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Bern reefn

At Bern Animal Park you can dive into the colourful world of coral reefs. The Bern reef in the Vivarium consists of an artificial ceramic reef that forms the skeleton and replaces imported live reef rock taken from nature. The diverse corals thrive so magnificently on the artificial reef structure that the animal keepers regularly have to carefully climb into the reef and “garden”.

The reef tank contains 40 000 litres of water and was built in 2013 in the course of the Vivarium roof renovation. The various corals belong to the groups of stony corals, leather corals and gorgonians. In between, there are numerous invertebrate species such as snails, mussels, sea stars, brittle stars and anemones.

The colourful coral reef in Bern.

Mördermuschel im Wasser

Coral reefs are among the most colourful ecosystems on earth. For a long time, experts disagreed on whether the colours of the fish living among the corals serve as camouflage in the colourful habitat or as advertising or warning. But as is so often the case in nature, there is no either – or, both probably apply – and often simultaneously.

Numerous colourful surgeonfish such as the sailfin and orange spotted surgeonfish cavort in the reef.

Boxfish swimming in the water
Case fish in the coral reef
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