Clipboards and measuring tapes have taken centre stage at a London aquarium as the task of counting more than 6,000 of its creatures returned.

Aquarists at Sea Life London Aquarium conducted its annual creature “count and clean”, which sees more than 6,100 of its creatures counted and their homes given a spring clean.

Counting tools and cleaning equipment helped the experts tackle tasks including pumping the sand in the Rays pool, wiping down the clownfish tank and brushing up Penguin Point.

Catherine Pritchard, general manager at Sea Life London Aquarium, said: “Our annual count and clean is one of our favourite times of year at Sea Life London Aquarium.

“It’s a fun way for the team to collect all the information we need to assess the overall health of our creatures, as well as making sure their homes are spick and span ready for the year ahead.

“While our aquarists have lots of fun during the count and clean, it’s also a task that we take very seriously as it’s a vital exercise that helps us maintain the health and wellbeing of our creatures both now and for future generations to come.”

The clean-up and count also allows aquarists to see if there are any new arrivals.

The count element of the annual event means the London Aquarium can partake in international breeding programmes, alongside Sea Life centres globally, which have a focus on conservation.