Category
Basic
Description
An inhabitant of the north Indo-Pacific Ocean, the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) is a demersal, ambush predator of fish and invertebrates. Despite the known abundance of C. plagiosum, there is limited diagnostic information on their growth beyond embryonic development and hatching. A population of this species under managed care provides a unique opportunity to chart growth from the respective stages of life such as egg hatchling, sub-adult, and adult life stages. Through this research, we set out to chart the growth parameters on three hatchling bamboo sharks from a weekly data collection. These parameters include weight (g), sex, pre-caudal length (cm), fork length (cm), and total length (cm). Hatchlings are housed in a 300-gallon mesocosm to provide adequate space for normal cryptic behaviors. Each shark is target-fed to ensure that each animal has an optimal diet for growth and development. The unique markings on each shark promote identification over the course of this multi-year study in captivity. The limitations of this study under managed care underscore the benefits of accurately being able to identify the growth patterns of bamboo sharks to better understand optimal growth patterns of each individual. Due to the habitat needs of each shark, this study will focus on three hatchlings but will also consolidate body condition from sub-adult and adult bamboo sharks in aquatic displays at the same facility. These findings will be used to inform husbandry of this enigmatic species and will expectantly be useful to inform population assessments of wild populations.
An Evaluation of White-Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) Development
Basic
An inhabitant of the north Indo-Pacific Ocean, the whitespotted bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum) is a demersal, ambush predator of fish and invertebrates. Despite the known abundance of C. plagiosum, there is limited diagnostic information on their growth beyond embryonic development and hatching. A population of this species under managed care provides a unique opportunity to chart growth from the respective stages of life such as egg hatchling, sub-adult, and adult life stages. Through this research, we set out to chart the growth parameters on three hatchling bamboo sharks from a weekly data collection. These parameters include weight (g), sex, pre-caudal length (cm), fork length (cm), and total length (cm). Hatchlings are housed in a 300-gallon mesocosm to provide adequate space for normal cryptic behaviors. Each shark is target-fed to ensure that each animal has an optimal diet for growth and development. The unique markings on each shark promote identification over the course of this multi-year study in captivity. The limitations of this study under managed care underscore the benefits of accurately being able to identify the growth patterns of bamboo sharks to better understand optimal growth patterns of each individual. Due to the habitat needs of each shark, this study will focus on three hatchlings but will also consolidate body condition from sub-adult and adult bamboo sharks in aquatic displays at the same facility. These findings will be used to inform husbandry of this enigmatic species and will expectantly be useful to inform population assessments of wild populations.
