Sharks under Human Care: Challenges and Opportunities

A special issue of Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (ISSN 2673-5636).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 3778

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
2. BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal
Interests: conservation planning; aquatic animals; bioinformatics; ecology; biodiversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquatic ecosystems and their biodiversity are facing unprecedented threats from emerging stressors. With their care facilities, veterinary and breeding expertise, and public communication reach, public aquariums are uniquely placed to help understand and protect biodiversity. These institutions can provide important information on basic biology, life history traits, and genetics for at-risk aquatic species. Sharks, in particular, are among the most threatened groups of vertebrates in the world. Although they have survived all mass extinctions occurring at sea so far, more than 15% of all assessed sharks are currently threatened with extinction. Preserving shark populations is of the utmost importance, since, as top predators, sharks play an important role in maintaining other fish communities and their decline will impact fish populations, fisheries, and the ocean’s overall health. The expertise held at aquariums around the world has the potential to improve conservation chances for many shark species and contribute to enhanced knowledge of in situ and ex situ populations.

This Special Issue focuses on the work developed with or for shark populations kept under human care and its potential to contribute to conservation efforts in situ, increasing our pool of knowledge on these species, or hamper the husbandry and welfare of populations kept under human care.

It aims to assemble and highlight relevant work that can benefit populations of sharks both in situ and ex situ. Work underlining the potential of the expertise acquired with ex situ populations to inform in situ conservation planning and management is especially welcomed, as well as contributions that will increase the global knowledge currently available for these species, either on their basic biology, reproduction, behaviour, health, or other. Reports on the best practices developed in husbandry and/or tested by leading institutions and research on the progress in welfare science would also be valued. Zoological institutions are strategically positioned to advance our current knowledge of sharks; this issue offers the opportunity to examine their potential and progression with the urgency that the current extinction risk entails.

Dr. Rita Da Silva
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • aquarium
  • animal care
  • sharks
  • management
  • conservation
  • ex situ management
  • husbandry
  • aquatic biodiversity

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 577 KiB  
Article
Predatory Responses and Feeding Behaviour of Three Elasmobranch Species in an Aquarium Setting
by Sandra Costa, João Neves, Gonçalo Tirá and José Pedro Andrade
J. Zool. Bot. Gard. 2023, 4(4), 775-787; https://doi.org/10.3390/jzbg4040055 - 2 Dec 2023
Viewed by 2911
Abstract
Many progressive aquariums worldwide house various elasmobranch species as part of their commitment to conservation awareness and the long-term well-being of these creatures. These aquariums face the challenge of enabling these natural predators to live harmoniously with other fish without triggering natural predation. [...] Read more.
Many progressive aquariums worldwide house various elasmobranch species as part of their commitment to conservation awareness and the long-term well-being of these creatures. These aquariums face the challenge of enabling these natural predators to live harmoniously with other fish without triggering natural predation. This research, conducted at Zoomarine Algarve in Southern Portugal, aimed to investigate the behaviour of three elasmobranch species (Carcharhinus melanopterus (1:1:0), Triaenodon obesus (1:0:0), and Pteroplatytrygon violacea (0:3:0)) when exposed to different feeding mechanisms. The goal was to provide them with opportunities for alternative predatory behaviours beyond their typical feeding techniques and to reduce the likelihood of natural predation. The study took place under controlled conditions within a community habitat. Four feeding methods (pole, short buoy, long buoy, and PVC) were tested during morning, afternoon, and evening periods, using five different prey species. The results shed light on which feeding method aligns best with each species’ distinct physiological standards and predatory tendencies and revealed their prey preferences. All three species interacted with all feeding methods, with P. violacea showing a strong preference for the pole method. T. obesus favoured bony fish, while C. melanopterus showed a preference for cephalopods. P. violacea interacted with all prey types but displayed no marked preference. These various feeding methods and prey options also function as environmental enrichment strategies, enhancing the complexity of the habitat and providing the animals with more choices and control, ultimately promoting their welfare in captivity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sharks under Human Care: Challenges and Opportunities)
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