Husbandry and growth rates of neonate epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum in captivity.
In this report, I describe husbandry techniques that are used to successfully hatch and raise epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, in captivity. Egg cases and hatchlings were held in floating baskets within a 1,306-L tank, at water temperatures of 24.4-25.5°C. From 56 egg cases, 27 neonates successfully hatched, and 22 survived. Based on seven tagged egg cases, the average gestation time was 140.3 ± 4.6 days with a range of 134 and 148 days. Upon hatching, neonate length was 16.2 ± 0.522 cm, with a range of 15.24-17.30 cm, and weight was 19.9 ± 2.06 g, with a range of 16.50-24.5 g. Growth rates of four individuals were recorded over time. Finely chopped capelin, Mallotus villosus, fillets, supplemented with a multivitamin were the primary food items accepted by neonates. The success in rearing H. ocellatum can likely be attributed to a low stress environment, limited disruption, an easy to consume diet, multivitamin supplementation, and excellent water quality.
Animal Health Department, New England Aquarium, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. epayne@neaq.org
Eric J
EJ
Payne
Kimberly S
KS
Rufo
D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012754:Sharks / Q000254:growth & development*; D013312:Stress, Physiological