Velvet belly lanternsharks

LadAShark

Exodon
MFK Member
May 25, 2016
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Hey everyone, it's been a while.

Recently it's come to be that I'll be (most likely) moving from the USA to Ankara to work with Hacettepe medical school for 6 or so years. I live not too far from the mediterranean and I was wondering whether any experts had any suggestions to help keep a velvet belly lanternshark.

It almost definitely a temperate if not cold water shark, and I an interesting in seeing if it could potentially even be bred (though I doubt I can succeed at breeding them) I wouldn't have even considered the shark, however after research I have found that they are found in waters as shallow as 20m. I am aware that the success rate for deep water sharks is low, but I will be working with bycatch from fisheries; sharks that will otherwise have no chance to survive. Can I get some help?

Zoodiver Zoodiver Especially looking for some suggestions and help from you since I know you have worked with sharks quite a bit.

Let me note again (just in case anyone missed it the first time): these sharks are BYCATCH, especially in trawling operations. Left in the hands of fisheries, they will definitely not survive. I am NOT capturing these sharks myself to keep them in an environment they don't belong in.
 
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LadAShark

Exodon
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May 25, 2016
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I don't know of these sharks ever being kept in captivity, good luck with this endeavor !
Thanks!
I've tried reading up on it, and while it seems like lantern sharks might be able to be maintained in captivity, nobody, it seems, has ever tried to keep them in the long term. They've mostly kept them for short term research purposes.

As for the angular roughshark, its ranges, diet, and water temperature is similar to the chain catshark, so I'm pretty sure that it too can potentially be kept in captivity.

I think it's just that there aren't too many people who live near the mediterranean that are keen on keeping these fine creatures.
 

Oompa Loompa

Polypterus
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Feb 6, 2016
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Thanks!
I've tried reading up on it, and while it seems like lantern sharks might be able to be maintained in captivity, nobody, it seems, has ever tried to keep them in the long term. They've mostly kept them for short term research purposes.

As for the angular roughshark, its ranges, diet, and water temperature is similar to the chain catshark, so I'm pretty sure that it too can potentially be kept in captivity.

I think it's just that there aren't too many people who live near the mediterranean that are keen on keeping these fine creatures.
I mean since you're using bycatch, you could definitely experiment. I definitely wouldn't say that the shark doesn't deserve to live a proper and comfortable life, but there's more room for error considering the shark doesn't cost as much. The velvet belly lanternshark would probably be considered similar to a houndshark in swimming patterns, and therefore you could probably keep one for life in a 8x3x2 tank. I'd try to round out the corners or just go with a flat-out oval tank so that they don't have to adapt to corners, they already have to adapt to being confined which is something these sharks have never had to do. I'd do a dark tank, maybe a few low-lying rocks and some black sand substrate. Proper filtration, cool temperatures, and a little bit of luck should have you set
 

LadAShark

Exodon
MFK Member
May 25, 2016
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I mean since you're using bycatch, you could definitely experiment. I definitely wouldn't say that the shark doesn't deserve to live a proper and comfortable life, but there's more room for error considering the shark doesn't cost as much. The velvet belly lanternshark would probably be considered similar to a houndshark in swimming patterns, and therefore you could probably keep one for life in a 8x3x2 tank. I'd try to round out the corners or just go with a flat-out oval tank so that they don't have to adapt to corners, they already have to adapt to being confined which is something these sharks have never had to do. I'd do a dark tank, maybe a few low-lying rocks and some black sand substrate. Proper filtration, cool temperatures, and a little bit of luck should have you set
That's exactly what I was thinking. I wouldn't be suprised if the fishermen were willing to give them to me for free or even for 10 lira each ($3).

I'm thinking for lighting I might use some sort of red light or something. Just something that the sharks can't see, as I will need to be able to see the tank to take care of potential issues.

I'm wondering what I should do for live rock? I'm pretty sure standard live rock will have a lot of die off in cold water. Hmm.
 

Chub_by

Redtail Catfish
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Jan 30, 2012
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This seems like a very cool project. How did you find your source and can they supply you with other interesting species other than sharks?
 

Oompa Loompa

Polypterus
MFK Member
Feb 6, 2016
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That's exactly what I was thinking. I wouldn't be suprised if the fishermen were willing to give them to me for free or even for 10 lira each ($3).

I'm thinking for lighting I might use some sort of red light or something. Just something that the sharks can't see, as I will need to be able to see the tank to take care of potential issues.

I'm wondering what I should do for live rock? I'm pretty sure standard live rock will have a lot of die off in cold water. Hmm.
If they are bycatch, and you make friends with the fishermen (maybe help them out with a little bit of work or something), I doubt they will charge you. Good connections are better than lots of money, in the long run.

Lighting, I honestly don't know what you would do - could be a fun experiment, building your own LED unit would be useful here as you could swap out lights somewhat easily as necessary. There is a necessary balance between being able to see the animal and the animal thriving. I would suggest contacting Monterey Bay Aquarium as they had a deep sea exhibit in the 90's, and they had a species of deep-sea catshark in their exhibit.

For substrate and rock in the tank, I would ask the fishermen to try and get you some. This is a very specific tank that has likely never been done before, so you wouldn't want to screw it all up (and waste money) by using Caribbean warm-water sand and rock. Ask them to get you some silt from the bottom (this actually may be a problem if it's too fine, try and get some from a beach near where the fish are collected I guess) and ask them to snag you a few rocks (if they use nets to fish - if they're hook and line or longline fishing or trapping, again go get some from a beach near where the fish is being caught)
 

Oompa Loompa

Polypterus
MFK Member
Feb 6, 2016
808
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This seems like a very cool project. How did you find your source and can they supply you with other interesting species other than sharks?
Indeed, it's a pretty awesome project. It would be pretty cool to try some other species in the tank, maybe a ratfish, some cool benthic invertebrates, there are so many options here.
 

LadAShark

Exodon
MFK Member
May 25, 2016
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This seems like a very cool project. How did you find your source and can they supply you with other interesting species other than sharks?
So far my main source is a diver, and I've been talking to the fishermen. In short, I'm not compeltely there yet, but I'm not far. But I do think they could supply me with other interesting species, it's just I'm not sure whether most other critters will survive being bycatch. Especially in the case of fish with swim bladders.

If they are bycatch, and you make friends with the fishermen (maybe help them out with a little bit of work or something), I doubt they will charge you. Good connections are better than lots of money, in the long run.

Lighting, I honestly don't know what you would do - could be a fun experiment, building your own LED unit would be useful here as you could swap out lights somewhat easily as necessary. There is a necessary balance between being able to see the animal and the animal thriving. I would suggest contacting Monterey Bay Aquarium as they had a deep sea exhibit in the 90's, and they had a species of deep-sea catshark in their exhibit.

For substrate and rock in the tank, I would ask the fishermen to try and get you some. This is a very specific tank that has likely never been done before, so you wouldn't want to screw it all up (and waste money) by using Caribbean warm-water sand and rock. Ask them to get you some silt from the bottom (this actually may be a problem if it's too fine, try and get some from a beach near where the fish are collected I guess) and ask them to snag you a few rocks (if they use nets to fish - if they're hook and line or longline fishing or trapping, again go get some from a beach near where the fish is being caught)
Woah I actually didn't think of that. I think I could definitely ask for that! As I mentioned, I do have a diver friend who dives the mediterranean professionally, so I'm thinking I could perhaps ask him for some rocks as well.

Indeed, it's a pretty awesome project. It would be pretty cool to try some other species in the tank, maybe a ratfish, some cool benthic invertebrates, there are so many options here.
Thanks for the enthusiasm! I have been so busy figuring things out at the medical school and looking into the sharks that I haven't been able to think much on the inverts and tank mates! But I know I want a good cleanup crew for sure, as they make it that much easier to keep the tank clean. I'm going to be looking into chitons and other armored critters, as sharks will otherwise have a snack.
 
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