Suva’s new marine wonderland
THE Suva Aquarium opened in 1980 boasting rare fish, turtles, shells and much more to excite local enthusiasts.
The Fiji Times of Monday, January 21, 1980 said the aquarium, “situated in the beautifully modified Old Town Hall” had unofficially opened.
It took six months to be renovated and cost its directors, Malcolm Brain and wife Christine, $200,000 to set up.
Admission to the aquarium was $2.50 for adults, $1.25 for children or a fiveseason ticket for $5.
"The aquarium will be officially opened on January 25 by the Minister for Tourism, Mr Tomasi Vakatora," the article said.
"The numerous tanks in the aquarium hold all sorts of rare and common species of fish and sea creatures."
Among the rare species of fish in the aquarium were box fish, lion fish, grass eaters from Hong Kong, goldfish and twinspot wrasse.
Other species of common fish found in tropical waters such as angel fish, poisonous gropers, butterfly, stone, trigger, damsels, moorish idols and red coris were also on display.
Apart from the fish displayed in the tanks, there were also a live clam shell, sea cucumber, sea anemone, dadakulaci and a couple of turtles.
The arrangement of the tanks showed off the beautiful array of colourful fish. There was reportedly a striking yellow angelfish with blue eyes, and another of the same species in a striking, but contrasting yellow and purple.
Aquarium assistant Mohammed Sharif said fish had differing behaviour and one of the "cheekiest" sorts of fish on Fiji reefs was the species of triggers that they had in the aquarium.
The goldfish at the aquarium were imported from America.
The grass carp from Hong Kong were the same sort that the Government of Fiji was, at the time, trying to use in the Rewa River to clear it of troublesome water hyacinth.
The poisonous lionfish in the aquarium was fed with live damsel fish caught off the reef. Other poisonous fish were the stone fish and the groper.
The aquarium also boasted a collection of shells and a variety of coral.
Still in construction at the aforementioned date was a tank that would hold six varieties of sharks.
The water capacity of the tank would be 38,000 gallons and the sharks, like the fish, were to be caught off the reefs. A 2-metre moray eel would also be housed in the tank.