I just finished reading "Death at Seaworld", which brought up some interesting questions in regards to all marine life kept in captivity. Among them were swimming requirements and need for enrichment, as well as recognition of the keeper. I can explain away the swimming requirements of sharks because I know that there are ways to keep the fish swimming for quite a bit, or at least the smaller/more sedentary species. I don't know about elasmobranch needs for enrichment nor if they can recognize the hand that feeds them. Cetaceans are highly intelligent, but what about sharks?
Intelligence of sharks?
- Thread starter ichthyogeek
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Good book have u seen the documentary called black fish? And yes for sharks in captivity like black and white tips it should be about length especially if they are wild caught they are gonna go from traveling miles a day to only swimming 15-20ft back and forth and sharks are more than intelligent to understand what's going on in captivity. Bamboo sharks and marble cats are a different story they don't move around a lot and only do for food I would suggest 300+ gallons for one or a nice sized pond indoor. Also most fish and fish keepers share a bond and are freindly and familiar of each other, I u have no trust in ur fish then there's no point in keeping them, I'm seen vids of fish keepers getting in their arapaima and piranha tanks I myself have my hand in my tank with my stingray and I am very aware of the amount of pain it can cause if I was tagged. Are you thinking about getting a SW shark?
I haven't yet, and am not really sure if I should. From what I've seen, the producer did a few things that I disagree with. Some of the trainers interviewed say that their statements were perverted, and another said that very few of his statements were not included because they were not concurrent with what the producers wanted. Yet another former trainer said that the whales featured, were not the whales mentioned (it was in AdvancedAquarist). Sounds like a whale of a problem to me...
So...do you think the more sedentary sharks are less intelligent than the open water sharks? Or do you think they're just more lazy? Also, have there been any reports of private-owned sharks attacking their keepers, similar to Tillikum, Tekoa, and other orcas (ok, not dragging their keepers into the pool per se, but something like biting the keeper, or stinging the keeper on purpose)?
I do eventually want to keep bonnetheads, epaullettes, bamboos, some "shark-looking" shark, and other elasmobranches...but for now I'm going to college. Dr. Naomi Rose doesn't think that cetaceans should be kept in captivity, and I'm just wondering if the same should be said for elasmobranches. I've seen what looked like a Port Jackson shark in this ridiculously tiny 200 gallon aquarium (approximation here).
So...do you think the more sedentary sharks are less intelligent than the open water sharks? Or do you think they're just more lazy? Also, have there been any reports of private-owned sharks attacking their keepers, similar to Tillikum, Tekoa, and other orcas (ok, not dragging their keepers into the pool per se, but something like biting the keeper, or stinging the keeper on purpose)?
I do eventually want to keep bonnetheads, epaullettes, bamboos, some "shark-looking" shark, and other elasmobranches...but for now I'm going to college. Dr. Naomi Rose doesn't think that cetaceans should be kept in captivity, and I'm just wondering if the same should be said for elasmobranches. I've seen what looked like a Port Jackson shark in this ridiculously tiny 200 gallon aquarium (approximation here).
My pup knew the difference between the salmon and my hand and would swim twords my hand and brush up aginst me but not bite.
Blackfish is a LIE and a SCAM. None of it can be taken as fact. It is NOT a documentary at all.
All of those AR groups are scams (PETA, HSUS etc... and 'new agencies' like The Dodo). They confuse emotion for facts and will lie and twist info to gain sympathy. Dr. Rose is an AR person (on the payrole for HSUS) who doesn't use facts and doesn't have enough experience to make the outlandish claims she makes. She works closely with the same groups who kill animals instead of letting people care for them.
Sharks are highly intelligent. They respond very well to conditioning and shaping of natural behaviors (same are marine mammals). Keeping sharks healthy is a balance of science and art.
All of those AR groups are scams (PETA, HSUS etc... and 'new agencies' like The Dodo). They confuse emotion for facts and will lie and twist info to gain sympathy. Dr. Rose is an AR person (on the payrole for HSUS) who doesn't use facts and doesn't have enough experience to make the outlandish claims she makes. She works closely with the same groups who kill animals instead of letting people care for them.
Sharks are highly intelligent. They respond very well to conditioning and shaping of natural behaviors (same are marine mammals). Keeping sharks healthy is a balance of science and art.
Hmm...that sounds incredibly interesting. I did recently watch her TedX talk, and after thinking about it...she really didn't bring up facts, did she? There were no statistics, just her claims about family groups. Although, I also do kind of agree about the whole pod-family sort of thing....
When you say conditioning/shaping of natural behaviors, what does that entail in sharks? I'm not exactly as familiar with shark behaviors as I am with whale behaviors.
When you say conditioning/shaping of natural behaviors, what does that entail in sharks? I'm not exactly as familiar with shark behaviors as I am with whale behaviors.
Well I can tell you that my sharks have learned behaviors for sure! I see them doing new things based on my repetitive inputs/feeding or tank mates. From listening to the Rays slap the water, Mono's feeding, targeted feeding... it just goes on and on the more interactive you are with them and depending on how active the shark species is.
No, they aren't. I go into enrichment and the Shark brain in my eBook that will be coming out later this year. Sharks are very intelligent (for fish). I go over training basics, what behaviors to train for, and how these behaviors affect your overall care for the Shark or Ray.
I love having my sharks and rays flex their brain muscles, and they also help out in their own health care by learning behaviors. Right now I can do Barb trims, blood draws, inject medications, and remove a Ray or Shark without chasing it with a net with the trained behaviors of my sharks and rays.
