A baby whitetip reef shark born at the aquarium is on display! This marks the 2024th shark species successfully bred in 10.
The first baby whitetip reef shark born at our aquarium in two yearsIt will be unveiled in the "Shark Sea 2024" tank from Tuesday, September 9, 3, and is currently on display in the "Sharks of the World" tank.
| Exhibition place | "Sharks of the World" tank (3rd floor, Eternal Sea Zone) |
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The whitetip reef shark is a member of the Carcharhinidae family that inhabits warm waters such as the coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean. On August 2024, 8, a mother shark gave birth to four young fish measuring approximately 19 cm in length in the backyard, marking the second successful breeding event at the aquarium. On the second day after birth, the young fish were confirmed to be in a stable condition, such as eating food (such as fillets of horse mackerel) given by the zookeeper, so they were exhibited in the aquarium's "Shark Sea 68" exhibition tank. After that, they were moved to the "Sharks of the World" tank where the parent shark lives, where visitors can watch the mother and child swim together.
Additionally, the "Sharks of the World" tank is also exhibiting the aquarium's first breeding whitetip reef shark, born in 2022. It has now grown large and healthy, and you can see it swimming with its parent shark.
Since the aquarium opened, it has successfully bred 27 species of sharks, 12 of which are breeding for the first time in Japan. This year, 10 species of sharks have bred, including the whitetip reef shark. In March, it successfully bred a striped shark for the first time in Japan, and the adorable appearance of the baby shark became a hot topic. In the "Samekko Room" on the fifth floor of the aquarium, baby sharks born at the aquarium are on display, and the latest information on shark breeding research at the aquarium is constantly being introduced.
The keepers who support the breeding and exhibition of the largest number of shark species in Japan not only observe the animals daily, but also work hard to manage the health of the sharks through trial and error to create a better environment. In order to study the ecology of sharks, which are shrouded in mystery, and to exhibit them in a sustainable manner, they also work tirelessly every day to breed sharks in their tanks in cooperation with aquariums and other facilities both in Japan and overseas.