The Newest, Cutest Baby Animals from the World's Zoos & Aquariums

Angel Shark Pups No Bigger than Your Hand

Posted in , , ,
Four Pacific angel sharks were born at the Aquarium of Bay last week in San Francisco. These rare and unusual sharks were once plentiful off California but populations were decimated by overfishing in the 1980s. Researchers hope to learn more about how to protect wild angel sharks by studying the tiny pups.

Angel Shark Pup Baby, Aquarium of the Bay 1

Angel Shark Pup measured, Aquarium of the Bay 2

Adult angel shark below

Pacific Angel Shark

Four Angel Sharks Born at Aquarium of the Bay Very Rare Births Follow Natural Pupping Patterns 

San Francisco, CA, May 26, 2009 — Keeping in line with the pupping season for many local shark species, Aquarium of the Bay welcomed the births of four Pacific Angel Sharks in its Under the Bay exhibit today. Aquarium of the Bay is the only nature center to consistently exhibit, study and care for Pacific Angel Sharks, Squatina californica. 
We’re thrilled to have these rare births at Aquarium of the Bay,” said Christina Slager, Director of Husbandry. “Very little is known about the reproductive behavior of these beautiful sharks, so the information we gather from these pups will be really valuable.” 
The Aquarium’s Husbandry team moved the neonates from the exhibit into behind-the-scenes nursery tanks where they will be monitored hourly and kept safe from predators. The four pups weighed between 115 to 120 grams at birth with a total length between 21 and 24cm. Angel Sharks are ambush predators with wing-shaped pectoral fins, flattened bodies and gray, brown and black coloring. They camouflage themselves by hiding in the sand. 
Aquarium of the Bay Foundation is funding a research project related to angel sharks. as well as one focused on the largest predators in the San Francisco Bay, Sevengill sharks, Notorynchus cepedianus. Both projects launched in 2008 and utilize coded tags and acoustic transmitters to monitor the animals. Data collected will be analyzed to learn more about the animals’ breeding patterns and migration in conjunction with tidal cycle, current flows and oceanographic data. The information will also be available to government agencies, with the hope of protecting the animals’ habitats. 

8 responses to “Angel Shark Pups No Bigger than Your Hand”

  1. ym Avatar
    ym

    The 3rd pic looks like how I feel after a stressful day at work.

    Reply
  2. fish tank aquariums Avatar
    fish tank aquariums

    These really are amazing. Hopefully they will figure out how to keep the populations and habitats strong.

    Reply
  3. organic crib mattresses Avatar
    organic crib mattresses

    I’ve never seen a creature like the one in the third picture.. wow

    Reply
  4. custom fish tank Avatar
    custom fish tank

    Before you buy Fish Tanks Make sure to check our excellent articles at this Custom Fish Tanks blog.

    Reply
  5. fishaquariumsupplies Avatar
    fishaquariumsupplies

    Before you buy Aquarium Supplies Make sure to check our excellent articles at this Fish Aquarium Supplies blog.

    Reply
  6. aquarium kits Avatar
    aquarium kits

    Nice to see all good work that goes into the breeding and preservation of the endangered species of marine life.
    Keep up the good work guys.

    Reply
  7. viagra online Avatar
    viagra online

    The size of a typical adult great white shark 4-5,2 meters with mass 680-1100 kg. Females are usually larger than males. The maximum size of great white shark is about 6 meters with a maximum weight of about 2000 kg. The maximum size of great white shark is a hotly debated topic. Richard Ellis and John E. MakKosker recognized scientific experts on sharks, have devoted an entire chapter to this subject in his book “Great White Shark” (1991), which analyze the various reports of the maximum size.
    For several decades, many works on ichthyology, as well as the book of records, called the largest two instances: 10,9 m long shark caught in southern Australian waters near Port Fairy in 1870, and shark length 11,3 m caught in the trap for a herring weir in the province of New Brunswick, Canada in 1930. Reports of the capture of copies 7,5-10 meters long been commonplace, but the above dimensions were a record.
    Some researchers have questioned the reliability of measurements in both cases, since these results were significantly greater than any other results obtained by accurate measurements. Shark of New Brunswick, might not be white and basking shark, as both sharks have similar body shape. Question about the size of the shark from Port Fairy was clarified in 1970 when Gee. J. Reynolds studied sharks mouth and discovered that the shark-Port Fairy was about 5 meters in length. He suggested that in 1870 during the initial measurement was incorrect.
    Ellis and MakKosker determined the size of the largest instance, the length of which was reliably measured in 6,4 meters, which was caught in Cuban waters in 1945. However, in this case, there are experts who claim that the shark was in fact a few feet shorter. Unconfirmed weight of kubins…

    Reply
  8. Buy Viagra Avatar
    Buy Viagra

    Until the 16th century, sharks were known to mariners as “sea dogs”. According to the OED the name “shark” first came into use after Sir John Hawkins’ sailors exhibited one in London in 1569 and used the word to refer to the large sharks of the Caribbean Sea, and later as a general term for all sharks. It has also been suggested to be derived from the Yucatec Maya word for shark

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Discover more from ZooBorns

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading