page_title: London Zoo
section_title: The Aquarium
hierarchical_section_title: London Zoo / Areas and attractions / The Aquarium
caption_attribution_description: Images from London Zoo. Location: NW1 4RY
context_page_description: London Zoo is the world's oldest scientific zoo. It was opened in London on 27 April 1828, and was originally intended to be used as a collection for scientific study. In 1831 or 1832, the animals of the Tower of London menagerie were transferred to the zoo's collection. It was opened to the public in 1847. Today, it houses a collection of 673 species of animals, with 19,289 individuals, making it one of the largest collections in the United Kingdom. The zoo is sometimes called Regent's Zoo.
  It is managed under the aegis of the Zoological Society of London, and is situated at the northern edge of Regent's Park, on the boundary line between the City of Westminster and the borough of Camden. The Society also has a more spacious site at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire to which the larger animals such as elephants and rhinos have been moved.
  As well as being the first scientific zoo, ZSL London Zoo also opened the first reptile house, first public aquarium, first insect house and the first children's zoo.
  ZSL receives no state funding and relies on 'Fellows' and 'Friends' memberships, entrance fees and sponsorship to generate income.
context_section_description: There was an aquarium at the zoo from 1853 until 2019. The zoo's first aquarium was also the world's first public aquarium, and was created and stocked by Philip Henry Gosse who coined the word "aquarium". The most recent aquarium was built in 1921 next to the Mappin Terraces, and was officially opened by King George V and his wife Queen Mary in April 1924.
  The aquarium was separated into three halls, each home to different types of fish and other aquatic wildlife. The first hall primarily contained freshwater species such as rudd and European eels, as well as some saltwater species involved in various conservation projects and captive-breeding programmes, such as broad sea fans, uarus and seahorses. The second hall displayed various species of coral reef fish from around the world, such as clownfish, copperband butterflyfish and regal tangs, as well as real coral. The third hall housed species native to the Amazon River, including red-bellied piranhas, angelfish, arapaimas and ocellate river stingrays. As well as the three halls, the aquarium also featured the "Big Fish Tank", which contained large fish species that were all former pets, and had to be rescued because their owners did not have the proper equipment or understanding to look after them. The species in the Big Fish Tank include tambaqui, catfish and pirapitinga.
  The aquarium closed on 22 October 2019; some animals were moved to a new aquarium at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, while others were set to be housed in a new corals exhibit in the B.U.G.S building in 2020.
caption: A copperband butterflyfish in the coral reef hall
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