Since early September 2013, visitors to NAUSICAA (in Boulogne sur Mer on the Channel coast, 2 hours drive from Brussels) have been able to see five new sandbar sharks, which have joined their peers – three other sandbar sharks and three sand tiger sharks – in the large open sea pool.

Born in a partner aquarium, the five newcomers form part of a breeding programme. After spending some time putting on weight in NAUSICAA’s reserves, the baby sharks are now living in the public eye; visitors can walk along the jetty and see them from the surface of the water or enjoy an unforgettable face-to-face view from the underwater observatory.

 

 

NAUSICAA’s sharks

NAUSICAA displays sharks in order to inform as many people as possible of the fragility of shark populations: 100 million sharks disappear every year and one-third of the species is endangered(source: IUCN). In keeping with its mission and culture, the Centre raises visitor awareness in an entertaining, educational way, offering activities for all the family, meetings with shark trainers, live links with correspondents on TV NAUSICAA, etc.

Number of sharks at NAUSICAA: Over 140

Number of different species: at the moment, there are 12 different species in NAUSICAA’s pools(leopard sharks, nurse sharks, zebra sharks, sand tiger sharks, sandbar sharks …)

The oldest residents: 4 of our sharks (1 sand tiger shark, 3 sandbar sharks) have been atNAUSICAA since 1991

Births: we regularly have births of sharks from European coasts (small-spotted catsharks and large-spotted dogfish) and our participation in various breeding programmes should lead to other births in the near future.

NAUSICAA’s sandbar sharks

In October 2008, NAUSICAA achieved a world first, with the help of a veterinary surgeon whospecialises in sharks: a surgical operation on one of NAUSICAA’s sandbar sharks.

The shark trainers had noticed a lump protruding from the stomach of one of the oldest residents, a sandbar shark aged around 20 and measuring 2 metres in length. With the help of a veterinary surgeon who specialises in sharks, the trainers put the animal to sleep then captured it, taking great care not to damage it or get bitten. The operation was a great success and theshark is now living peacefully with the others.

The sandbar shark in the Ocean

The sandbar shark’s scientific name is Carcharhinus plumbeus. It belongs to the Carcharhinidaefamily, from the Greek “karcharos” meaning “sharp” and “rhinos” meaning “nose”.

It is found mainly in the waters of subtropical and temperate zones in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. The sandbar shark lives on sandy or coral sea beds, in estuaries, etc. The sandbar shark migrates.

It is a benthopelagic species, i.e. it hunts on the sea bed and in the water column, from the intertidal zone to a depth of up to 320 m. It preys on benthic fish, rays, cephalopods andcrustaceans.

The sandbar shark is a viviparous animal that reproduces once a year, from spring to summer.Gestation lasts nine months. A batch may contain 1 to 16 babies measuring up to 55 cm at birth. At adult age, the average length of a sandbar shark is 2 m for a male with a maximum of 2.50 mand a record weight of nearly 118 kg.

The sandbar shark is on the IUCN Red List of vulnerable species. It is one of the most widely consumed species worldwide, for its fins, flesh (sold fresh, smoked, dried, salted or frozen), skin and oil. It is also used in Chinese medicine. In certain countries, the sandbar shark is a protected species and authorised captures are carefully controlled.