chrisqueenz
New member
Thats great stuff. Please continue to provide updates. Thanks
Aggressively going at it (sharks)
- Thread starter alprazo
- Start date
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Yeah right, it's way out of focus. I can promise you it's real. Here's video (not mine).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_d8KoL4NKM
Wow!
I thought wobbies couldn't be trusted. I've seen sand tigers so many times in public displays and caught them in the surf where many swim. They act so passive and to my knowledge never misbehave by attacking a human. Better to stick with browns in a giant mixed display like that I guess.
I thought wobbies couldn't be trusted. I've seen sand tigers so many times in public displays and caught them in the surf where many swim. They act so passive and to my knowledge never misbehave by attacking a human. Better to stick with browns in a giant mixed display like that I guess.
anbosu
New member
Did the smaller shark make it?
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Yes.
This happened once while I was there and we rehabbed it quite well over several months. I pulled all of the white tip reefs out of the main display.
After I left to aquarium, they put them all back in - and this happened (shocker). This one made it as well.
The healing powers of sharks is so very impressive. I've seen half a face and gill ripped into only to heal. I think it was you Zoodiver that posted a shark with a terribly damaged eye that did OK too.
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Very true. I think you are refering to the black tip reef eye. I've had a few sharks that saw the edge of death and came back. Now you can't even seen a scar. Sharks have so many amazing aspects to them biologically. It's amazing that you can have one that has organs hanging out and it heals, then flip the coin and you loose one in your care from some tiny little aspect or change.
Seems like every aquarium in the US is displaying sand tigers nowadays. Was down in Virginia Beach this past week and of course the Virginia Aquarium and Science Center bad a few big ones.
Can anybody ID the group of sharks in the display alongside the sand tigers?
I was disappointed to see that each of those had a somew9hat injured rostrum...
They did however look to be healing and not red or new wounds...
(These pics dont show the other species that well.)
Can anybody ID the group of sharks in the display alongside the sand tigers?
I was disappointed to see that each of those had a somew9hat injured rostrum...
They did however look to be healing and not red or new wounds...
(These pics dont show the other species that well.)
Attachments
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Carcharhinus taurus (Sandtiger or Grey nurese sharks everywhere else in the world) and Carcharhinus plumbeus (Sandbar or Brown sharks) are two of the most common 'big body' sharks displayed in the US. They are visually impressive and fairly easy to care for, assuming you have space.
Carcharhinus melanopterus (Pacific Black tip reef sharks) are another if you want the typical 'shark' look but don't have 200,000 gallons worth of space.
Carcharhinus melanopterus (Pacific Black tip reef sharks) are another if you want the typical 'shark' look but don't have 200,000 gallons worth of space.
In the second picture i attached above, on the shark in the center-background you can actually see how white the rostrum is, as it was rubbed raw and seems to be in a constant state of injury and Antibiotics. They all seemed to be healed at that point. Upon a closer look, they are Sandbar Sharks.
Public Aquarists have an extremely tough job, trying to manage wild animals, while also grabbing the attention of the public. So i don't have anything bad to say about this aquarium. I hope thats not how i came across. I just didnt expect to see what i ended up seeing.
Public Aquarists have an extremely tough job, trying to manage wild animals, while also grabbing the attention of the public. So i don't have anything bad to say about this aquarium. I hope thats not how i came across. I just didnt expect to see what i ended up seeing.
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Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Not at all. Sandbars are awesome sharks, but a little odd with the rubbing. I had a group (long term captives) that would rub randomly. We never did connect it to any other factor. They'd go months looking perfect, then suddenly all five would start having raw rostrums. Forgive the old pics. The dinosaur camera was awkward underwater back then, and shooting while keeping an eye on 30+ big sharks around you was...um...challenging. LOL
Normal:
Rubbed raw:
Normal:
Rubbed raw:
Matt-
Despite what you say, those are some pretty excellent underwater pics!!!!
The injuries to the snout on the Sandbars I was able to get a good look at (like the shark in the center-background on pic#2) must have been cumulative over the course of their captive lives.
I say this because I saw no current red-ness indicating recent rubbing injuries.
However, the entire rostrum, (from past the left eye to past the right eye, almost a half-circle, or a semi-circle, but across the snout, if that is making any sense??) was scarred with white tissue, similar to the picture you just posted in which the shark was first rubbed red, than slowly beginning to heal white-ish.
Its very possible that VAMSC acquired the group with the injuries sustained prior? I don't know the history of those Sandbars or the Aquarium in general.
They weren't current injuries so the sharks looked to be in complete health now. I was just hoping that its not an on-going cycle of injury then treatment.
And then there was the overly obese Nurse Shark laying on the bottom. LOL.
***Edit- Your last picture is a very good representation of what I saw, but to a much lesser degree***
Despite what you say, those are some pretty excellent underwater pics!!!!
The injuries to the snout on the Sandbars I was able to get a good look at (like the shark in the center-background on pic#2) must have been cumulative over the course of their captive lives.
I say this because I saw no current red-ness indicating recent rubbing injuries.
However, the entire rostrum, (from past the left eye to past the right eye, almost a half-circle, or a semi-circle, but across the snout, if that is making any sense??) was scarred with white tissue, similar to the picture you just posted in which the shark was first rubbed red, than slowly beginning to heal white-ish.
Its very possible that VAMSC acquired the group with the injuries sustained prior? I don't know the history of those Sandbars or the Aquarium in general.
They weren't current injuries so the sharks looked to be in complete health now. I was just hoping that its not an on-going cycle of injury then treatment.
And then there was the overly obese Nurse Shark laying on the bottom. LOL.
***Edit- Your last picture is a very good representation of what I saw, but to a much lesser degree***
G4546
New member
Please excuse the ignorance of my question but, I wanted to ask... When ORV sharks begin to copulate is there a chance that the gills of the female could be bitten while the male is attempting to insert his clasper? I see the majority attach at the pectoral fin, though it seems maybe sometimes in an attempt (violent) there could be a mis-fire if you will and there could be serious damage. I read in a few posts above that the "healing powers" of sharks are extreme and that we can see from various examples, but I was just wondering if you guys have ever seen or had to deal with an injury to the gill area during copulation.
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
NICE UPDATE!!!! Good luck with that Easter basket of eggs!
Not ignorance at all. Yes, ORV sharks tend to be VERY aggressive with breeding behavior. The bigger the shark, the more damage can be done. I've seen sandtigers, bulls, white tip reefs that have almost lost pec fins and have extensive damage to the base of the fin and gill areas from males during copulation. Skin/muscle damage will usually heal very well. There are a few times I've gone in and done topical antibiotics and injections to ensure the health of the animal is maintained while it heals.
G4546
New member
+1 :beer:
-----
Very interesting. Well also, if I may, I'd like to ask if you have seen any gill injuries while breeding the benthic sharks? Also, have any of you ever had an issue in your own aquaria with your elasmobranchs rostrum being injured or rubbed? Sorry for the questions, but I'd like to add another
... Is it accurate that the denticles of an epaulette (and/or other benthic sharks) can become raised for an extended amount of time due to close quarter movement? Thank you very much for the response Zoo! Really appreciate it mate!
Cheers!
Zoodiver
As seen on TV
Very interesting. Well also, if I may, I'd like to ask if you have seen any gill injuries while breeding the benthic sharks? Also, have any of you ever had an issue in your own aquaria with your elasmobranchs rostrum being injured or rubbed? Sorry for the questions, but I'd like to add another
Thank you very much for the response Zoo! Really appreciate it mate!
Cheers!
I'll start with the last question first.
Denticles being raised or aggitated is usually due to an outside stimulation - like rubbing course rock or sharks piling on top of each other. It should go away almost right away once the object or situation causing them to raise is removed.
I have seen minor gill damage done in benthic sharks during breeding, but nothing worth treating or worrying about.
As for rostrums being rubbed, I'd delt with it in several species. The sand bars I posted were an on going problem. I've also seen in in young sand tigers, bulls, tigers, bonnetheads and small hammerhead speices. I've also seen eye rubbing in hammers and even a young black tip reef shark. (I think I have pics of the BTR somewhere if you want me to send them to you.)
This bonnet is a great example of recovery. It started rubbing it's rostrum on rock and artifical coral in the exhibit after undergoing a treatment for an infection. One of the problems related to the infection was trouble navigating.
In the first picture you can see the animal in an off exhibit 26 ft round holding pool where we had it isolated to reduced stress. We did a tube feeding to ensure it was receiving the proper meds as well as a high calorie slurry to give it enough energy to keep it moving. Holding it on it's back induces a state known as 'tonic immobility'. It slows the shark down and allows us to safely work around it without it struggling (which can hurt it and us). They recover from it very quickly - and eliminates the need for sedating the shark with drugs. (I only do that in extreme cases.)
After we got it healthy, I set a few Rubbermaid trashcans filled with water in the middle of the holding for it to swim around. (Second pic) This slowly taught it to navigate obsticles that wouldn't injure the shark. Slowly, we moved the cans around to create a situation where the shark had to change swimming pattern in order to strengthen all of the muscles.
Once we were happy with that, we changed the cans to artifical coral and rock structures similar to the exhibit. It took a lot of work and time, but the shark made it back to display 100% healthy. (Last pics)
Alprazo- That would be the best Easter Egg basket I could have imagined!
Any chance we can have an Easter egg hunt, but with those STN eggs instead?
Out in a park, and however many i find i can Keep? LOL.
They'd all have to be hidden individually, in mini 10 gallon tanks with HOB filters, heaters and powerheads.
I think it would make for a good time!
JK those are beautiful, and I'm really happy for you that everythings working out.
Apologies for hijacking the thread.
Any chance we can have an Easter egg hunt, but with those STN eggs instead?
Out in a park, and however many i find i can Keep? LOL.
They'd all have to be hidden individually, in mini 10 gallon tanks with HOB filters, heaters and powerheads.
I think it would make for a good time!
JK those are beautiful, and I'm really happy for you that everythings working out.
Apologies for hijacking the thread.
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