Births and breeding at Nausicaá

Nausicaá is a unique biodiversity conservatory where births and reproduction punctuate the year.

Hundreds of births at Nausicaá every year

Penguins, fish, jellyfish, sharks - at Nausicaá, births are a regular occurrence and a source of satisfaction for the team of handlers. Nausicaá counts several hundred births each year, reflecting the good living conditions and well-being of the animal species present in our basins.

Among the animals present at Nausicaá, certain species of rays and sharks reproduce by depositing eggs which, once recovered by the aquariological teams, continue their incubation in the reserves.

In recent years, Nausicaá's team of caretakers have had the pleasure of seeing the birth of zebra and leopard sharks, starry smoothhounds, epaulette sharks and spotted eagle rays.

All our births at Nausicaá

Coral and jellyfish farming, expertise at Nausicaa

Coral propagation by cuttings at Nausicaá

Aquarists in the tropical sector have developed remarkable expertise in coral production over the last 30 years. By mastering the cutting technique, they are able to present the public with corals bred at Nausicaá.

Several dozen species of coral grow in the aquariological reserves under the watchful eye of the caretakers. It's a seemingly simple job, but in reality it's one of precision, where the parameters of light, water and currents have to be adjusted according to the species.

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By participating in the World Coral Conservatory, Nausicaá is putting its expertise at the service of coral conservation.

It was also asked to support Jérémy Gobé's Corail Artefact project as part of the Textidream - Futurotextiles 5 project supported by Lille 3000, which ran from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022.

Jellyfish

Since it opened in 1991, Nausicaá has developed expertise in jellyfish farming. The jellyfish on display during your visit come directly from our reserves, where they reproduce and grow under the watchful eye of biologists.

The year 2024 was marked by the reproduction of blue jellyfish, a new species at Nausicaá. This reproduction is the result of the work of the jellyfish caretakers, who collected adult jellyfish in the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer.

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Breeding at Nausicaá with BioNaMeris

Towards the success of complex breedings

With the aim of reducing the number of animals taken from their natural environment to populate its basins, Nausicaá is committed to breeding marine species. This is made possible by the daily collection of eggs that are released and fertilised by the brood fish present in the large open sea basin or in the basins in the "Island Stories" area.

The breeding of certain complex species is being developed at Nausicaá in partnership with BioNaMeris, a biotechnology start-up based in Marquise in the Hauts de France region. BioNaMeris produces a specific feed (copepods, artemia, rotifers) and other strategic consumables on its site, enabling microscopic animals to be fed during their larval phase thanks to a patented technology.

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Nausicaá and BioNaMeris are pooling their resources and expertise to promote the knowledge and success of complex fish breedings:

  • The eggs collected by the Nausicaá teams are entrusted to BioNaMeris, who are responsible for developing the larval rearing of the selected species. This stage is carried out in the aquariological reserves.
  • An R&D area is currently being finalised and should be operational by early 2025. In particular, it will house the larval sector.
  • Nausicaá's aquarists take over when the fish reach the juvenile stage and monitor their growth until they are transferred to the exhibition.
  • Grâce à cette collaboration, Nausicaá et BioNaMeris ont réussi à élever plusieurs centaines de sergents majors indopacifiques (Abudefduf sexfasciatus), poissons-clowns ocellés (Amphiprion ocellaris), ainsi que les premiers poissons anges à barre blanche (Holacanthus passer). Ils ont également élevé des barbiers à queue de lyre (Pseudanthias squamipinnis). L’élevage de ces espèces tropicales a été encouragé dans le but de peupler les nouveaux espaces tropicaux de Nausicaá qui ouvriront en 2025.  
  • Thanks to this collaboration, Nausicaá and BioNaMeris have succeeded in breeding several hundred scissortail sergeants (Abudefduf sexfasciatus), clown anemonefish (Amphiprion ocellaris) and the first king angelfish (Holacanthus passer). They have also bred sea goldies (Pseudanthias squamipinnis). The breeding of these tropical species has been encouraged with the aim of populating the new tropical areas of Nausicaá, which will open in 2025.