Now is the season for goblin sharks! Before I continue to tell you about the exciting adventures of Goblin girl and Goblin boy, I just want to update you on the news that Tokyo Sea Life Park again has a young male goblin shark on display. He was caught on the 28th of March on ca 140 m of depth. The shark measures ca 1 m.
The news can be found, in Japanese, here:
http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/topic/topics_detail?kind=news&inst=&link_num=14370
6 comments:
Thanks for this very cool update Gg, cannot wait for the video.
Is this first time you hear about goblin shark that has been captured alive ? Can this shark survive in other than deep water ?
Thanks !
Hi James,
no this is not the first time. Published from Japan in the beginning of the '80s is a paper on an - obviously - dying goblin shark.
In January 2007 Tokyo Sea Life Park managed to keep one goblin shark alive in captivity for a few days. They had made an earlier attempt in the '90s. Just a month or so later they managed to keep on alive in a pressure chamber for 14 days.
In May 2007 a Japanese student had one for hours or some days in tank.
Then in January 2009 TSLP had an other goblin shark and Kamogawa sea world two (!), for 16 days. The one from Tokyo died after a few days and was later donated (yes, I had a finger in it) to an exhibition on deep sea animals.
You can also watch them in the Japanese movie Quest for the Goblin Shark where five goblin sharks appear. However, these were pulled up from greater depths and doesn't look too frisky...
Sharks are usually less sensitive to depth than bony fishes. The temperature is more likely to be a problem for the goblin sharks. As well as the stress of capture.
If you are interested, I suggest you go to my own blog. There you can find photos and links to all the live goblin sharks as well as other goblin shark stuff.
Hi Charlott !
Thank you very much for answering.
I've seen a video or too now.
But how are they counting to keep the shark alive this time ? What's going to change in their method compared to last time ?
Hi James,
I don't think that they expect the shark to survive this time. They are always in pretty bad condition when they get them... It's been taken off display now.
GG
Thanks that's a shame ...
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