| Meet One Eyed Pete and his pals, 7 giants from the rivers of South America – the 13 inch long Red Bellied Piranhas are believed to be world record breakers if not for their size, then for being the ripe old age of 12 years old! Christopher Donkin, Attractions Manager said “Our aquarium vet, who is consultant to virtually all public aquariums in the UK has said that she believes they are the largest Piranha she has ever seen, as have other professionals in the industry”. One Eyed Pete is one of seven Piranha at the SeaQuarium in Weston super Mare, Display’s Manager Hayley Upham says measuring the Piranhas is difficult as you wouldn’t want to get in the tank with them, especially at feeding time! Their exhibit is a 360 degree cylinder themed to replicate their natural environment of a river bed. The team at SeaQuarium have spent many hours trawling the internet and contacting other Aquariums to try and find out if they are the biggest. Hayley said: “Piranha were originally found in South America and have become popular within public aquariums, however we would definitely not recommend these creatures for family pets considering their potential size and appetite!” “When purchased these fish are very small, and in most cases they will outgrow their tanks, leading to owners having to contact local aquariums where the demand for re-homing cannot always be met”. Attractions Manager, Christopher Donkin, said “I am overjoyed with our Piranha Exhibit, it has pride of place within our Rainforest River Zone and easily demonstrates the enormous size these amazing creatures can grow to, and our presentations on Piranhas are just great fun, with many of the creatures myths laid to rest!.” Piranha have always been given a rough ride, with stories of their voracious appetite & menacing teeth, when in actual reality, many of the species are vegetarian eating nuts and berries that have fallen from the trees that overhang the rivers! Our Red Bellied Piranhas are omnivorous, eating a variety of fish and vegetables! Pete & his Pals can be seen daily throughout the Summer Holidays at the SeaQuarium in Weston super Mare. Open daily from 10am. |
The Weston-Super-Mare SeaQuarium was opened in 1995, and was placed upon the first seaside pier to be built in Great Britain for over 85 years. Situated on the beach, the aquarium is surrounded by 3 miles of sand along the coast of Somerset, with panoramic views across the estuary of Wales. 
