Blacktip Shark Pups Born at the Albuquerque Aquarium

The Albuquerque Biological Park is pleased to announce four new sharks at the Albuquerque Aquarium! A 9-year old blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) gave birth to pups on January 19, 2008.

Aquarium staff went to great lengths to help ensure a successful delivery, holding 24-hour watches on the pregnant female for days prior to the births.

When the first pup was born late Saturday evening, the aquarist on duty immediately notified the rest of the staff. They gathered as quickly as possible and worked together to remove the four newborn pups from the shark tank.

In the wild, sharks tend to give birth in secluded areas. This lowers the chances that a hungry predator is nearby and allows the young to adjust to life in the open ocean.

Here at the Albuquerque Aquarium, the other fish in the Ocean Tank are potential predators for newborn pups. The Aquarium staff used nets on long poles and scuba gear to catch them. In the videos above, you can see divers waiting for a pup to emerge. The pups were moved to a special tank behind-the-scenes for several weeks.

Now, three of the pups are on exhibit in the Shallows and Shores tank, where visitors can view them swimming among stingrays, sea bass and other fish. (The fourth pup is behind-the-scenes being treated for a minor fin injury.)

Did you know?

• Blacktip sharks are viviparous. The young develop inside the mother's uterus, where she provides the nutrients they need. The gestation period is 10-12 months. The young pups are born live and ready to swim!

• Unlike most animals, it is normal for blacktip sharks to be born tail first.

• The newborn pups were 20-25 inches long at birth. They could grow to over 5 feet long!

• The mother shark is 9 years old and came to the Albuquerque Aquarium as a pup from the Florida Keys.

A Rare Opportunity

“This may be one of the first, possibly the first, recorded birth of blacktip sharks in captivity,” stated Aquarium Manager Holly Casman.  “This is an important step for shark conservation. We’re documenting our efforts in the hope that our research will provide other facilities with new information about shark reproduction.”

Read more about blacktip sharks.