FRIDAY THE 13TH WAS A LUCKY DAY
FOR SHARK REEF AQUARIUM AT MANDALAY BAY
Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay welcomed four new residents, two female and two male Sandbar shark pups, on Friday, March 13. The new additions averaged 54 centimeters in length and weighed one kilogram at birth.
The female Sandbar shark who gave birth resides in Shark Reef Aquarium’s 1.3-million-gallon Sunken Shipwreck exhibit with 11 other Sandbar sharks. Once the pregnancy was confirmed by the facility’s animal care staff last October, she was transferred to the on-site Husbandry Center . The shark pups were born five months later.
“This is a very rare occurrence,” said Adrienne Rowland, the facility’s director. “To our knowledge, captive breeding and birthing in the United States for this species only has happened successfully at one other facility.”
While not endangered, Sandbar shark populations in the wild are declining partly because of overfishing. These bottom-dwelling sharks are found in the shallow coastal waters in the temperate and tropical zones of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans .
The Sandbar shark pups are currently on display in a special exhibit located in the Gallery section of Shark Reef Aquarium. The shark pups will be available for viewing through July 6, at which time they will be moved to the Husbandry Center until they are mature enough to be introduced into one of the facility’s larger exhibits with sharks of the same species.
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