The Sumie Family Aquarium is inside the ‘Sumie Family Village’ near the city of Nobeoka in Miyazaki Prefecture. There are 150 kinds of fish and about 800 fish in total, ranging from the familiar to the rare, including the so-called ‘phantom fish’, the Japanese barramundi.
Contents
Does the Japanese barramundi really have red eyes?
The best attraction in this aquarium is the Japanese barramundi. In Japanese, their name means ‘Red Eyes’, and indeed, they do have red eyes. Their eyes sparkle like beautiful rubies and it is very impressive. The Japanese barramundi only lives in an area of the Pacific Ocean on the west coast of Japan facing the Kuroshio current. Their main habitat is in Miyazaki Prefecture and Kochi Prefecture, but they are now rare and have been designated an endangered species. There are only a few places where this rare fish is exhibited, so the nickname ‘phantom fish’ seems appropriate.
Everything from familiar freshwater fish from the Gokase River to unique fish!
There is an exhibition of the fish that live in the clear streams of Nobeoka and the Gokase River which is spread across a split-level tank. On the upper level are fish from the upper stream, and on the lower level are fish from the lower stream. The fish here are familiar to Japanese, including a school of small sweetfish, but it is not so common to see them in aquariums. The strength of the school of sweetfish as they swim in unison is very impressive. There are also some less familiar creatures to see here. There is the clownfish, which is popular with children, a 180cm-long spotted moray eel, and many colorful tropical fish. There is also the frogfish, which plods along the sea floor, and varieties of deep-sea crabs. There should be enough unique creatures here to keep everyone happy.
There is also a touch pool
You can enjoy interacting with sea creatures in the touch pool, located in a corner of the aquarium. Here it is possible to observe and touch a variety of sea creatures that we might know the names of but don’t often have the chance to touch, such as sea urchins, starfish, sea cucumbers, and hermit crabs.
Getting here
| Address | 69-1 Sumiemachi, Nobeoka 889-0321, Miyazaki Prefecture |
| ☎ | 0982-43-0169 |
| Access | The aquarium direction page (Japanese) |
Access Map
Admission Tickets, Price
| Fees | General |
|---|---|
| Over high school student | 300 yen |
| Primary & middle school student | 200 yen |
Opening Hours & Calendar
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| General | 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Last entry 4:30 p.m. |
| Days closed | Wednesday (if a Wednesday is a national holiday, then the next day) |
Official website
FAQs
Nursing Lounge
Not available.
Coin lockers
Not available.
Baby stroller rental service
Not available. The aquarium is stroller friendly.
Wheelchair rental service
Not available. The aquarium is wheelchair friendly.
