Public aquariums house fish for education and conservation, but welfare standards for fish in captive display environments are poorly developed and rarely enforced.
Fish welfare in aquariums is inconsistently addressed. Large pelagic species requiring vast open water territories cannot achieve adequate welfare in standard display tanks. Many smaller species can be well cared for with appropriate tank conditions. The challenge is that welfare indicators for fish are less visible than mammal stereotypies, making poor welfare easy to overlook. Species selection for display must prioritise suitability for captive welfare alongside conservation value.