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August 3, 2006

Baby Sharks Hatched at Zoo

The first two of 19 shark eggs have hatched at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo.

The two epaulette sharks—named for the large spot or ‘epaulette’ on their side—hatched at the zoo’s aquarium on July 17 and 18. A total of 19 eggs were laid by the zoo’s adult epaulette sharks, ages 11 and 12, in March. Zoo divers retrieved the eggs from the 50,000-gallon aquarium so they would not be eaten by the other sharks in the tank. The eggs were placed in a small pool where they could be carefully monitored by the aquarium staff. After more than 130 days in the pool, the first two eggs hatched. The remaining 17 eggs are expected to hatch over the next few days or weeks.

In the wild, baby epaulette sharks receive no care whatsoever from their parents. They are native to Australian waters, where they live in and around coral reefs. Their spots offer camouflage as they lay on the ocean floor.

For now, the two pale, spotted, eight-inch-long hatchlings live in a tank behind the scenes at the aquarium. “The hatchlings are in a critical developmental stage,” says Aquarium Manager Gary Stoops. “At this age, the challenge is to get them to feed on their own.” Epaulette sharks feed on small fish, mussels, shrimp, and other marine invertebrates.

Epaulette sharks are common residents of public aquariums, but it is unusual for them to lay eggs. “Breeding sharks in an aquarium is not a common event, but when you have sharks, it’s something you always hope will happen,” says Stoops. Research shows that only about a third of epaulette shark hatchlings survive the first six months of life.

The zoo’s adult epaulette sharks, which were hatched at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, can be seen daily in the zoo’s shark tank. The babies will not join their parents in the exhibit until they are much larger, because at their current size, the tank’s black-tip sharks could easily mistake them for lunch.

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo is one of northeast Indiana’s major attractions, drawing 500,000 visitors every year. The zoo was named one of the country’s “Ten Best Zoos for Kids” by Child magazine in 2004.

The zoo is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until October 15. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $5.00 for children age 2-14 and for seniors over age 60. Babies age 1 and under and Zoo Society Members are admitted free.

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