Public aquariums keep millions of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals for education and entertainment. Understanding what good aquarium welfare looks like — and where current practice falls short — guides both visitor choices and advocacy.
Aquarium fish welfare receives far less attention than marine mammal welfare despite the fact that millions of fish are affected. Wild-caught coral reef fish experience severe stress during capture (often using cyanide, which causes neurological damage), transport, and adjustment to artificial environments. Many die within weeks of purchase. Species kept in tanks that are too small, with inadequate social groups or environmental complexity, show chronic stress indicators. Rays and sharks in touch tanks, where visitors can handle them, experience repeated acute stress. The most welfare-positive aquariums prioritise captive-bred animals where possible, provide species-appropriate environments, and avoid touch pool interactions that stress animals for visitor entertainment. Consumer choice of accredited facilities over unaccredited ones creates market incentives for higher welfare standards.