Mangroves are fascinating habitats between land and sea. They are among the most species-rich ecosystems on earth. You can now find out why this is the case and how important mangroves are for humans and animals at Frankfurt Zoo's Exotarium. An Asian mangrove landscape with various animal species, some of which are endangered, has been set up in the former penguin enclosure.

Opening of the new mangrove facility © Holger Menzel

A new habitat can now be discovered in the Exotarium at Frankfurt Zoo: Where Antarctic penguins were on display until a few years ago, various animal species are now cavorting in a tropical mangrove landscape. The fish include real eye-catchers such as mudskippers (Periophthalmus barbarus) and Banded archerfishs (Toxotes jaculatrix).

„The remodelling of the old building was more complex and time-consuming than initially thought. But the wait was worth it: thanks to the commitment and creativity of the zoo team, the facility has become a piece of jewellery. The plants also contribute to this. Many of them were provided to the zoo by the Palm Garden for the authentic design of the mangrove habitat. I would like to express my sincere thanks for this. I would also like to thank the Frankfurt Zoo Foundation and the many friends of the zoo who supported the fundraising campaign to set up the facility. A total of 30,000 euros was raised, which went towards the renovation of the facility", said Dr Ina Hartwig, Head of the Department of Culture and Science.

In the 66 square metre facility with a land and an aquatic section, animals and plants are shown that are adapted to life in the intertidal zone of tropical coasts and in brackish water, i.e. a mixture of salt and fresh water. One of the challenges here is to precisely adjust the right salt content in the water, which some of the mangrove inhabitants need to thrive, but which must not be too high for other species in the system. This requires careful planning and regular monitoring and places special demands on the technology, which must be appropriately saltwater-resistant and precisely controllable.

As a typical inhabitant of mangrove forests, the mudskipper is one of the flagship species of the new habitat at Frankfurt Zoo. It shows a particularly strong adaptation to its environment, which is characterised by the tides. To enable the mudskippers to dig small hollows as hiding places and places to lay their eggs, various substrates and mixtures of clay and sand had to be tested.

„Mangrove forests are sensitive habitats that harbour many species, but are also of great importance to us humans. For example, fish and other marine animals grow up here, as they find more protection than in the open ocean. Mangroves play an important role as nurseries and thus for the populations of many species relevant to fishing. Not least, they secure the livelihoods of many people. They also protect the coasts from the force of the waves. Unfortunately, mangroves are under threat worldwide due to human impact. The new facility offers us the opportunity to provide information about this complex ecosystem and explain why we should protect it," explains zoo director Dr Christina Geiger.

In order to show how Banded archerfishs get their name, an apparatus in the form of an artificial branch was installed at the edge of the water basin. This is hollow and is filled with live crickets. These crawl to the surface through a hole and can be shot from the branch into the water by the schooling fish by means of a targeted jet of water pressed through the mouth - just like in nature.

„The facility is still under construction“, explains zoo curator Dr Johannes Köhler. „Mangrove plants are tricky to care for and grow slowly. We have received more than two dozen plants from the Palm Garden, including larger mangrove trees and cuttings as well as mangrove ferns. We hope that they will thrive and that we will soon be able to recognise how the animal and plant community of a mangrove works," said Köhler

More animal species are set to move in in the near future. For example, the endangered Northern Batagur turtle (Batagur baska), which the zoo is keeping to support a breeding and reintroduction project. „The new enclosure is not an ordinary enclosure, which - once set up - can be regarded as completed. Rather, we have created a kind of small artificial ecosystem that must be developed slowly and carefully", explains curator Köhler.

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