IT can probably be described as an unusual day at work when you empty a mermaid’s purse and a shark is born in your hands.
But that’s what happened at Weymouth’s Sea Life Adventure Park when a baby banded bamboo shark was born while display supervisor Kico Iraolas’ was doing a check on the resident egg cases – also known as mermaids’ purses – on Mothering Sunday.
Adult banded bamboo sharks at the park in Shark Reef lay eggs very often, so when aquarists carry out regular tank cleans, they collect up all the eggs and the fertile ones are placed in a tank in the Nursery Po’ on clips near the surface until they hatch.
The egg cases are regularly checked by the Animal Care Team who shine a torch from behind the egg case to check that the embryos are developing healthily.
Since hatching, the shark is doing well and will hopefully continue to thrive under the careful supervision of the Animal Care Team at the park.
Banded bamboo sharks are classified as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list and threats to them include habitat loss, pollution and hunting.
These sharks will typically stay in their egg cases for up to six months, but when they are born is very dependent on their environment. Water temperature and quality will affect whether or not the shark is ready to hatch.
Shark eggs and hatchlings are cared for in the Shark Reef, the Bay of Rays and the Nursery Pod display areas at the Sea Life centre
Empty egg-cases or mermaids’ purses are a favourite prop of the Park’s entertainers during the special talks they give visitors at feeding times.
VIDEO: See what ray and shark embryos look like inside their egg cases.
