Sharks and exotic fish die after Texas aquarium tank is treated for parasite with chemicals

Staff at the aquarium are said to be devastated after discovering the dead fish

Lamiat Sabin
Thursday 16 April 2015 10:49 BST
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The number of deaths at the aquarium, including that of sharks and lionfish, is not yet known
The number of deaths at the aquarium, including that of sharks and lionfish, is not yet known

Scores of fish, including three sharks, have died at an aquarium after their water was treated with a chemical to get rid of a parasite – leaving only two left.

Workers were shocked to arrive at the Texas State Aquarium yesterday morning to find that exotic fish in the Islands of Steel tank such as nurse sharks, lionfish, amberjacks and sand tiger sharks had died, or were dying – according to Kiii TV News.

It was after a chemical was used to kill a disease-carrying parasite, as reported by local channel Kris TV.

The water of the largest indoor tank at the venue, in Corpus Christi, was treated on Tuesday evening. The aquarium claims that the chemicals were used in smaller tanks without problems.

A sample of the tank water – that was inhabited by the fish from the Gulf of Mexico – has been sent off to a laboratory for testing to gauge what exactly killed the fish.

Richard Glover, chief marketing officer, said: “This was a complete surprise and something we could never have predicted.

“[The staff] started pulling fish out and treated them individually, trying to save as many as they could.”

The biggest indoor tank at the aquarium stands empty for now

He added that the death count is more than the staff can count and that they are heartbroken after finding out that the fish had lost their lives en masse.

“As you can imagine, it has been very rough on the staff. It’s obviously a very sad day for us here and it will take us some time to get over it.

“Like everyone else, we’re going to be looking for explanations as to what exactly caused this so we can guarantee it doesn’t happen ever again,” Mr Glover added.

The aquarium plans to stay open but has decided not to restock fish in that particular tank until the water is deemed safe.

Meanwhile, an admissions discount – $5 for adults and $3 for children – is being offered to customers.

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