Husbandry and growth rates of neonate epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum in captivity

In this report, I describe husbandry techniques that are used to successfully hatch and raise epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum , in captivity. Egg cases and hatchlings were held in floating baskets within a 1,306‐L tank, at water temperatures of 24.4–25.5°C. From 56 egg cases, 27 neonates successfully hatched, and 22 survived. Based on seven tagged egg cases, the average gestation time was 140.3 ± 4.6 days with a range of 134 and 148 days. Upon hatching, neonate length was 16.2 ± 0.522 cm, with a range of 15.24–17.30 cm, and weight was 19.9 ± 2.06 g, with a range of 16.50–24.5 g. Growth rates of four individuals were recorded over time. Finely chopped capelin, Mallotus villosus , fillets, supplemented with a multivitamin were the primary food items accepted by neonates. The success in rearing H. ocellatum can likely be attributed to a low stress environment, limited disruption, an easy to consume diet, multivitamin supplementation, and excellent water quality. Zoo Biol 31:718‐724, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.