Carried inland in a cloud, Splash finds himself landing
as rain in the Murray Darling River system. Here he meets the enigmatic
platypus called Zoe, who is the icon for the southern freshwater river
displays in Sydney Aquarium. One of only three egg laying mammals in the
world, the platypus has such an unusual assortment of features that one
of the first specimens to reach the United Kingdom from Australia was
believed to have been an artificially assembled hoax.
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| The Murray-Darling River is home to 28 species of native fish |
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| It covers an area of over 1,000,000 m2 |
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| Period floods are essential to Australia’s inland flora & fauna |
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| The Murray Cod has been known to grow to 113.5kg & 1.8m long |
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The Murray Darling River system is the largest river
system in Australia and drains around one million square kilometres, yet
is home to only 28
species of fish. However, not one of these species is found anywhere else
in the world. Slow river movement, unpredictable rainfall and high evaporation
mean that most fish living here have developed unique characteristics to
exist in this environment. Despite the harshness of this environment, one
of this river system’s most famous residents, the Murray cod, is
the largest freshwater fish in Australia. In addition to the platypus,
murray cod and several other species of Murray Darling fish on display,
Sydney Aquarium has freshwater crayfish, semi aquatic lizards, turtles
and birds from this region.
The platypus is not restricted to the Murray
Darling region and is also found in eastern coastal rivers, so Zoe will
guide us through the coastal
rivers area of Sydney Aquarium as well. Australia’s coastal rivers
are also stocked with many species of fish found no where else in the
world, most of which are still closely related to their recent marine
ancestors. Here we see freshwater versions of mullet and herring, as
well as eels and bass which still need to return to the sea to breed. |
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| Purchase your tickets online and save 10% off ALL admission prices! |
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Wash the car or bike on the lawn to prevent detergents from entering our waterways.
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