Aquarium Aquarium fish Tropical fish About the Kagoshima City Aquarium Overview and History of the Kagoshima City Aquarium The oceans off Kagoshima extend a distance of 600 km north to south. These waters see the massive kurosio Current cut across the Tokara Islands and flow into the Pacific Ocean, bringing with it a number of marine species including whale sharks, bonito, and tuna. Coral grows around the islands in the Nansei archipelago that extends from the Yakushima and Tanegashima islands to Yoron Island. These waters call home to a host of colorful tropical fish and shellfish species. In contrast, Kinko Bay, which lies directly in front of the aquarium with active volcano Sakurajima in the middle, has a surrounding shoreline that consists of both large and small volcanic rocks that can be found in the shallows to the depths, creating a unique marine landscape. Pods of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin consisting of several to dozens mainly live in the upper reaches of this bay, while a large pod of short-beaked common dolphins numbering more than 200 is active throughout the entire bay. Despite being an inland bay, Kinko Bay reaches depths of more than 200 meters, making it home to deep see marine life as well. Additionally, a new species of tube worm, or Lamellibrachia Satsuma, can be found on the sea floor at depths of around 90 meters in the upper bay. Research has shown that this unique population is supported by underwater volcanic vents from Mt. Sakurajima that spew hydrogen sulfide from the sea floor. As a result, the marine environment surrounding Kagoshima is extraordinarily diverse and home to countless species of marine life, even more so than other marine ecosystems around the world. The Kagoshima City Aquarium showcases this diverse collection of marine life using exhibits organized according to theme. This includes The kurosio Current and The Waters off the Nansei Islands on the second floor and The Waters off Kagoshima on the fourth floor that focuses on Kinko Bay.