Billionaire to build world's largest aquarium

A billionaire businessman is building the world's largest aquarium to house a pair of whale sharks.

Bernard Marcus, billionaire owner of the American DIY chain Home Depot, is to build a 18.9 million litre/4.16 million gallon tank at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, which is due to open in November.

According to The Guardian, the aquarium will eventually hold over 100,000 fish including giant groupers, two white beluga whales and a pair of whale sharks - the world's largest fish species.

The aquarium already has a pair of whale sharks, named Norton and Ralph, which are 4m/13 and 4.9m/16 feet long.

The sharks were imported from Taiwan in a specially-equipped plane and are expected to reach an adult size of up to 12.2m/40 feet.

The privately-funded aquarium is being run by a non-profit organisation.

According to The Guardian, its owner is committed to conservation and the aquarium will include the largest research facilities in the world.