Inspired by the growing popularity of jellyfish as pets in Japan, an Osaka aquarium, Kaiyukan, has recently opened an exhibit devoted exclusively to the free-swimming marine creatures.

The display at Kaiyukan in Osaka's Minato Ward contains around 350 jellyfish found in the seas around Japan and Southeast Asia. Among the seven species it houses in its 12 tanks are the mizukurage (moon jelly) and giyamankurage (elegant jellyfish).

A growing number of people in Japan are keeping jellyfish as pets these days. Owners say that watching the animals drift gracefully in the water helps them get rid of stress.

The new jellyfish corner recreates the mysterious and peaceful world of the deep sea with lights being kept dim and soothing guitar music piped in. Keeping jellyfish requires a great amount of work, though, aquarium officials say, since each jellyfish is fed individually using a syringe to keep the water clean.

The Kaiyukan opened in July 1990 and is one of the largest aquariums in the world, containing some 580 species of aquatic life--around 35,000 creatures in all. It houses 15 unique exhibits of various shapes and sizes, and its main tank, built in an eight-story building, is almost nine meters (30 feet) deep, holds some 5,400metric tons (1.4 million gallons) of water, and is considered the world's largest display of marine life.


The exhibits focus on various unique forms of life by simulating the natural environment along the "Ring of Fire," a continuous rim of volcanoes around the Pacific Ocean. The aquarium houses species that live along the western arc from the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea to the Antarctic coastline.

Photos: (Top) The graceful jellyfish are a popular exhibit; (above) the aquarium, Ferris wheel, and other attractions of the Osaka waterfront. (Osaka Waterfront Development Corporation)