Shark Eggs!

[Fishboy42]

I think that the sharks in our lagoon are beginning to mature. We found an egg two weeks ago and another last week. The first doesn't appear to have a yolk (a "wind" egg), and the second has yet to be candled, but we'll have a look and see. Apparently it is fairly common for young sharks to produce a few wind and then infertile eggs before healthy eggs are seen. We're just excited to know that we're heading in the right direction

Adults in the lagoon:

The first egg:

Matt

 

[fishdoc11]

Nice

 

[gflat65]

Awesome, Matt. I didn't know you guys had sharks. How many can I put in my 40B.

 

[ct_vol]

Where do they "lay" the eggs??? Are they attached to something or just kinda free floating???

 

[Fishboy42]

At least a couple Gary; they'd make good company for a Sohal or other mini-reef fish

The sharks are just for fun really since we wanted the big tank to take care of our pets (Pete, the half-moon angel, tangs, Priscilla, Mr. Rogers, Orby, etc). Since we do have plans to build another couple of lagoons, I'd like to try the PNG epaulettes.

It's a long-term project though. If the lagoons are ready late-winter and it takes a few more years to condition them for breeding, then another year to get healthy sharklings, we're still a few years out

I think Tropicorium spent a few years developing their shark program, but they've been having some exciting results:

http://www.tropicorium.com/Trop_Sharks.html

 

[Fishboy42]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14581548#post14581548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
Where do they "lay" the eggs??? Are they attached to something or just kinda free floating???

We found them on the bottom of the lagoon. The filaments on the eggs get caught-up on the rocks and hold them in-place. For now they are floating in a small basket in the corner of the lagoon to keep anyone from bothering them.

 

[tangboy]

Matt that is really exciting to hear that they are laying, that means they are healthy and happy.

I know my brother has a rather large capacity lagoon that is attached to his reef tanks as his fugium right now. But I got him a bamboo shark egg while I was up there last week. We'll see how well it does in his lagoon but I wish I had the floor space in my house to do a shark lagoon!

 

[EvilMel]

I see Priscilla!!!!

She's such a camera ham.

 

[TriMax]

Matt

Congrats on the eggs. I do not think I have ever seen shark eggs before. Not sure I would have guessed that they were eggs. Neat though.

I am not surprised that Priscilla is a camera ham -- Mel, when it comes to eating, certainly is too.

 

[salt newbie01]

Very cool Matt and congrats!!!

 

[Fishboy42]

Update!

Update!

The first two small eggs had no yolk. We had a third egg about a week after the first two. It did have a yolk, but it was not fertile and had to be taken out of the tank.

Last week we found two MORE eggs in the lagoon, both with yolks, we hope that maybe they are fertile!

This morning Dana found another, so that makes three potentials incubating now.

Pic of two of the new larger ones:

 

[ct_vol]

Good deal Matt!!! Thanks for keeping us updated... Oh, and I like the sig...

 

[tangboy]

Matt that's awesome, I can't wait to see the outcome of these! Now if you could get your cuttlefish surviving at the store

 

[Fishboy42]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14823261#post14823261 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tangboy
Now if you could get your cuttlefish surviving at the store

Thanks...

 

[EvilMel]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14821871#post14821871 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ct_vol
Oh, and I like the sig...

That should be my signature too.

 

[Fishboy42]

A quick update

Late last year we had a fertile egg that hatched prematurely and died a few days later

We didn't see any more eggs for a while as the temperature dropped a few degrees for winter (we weren't heating the lagoon, so it went into the mid 70's). We added heaters a few months ago, and around the same time, the female began laying eggs again, so we are hoping for some healthy eggs this time!

 

[Pandarian]

Awesomo.

 

[trbike24]

How are you getting your babies to eat? I here they are hard to get to eat after they hatch and have to be enticed.

 

[Fishboy42]

I've used small bits of "good smelling" seafood to get newly-hatched or newly-imported sharks to eat (shrimp, squid, fish, mussel, etc)...

 

[EvilMel]

Neat!!!