Limassol Municipality to expand and upgrade the city Zoo for a better visitor experience. The whole project is estimated to cost more than EUR 10 million and will be carried out in stages, depending on the annual budget, Nicolaides said.

The first project will involve a reconstruction of the zoo playground, followed by embellishment of the lake on the east side of the main pedestrian street of the public garden.

New animals such as lemurs, hedgehogs and ostriches, will be added to the zoo inhabitants, with their enclosures already under preparation.

The Municipal Council is also mulling proposals to develop a botanical garden and a greenhouse with tropical vegetation, cactuses and climbing plants. Rounding off the pretty picture, the garden will feature a small lake with goldfish and artificial islands covered with aquatic plants.