Fish in aquarium displays face welfare challenges from limited space, artificial water conditions, and sensory environments very different from their wild habitat.
Aquarium fish welfare is an often-overlooked area of zoo animal welfare. Fish in small, barren tanks may live entire lives in conditions far removed from their ecological requirements. Schooling species kept in isolation suffer from loss of their primary anti-predator defence mechanism. The shift toward larger, complex aquarium exhibits in modern facilities represents a genuine welfare improvement, but smaller facilities still maintain inadequate conditions for fish.