The Eiffel Tower is approximately five minutes away from the Paris Aquarium, also known as Cinéaqua, which is a top-notch festival of the water. This is one to see if you’re traveling with your family to Paris.
It is one of the world’s oldest aquariums, having been constructed in 1867, and is home to more than 13,000 different species. This amazing attraction is a fantastic way to add a deep blue depth to your journey to the heart of Paris. It offers mermaid shows, an aquatic theater, and a shark basin filled with the top predators.
The enthusiasm for scientific investigation in the late 19th century is embodied in the Paris Aquarium. As the most prominent metropolitan center in Europe, Paris had to have the greatest aquarium out of all the big cities. This particular bowl of fish is decorated as though it were taken straight out of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and is just as full of aquatic life as it is with history.
4 million liters of water support 13,000 fish, as well as tanks containing local and distant tropical aquatic species. In actuality, the Aquarium de Paris’s initial portion is teeming with carp, sturgeon, and roach swimming in a recreation of the neighboring Seine. The oceans of Tahiti and New Caledonia have been faithfully reproduced, and they are teeming with fish of all hues: angel, clown, and triggerfish compete for space as they dart between rocks and coral. It is hardly unexpected that this was previously Europe’s largest aquarium due to its overwhelming magnitude.
However, sharks are the real stars here. These five species of these underwater predators never fail to make children shriek and for adults to laugh nervously. The Paris Aquarium also includes two enormous screens that play aquatic documentaries, live feeding shows, and a touch tank where youngsters may hold slick decorative fish.
You will exit the building after your visit and enter one of the most picturesque areas of the city. The Champs-Élysées is behind you, the Eiffel Tower is at your elbow, and you have access to the entire city. There is more to discover, so off you go.
Getting to know the Paris Aquarium
The Paris Aquarium is the first aquarium built in the world. If you have traveled to Paris with your family and children, leave a place for the Paris Aquarium in your visit plan. This aquarium is located in the center of the French capital and is only 600 meters away from the famous Eiffel Tower.
When you enter this aquarium, you will encounter 43 large glass tanks where you can easily see different and colorful fish inside. The Paris Aquarium has an area of about 3,500 square meters and houses more than 10,000 fish and invertebrates in its collections. Of course, these are not the only big and small and harmless fish that can be seen in this aquarium, one of the most attractive parts of the Paris Aquarium is dedicated to the shark tank and the 32 guests inside it. This part is so popular that for a while it hosted an underwater hotel room for one of the reputable accommodation booking sites.
From time to time, entertaining programs are held in this collection that have new themes and shapes. From the mermaid show to the presence of cartoon characters, this is one of the things that the Paris Aquarium offers to its visitors. Film screenings, interesting workshops, educational programs, the possibility of holding birthday parties, etc. are also other facilities and services that can be seen in the Paris Aquarium. Finally, you can count on the Paris Aquarium restaurant and cafe and invite yourself to a delicious rest.
It is good to know that the Paris Aquarium is the first aquarium that was built in the world and the year of its opening dates back to 1867! Of course, from that time until now, this aquarium has not been working at all, and in 1985, it was accompanied by a break in providing services. Several years passed and the Paris Aquarium reopened with renovations in 2006.
Animal species of the Paris Aquarium
The Paris Aquarium has arranged for you to see fish from different parts of the world by visiting its different parts and in this way, have a short and useful trip in the oceans and seas. The fishes present in the Paris Aquarium are divided into 11 sections according to their habitat, and we will get to know each of them below:
Polynesia
We start our journey from the west of the globe and go to the French Polynesia islands in the South Pacific Ocean. These islands, which are part of the overseas territory of France, have an extraordinary ecosystem of coral reefs. If we go to Tahiti, the largest island of French Polynesia, we will face huge and amazing coral reefs all around the island. The existence of these rocks causes the presence of colorful fish and creatures that can easily hide among the rocks.
There is an interesting thing about corals; Contrary to their appearance and name, which seems to be a lifeless rock, these creatures are invertebrate and aquatic creatures that are in the same family as Mermaids in scientific classifications. Some of the most interesting fish in this aquarium are:
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- Emperor Angelfish
- Cinnamon clownfish
- Sand star
- Chrysiptera parasema
- Whitetail dascyllus
- Acanthurus lineatus
- Acanthurus olivaceus
- Thalassoma lunare
- Nerita plicata
- Cypraea sp
- Porites
- Acropora
- Entacmea quadricolor
Antilles
By visiting the Antilles tank, you will see amazing fish from the Caribbean Sea. Fish with clear and impressive colors, all of which are seen in this way due to exposure to the sun. For this reason, fishes that live in shallower depths and are near the surface of the water have more colorful bodies. It is interesting to know that the body length of the fish that can be seen around the Antilles Archipelago varies between 1 and 15 meters.
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- French angelfish
- Royal gramma
- Queen angelfish
- Flameback angelfish
- Spotfin butterflyfish
- Spotfin hogfish
- Sergeant major
- Ocean surgeon
- Atlantic blue tang
- Doctorfish tang
French Guiana
French Guiana is one of the other colonial parts of France, located in South America and bordering Brazil. This land, which is considered part of France, has its own unique fish and ecosystem. One of the sections of the Paris Aquarium is dedicated to the fish of this region. The species in this tank are kept in fresh water at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. In this aquarium tank, the fish are mainly from two families of cichlids and catfish.
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- Freshwater angelfish
- Ancistrus
- Serpae tetra
- Krobia guianensis
- Metynnis argenteus
- Keyhole cichlid
- Mesonauta festivus
- Leporinus fasciatus
- Laetacara curviceps
Manche North Atlantic
French territory is not limited to the country of France in Europe, and as you have seen, other parts of this planet are also called France. One of the other territories of France is the French Channel in the North Atlantic Ocean, which is known as the English Channel and the English Channel. This channel is in a cold area with very special features and is very popular for fishing. Many residents of different countries of the European continent go to the English Channel for fishing, and most seafood such as king prawns, coal fish, shank fish, etc. are supplied from this sector.
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- Pelagic zone
- Benthic zone
- Scyliorhinus stellaris
- Scomber scombrus
- Dasyatis centroura
- Raja Undulata
- European plaice
- Scorpaena porcus
The Seine
In this large tank, you will encounter fish that are native to the Seine River in France. This river, which originates from the Bourgogne region of France, eventually joins the English Channel. It is interesting to know that the fish in this river move from the source to the channel using the river flow and reach the lake and estuaries along the way. There are nearly 30 different species in this aquarium.
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- Carassius auratus
- Esox Lucius
- Phoxinus phoxinus
- Beadlet anemone
- Gobio gobio
- Carassius carassius
- Acipenser gueldenstaedtii
- Tinca tinca
Indo-Pacifique
It is interesting to know that most of the world’s sharks live in the Indo-Pacific region. This region, which is a large part of the Indian Ocean and the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, has a temperature of about 25 degrees Celsius. Of course, you should know that sharks are not the only inhabitants of this area, 18 other species are also with them. If you are curious to see the sharks of the Paris Aquarium up close as soon as possible, get yourself to the Indo-Aram tank. 22 different species are kept in this tank.
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- Chiloscyllium punctatum
- Carcharhinus melanopterus
- Undulated moray
- Rhynchobatus djiddensis
- Gnathanodon speciosus
- Monodactylus argenteus
- Cromileptes altivelis
- Kuhlia sandvicensis
Touch Pool
One of the most interesting parts of the Paris Aquarium is its touch pool. In this pool, fish such as pink carp (Koi), red fish, and bright fish are kept, which are often very popular for keeping in aquariums. As the name of the pool suggests, in this section you and your children are allowed to go near these colorful and lovely creatures and touch them. It is good to know that this does not harm these fish.
Sphere of biodiversity
Some of the fish in this aquarium live in the tropical regions of the world, and the other part lives in waters between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, which have no geographical limits. So as the name of this tank shows, in this section, you will face a more diverse range of fish, which are of 72 different species.
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- Entacmea quadricolor
- Longhorn Cowfish
- Lysmata amboinensis
- Red Lionfish
- Hippocampus comes
- Synchiropus splendidus
- Amphiprion ocellaris
- Diodon holacantus
- Gymnomuraena zebra
- Diadema setosum
- Doryrhamphus pessuliferus
- Heteroconger hassi
- Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus
- Pterapogon kauderni
- Chrysiptera hemicyanea
- Zebrasoma xanthurum
- Chaetodon auriga
- Chaetodon kleini
- Apolemichthys xanthurus
- Centropyge loriculus
- Pseudochromis springeri
- Labroides dimidiatus
- Stylophora pistillata
- Protoreaster lincki
- Stenopus hispidus
- Coris Formosa
Mediterranean
The Mediterranean is one of the seas that is almost closed and is located between continents such as Europe, Africa and Asia. This sea, which joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Black Sea, is considered the first tourist destination in the world and is very rich in biodiversity. It is interesting to know that about 8 to 9 percent of the world’s biological and marine diversity is related to the Mediterranean, which contains 10 to 12 thousand species. The Mediterranean section of the Paris Aquarium is one of the most spectacular sections, which has 8 different tanks. This tank and fish are:
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- Entacmea quadricolor
- The lair of the moray
- Crooked sites
- Underwater meadows
- Sandy bottoms
- Rocky bottoms
- The red coral cave
- The underwater cave
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is another French territory located in the South Pacific. Around this group of islands, there is an extraordinary biodiversity, most of which include fish that live in tropical lagoons and next to coral reefs. These colorful fish owe their bright colors to the continuous sunlight, because they live in shallow waters and are constantly exposed to sunlight. The New Caledonia section of the Paris Aquarium houses nearly 40 different and attractive species:
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- Balloon Fish
- Clown triggerfish
- Arothron hispidus
- Arothron stellatus
- Chromis Viridis
- Centropyge flavissimus
- Pomacanthus semicirculatus
- Acanthurus xanthophores
Reunion Mayotte
Reunion Mayotte is one of the other overseas territories of France located in the Indian Ocean and very close to the island of Madagascar. The biodiversity of these islands is also very special and impressive. Various types of fish such as unicorn fish, grouper, table fish, and bite fish live in these areas. By visiting the last part of the Paris Aquarium, you will be able to visit these fish.
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- Aetobatus narinari
- Acanthurus xanthophores
- Cephalopholis miniata
- Epinephelus lanceolatus
- Lutjanus kasmira
- Naso unicornis
Fun at the Paris Aquarium
It is interesting to know that the aquarium has entertainment and entertainment programs that include various shows, broadcasting documentary films, and cartoons, and holding educational workshops and various exhibitions. These events are different according to the time and during different seasons, and if you are curious to know about these programs, visit this link. Other programs of this aquarium include the following:
1. Treasure discovery at the Paris Aquarium
Officials of the Paris Aquarium have made an arrangement so that more children and teenagers can have fun in the aquarium. The game of finding treasure is such that it provides the possibility of entertainment for children aged 3 to 6 and 7 to 11 years, engages their thinking and allows them to show their strength and have fun. In this game, as the name suggests, kids have to solve different puzzles to find the treasure. As mentioned, this game is also suitable for minors and they can participate in the game without reading.
2. Party at the Paris Aquarium
Another fun of the aquarium is holding an attractive party that is for teenagers! Children just have to wait for the next aquarium party and register to attend.
Holding a ceremony at the Paris Aquarium
There are three different sections in the Paris Aquarium that are suitable for holding ceremonies:
Aquarium hall
This hall is an ideal place for holding various conferences and official ceremonies. The most up-to-date technologies in the world have been used to equip this hall, and of course, there is a beautiful pool with lovely creatures. Depending on the ceremony you are considering, the different capacities of people can be seen in this hall. The Paris Aquarium hall can hold 120 people for a conference, 100 people for lunch and 300 people for an official meeting.
NEF section
This section, which is actually a combination of the reception area and the movie screening area, has a good view of the complex’s aquariums and is a special space. This section can accommodate 250 people for lunch and 650 people for an official meeting.
Aquarium terrace
The wide outdoor terrace is an attractive setting for your ceremony on a nice summer day. The capacity of this department is equal to 600 people.
Amenities of the Paris Aquarium
Paris Aquarium Restaurant
After a visit to the Paris Aquarium, it’s time to treat yourself to a delicious breakfast, lunch, or snack. The interesting part of the story is that visiting the fishes in the Paris Aquarium continues and you can enjoy seeing the fishes in the restaurant’s large aquarium while eating.
