Orokonui Ecosanctuary aquatic biologist Noel Jhinku gets up close and personal with a koura, a freshwater crayfish found in the Orokonui Stream. The ecosanctuary is building an aquarium which will house creatures found in the stream. Photo by Michelle McCullough.
If so, you could have your questions answered when the Orokonui Ecosanctuary's native freshwater fish aquarium is completed.
The project, which is being set up by aquatic biologist Noel Jhinku, is set to be completed by August and will form part of the ecosanctuary's new interpretive displays and education programmes.
Mr Jhinku, who studied marine science, anatomy and structural biology at the University of Otago, hopes the aquarium will give people a better insight to what is in their ‘‘own backyard''.
‘‘This will be the only fresh water display in Dunedin. We are trying to get people interested in fish because people don't tend to think about them too much, especially the natives.
‘‘The aim is to bring them [the fish] out of the stream [into the aquarium] so that visitors [to the ecosanctuary] can actually see them, because it is pretty hard to see them when you are just looking into the stream.''
The aquarium will house fish found in the Orokonui Stream such as endemic native galaxiids (small native freshwater fish), common bullies, Koura (freshwater crayfish) and short and long-finned eels.
Otago Natural History Trust chairman Ralph Allen is excited about the aquarium being added to the ecosanctuary's visitor centre.
‘‘The Orokonui Stream is very special because it does not have any introduced species in it, and it is a little bit away from the centre so it will give people, especially those who aren't very mobile, the chance to see what's in the stream.
‘‘It will be another string to our bow and it will show that Orokonui is not only a bird sanctuary which many people think it is. We are there for all native wildlife, not just birds but insects, reptiles and fish.''
Mr Jhinku said while there were only plans for one aquarium at present there was potential to add several more aquariums at a later date.
The aquarium will be part of the Orokonui EcoSanctuary's new visitor and education centre which is expected to be completed in the spring of this year. The centre has been designed to be as energy, water and waste-efficient as possible in keeping with the ethos of the sanctuary.
The ecosanctuary is now open for guided tours. Bookings are essential.
