The giant African millipede can grow to a length of 30cm or more and is one of the longest (if not the longest), millipedes on Earth. Its exoskeleton is generally black, but often with mahogany or reddish tinges in the colouration. It has approximately 250 legs, which changes with each moulting. Babies are born with 3 pairs of legs and take several years to grow to full size. They have two main modes of defence when feeling threatened: curling into a tight spiral, so only the hard exoskeleton is exposed, and secreting a liquid from pores on their bodies which acts as a mild irritant. Millipedes are excellent climbers and always on the move for foraging and eating. Their legs move in a Mexican wave and this helps them burrow under leaves and organic matter.
 
 

---

Fun Facts...
This millipede lives in a symbiotic relationship with mites which are found in amongst its legs. In this relationship, both species benifit - the mite will eat dead skin cells from around the millipede's legs meaning that the millipede is free to move and the mite gets a free meal!

---

Location... Inhabits Eastern Africa

---

Habitat... Tropical and arid coastal forests.

---

Diet...
Herbivore

The zebra moray eel is a placid and shy animal which can reach a length of about 150cm. It has a dark brown to blackish body with thin white stripes running vertically down the body.

Unlike most eels, this species does not eat fish and instead of sharp pointy teeth it has close-set pebble-like teeth used for crushing hard-shelled prey.

---

Fun Facts...

This eel may look aggressive with its body tucked into crevices, only its head on show and its mouth constantly opening and closing. But this is not a threat, it is just how they breathe!

---

Location...

Found in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef. Also found in the eastern central Pacific from Mexico to northern Colombia and the Galapagos Islands.

---

Habitat...

Inhabits sandy and rocky bottoms in crevices and ledges of seaward reefs.

---

Diet...
Feeds primarily on crustaceans, molluscs and sea urchins.

The thick lipped mullet has a cylindrical and elongated body with a broad, flat head and a forked tail. The top of their body is dark grey with a greenish tinge, and its underside is silver, with long dark smudges down the side. 

---

Fun Facts...

This mullet species earns its name due to its extraordinarily thick, swollen-looking upper lip!

---

Location...

Coasts of Mediterranean, Black Sea and Eastern Atlantic.

---

Habitat...

Pelagic near shores, sometimes in lagoons and estuaries. 

---

Diet...
Adults will eat algae, aquatic plant detritus and small invertebrates. Juveniles feed upon zooplankton.

The common mussel uses proteins to make strong, silky fibers called byssus threads and mussels can use these to form dense colonies. 

---

Fun Facts...

The common mussel is one of the most studied marine animals. 

---

Location...

This species is extremely common around British coasts. It can also be found in the White Sea in Northern Russia to Southern France, in the west Atlantic from Canada to North Carolina, and also off Chile, the Falkland Isles, Argentina and the Kerguelen Isles. 

---

Habitat...

The common mussel is often found attached to substrates, such as piers, rocks and stones, using strong byssus threads. It may also be found in soft sediments in estuaries. 

---

Diet...
Filter-feeder: it filters plankton from the water.

TODAY AT RHYL...

---

OPEN: Daily from 10.00am.
LAST ADMISSION: 4.00pm
CLOSES: 5.00pm

ADMISSION:
Adult - £9.50 (16-64yrs)
Child - £8.50 (3-15yrs)
Under 3's - Free
Concessions - £8.99
(Senior Citizen, Disabled, Student).

See our Opening Times & Prices page for further info.

BOOK TICKETS...

ADOPT-A-BUDDY...