It was no easy task, but the dedicated team at a north-east visitor attraction have taken a census of every single creature in their tanks.
Zoo licence regulations require that all aquariums undertake an annual count of their marine animals.
Macduff Marine Aquarium keeps meticulous records of all the comings and goings throughout the year, but nevertheless displays team Chris Rowe and Lauren Smith clambered into the tanks to take stock of all 84 species on show.
The final tally across all 18 displays and seven quarantine tanks was 470 creatures.
To make matters worse, both divers had to count each species separately – and then compare their figures.
Yesterday Dr Smith – the attraction’s resident aquarist – said: “I had to stare at one spot and count the number of fish that passed to avoid getting confused and counting the animals over and over.
“Some animals, like the sea anemones, were much easier, and some of our invertebrates were so numerous I just had to guess.
“The kelp reef tank presented the biggest challenge as there are so many hiding places for the fish – there was nothing else for it but to dive in with my clipboard.”
No doubt delighted to complete the arduous task, Dr Smith added: “The shoaling seabass were the worst to count – but there are 20 of them.”
A successful breeding programme means the most numerous fish in the aquarium are the lesser spotted dogfish, a type of small shark.
There are also 16 cod, 12 lumpsuckers, 22 shannies and 39 dahlia anemones – more than 470 animals in all.
But there is only one lonely halibut, Jemima, who is one of the aquarium’s stars, and a single conger eel called Connie.
Connie’s former tank mates Dr Evil and Rocket, were released into the wild in October to begin their mating migration to the deep waters of the Azores.
The annual stock check marks the end of a hugely successful year at Macduff Marine Aquarium.
The release of Dr Evil and Rocket proved hugely successful, and the Annual Shark Season fortnight in October drew record numbers to the seaside attraction.