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Bioenergetics of the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas , maintained in captivity
Author(s) -
Schmid T. H.,
Murru F. L.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
zoo biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.5
H-Index - 54
eISSN - 1098-2361
pISSN - 0733-3188
DOI - 10.1002/zoo.1430130209
Subject(s) - carcharhinus , biology , captivity , bioenergetics , zoology , body weight , leucas , fishery , ecology , endocrinology , mitochondrion , microbiology and biotechnology
Understanding the energy requirements for captive sharks is important for their successful long‐term maintenance. This information is critical in assessing the health of the animals and the suitability of their environment. We studied five bull sharks ( Carcharhinus leucas ) for up to 7 years in a 2.5 × 10 6 liter oceanarium. Individual animal feedings provided information for food intake analysis. During the first 3 years, fork length increase was estimated to have averaged 1.9 cm/month (s.d. = 0.1), or 23.0 cm/year. Biannual measurements, begun in the fourth year, showed that growth rates decreased during the next 4 years to a mean rate of 0.6 cm/month (s.d. = 0.2), or about 7.0 cm/year. Mean food consumption from June 1988 to December 1992 was 3.4% body weight per week. Caloric conversion of weights incorporated into a simple bioenergetics model providing mean metabolic expenditures per animal was 5.7 (s.d. = 0.3) and 4 (s.d. = 0.5) kcal/kg/day for 1991 and 1992, respectively. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.