Underwater Tunnel Expo features over 3,000 fish from 500 different marine and freshwater environments
Published Date – Sunday, 23 April 23 at 09:00 AM
Hyderabad: Want to experience 180-degree marine life up close? Head to the recently opened Underwater Tunnel Water Show near Balanagar Metro Station in the city’s Kukatpally.
The expo features more than 3,000 fish from 500 different marine and freshwater environments. “We exhibit about 500 species of fish in our underwater tunnels. Many of these species come from Malaysia and Singapore, with the exception of Kerala and Chennai, where mass breeding takes place. A total of 20 aquariums are housed in a 200-plus-foot long tunnel,” said Bharat Reddy, one of the coordinators of the expo.
The variety of fish includes starfish, angelfish, clownfish, seahorses, wrasses, eels, boxfish and other rare species. The most expensive fish in the underwater tunnel aquarium is the arapaima, which costs 6 lakh rupees each and weighs 60 kg. The exhibit draws large crowds, excited to witness first-hand sea creatures they would normally watch on television. Bharat Reddy said preparations for the expo took more than a month, with about 2,000 liters of water used in the tunnels and aquarium tanks. The portable tunnel can be broken down into eight sections and shipped in a truck container. Fish move separately.
The exhibit, which opened on April 14, will be open to visitors daily from 11am to 10pm in the city for 60 days. According to organizer M Rajasekhar Reddy, the expo will later be planned to take place at different locations in Hyderabad. In addition to the aquarium, the fair also hosts a handloom exhibit that showcases the handicrafts and rides of local artisans.
