Abstract / 趣旨

It has been over 40 years since the breeding and year-round exhibition of jellyfish has begun in aquariums. During this time, the exhibition of jellyfish has spread all over the world. The variety of species, size of the exhibits, and the growth of our husbandry abilities have been inspiring. In present day, jellyfish are an integral part of the allure of aquariums, and it is assumed that more aquariums around the world will introduce them into their exhibits in the future. Surprisingly most of the skills required for keeping and breeding jellyfish is self-taught, and most of the information cannot travel beyond the same facility. It is in this environment that aquariums and zoos around the world plan to start keeping, breeding, and exhibiting jellyfish. In June of 2014, Kamo Aquarium reopened in a new building, with jellyfish being the main exhibits. Until recently, jellyfish were the secondary players in aquarium, but the size of the tanks dedicated to jellyfish and number of species on display proved that they can be the star players as well. With the birth of the aquarium as a starting beacon, I along with Director of Aquamarine Fukushima Dr. Yoshitaka Abe and Former Director of Berlin Zoo/Aquarium Dr. Jurgen Lange I propose the gathering every two years where jellyfish exhibitors from aquariums around the world can meet and inform each other. Both have agreed to support the cause and we plan to have the first gathering in March 2015. We hope to see many participants who would like to know more about new forms of exhibition.