Mustelus henlei

[foothead]

Does anyone have info about keeping Mustelus henlei in captivity? I was wondering about converting my large pond into a sw tank and putting one and a couple rays in it. If I cannot keep one for some reason, I was also thinking of some sort of catshark, or possibly just an all ray pond.

Also, is it possible to get rays with the stinger removed, so they can be handled?

 

[Deano1956]

Does anyone have info about keeping Mustelus henlei in captivity? I was wondering about converting my large pond into a sw tank and putting one and a couple rays in it. If I cannot keep one for some reason, I was also thinking of some sort of catshark, or possibly just an all ray pond.

Also, is it possible to get rays with the stinger removed, so they can be handled?

I dont know what a mustelus henlei is but you can remove the barbs on the rays yourself, but I dont know why you would want to do that.

 

[foothead]

M. Henlei is a type of smoothhound.

I would want the barbs removed from rays so I could handle them.

 

[Deano1956]

i handle mine all the time with the barbs on them, no problems

 

[foothead]

Oh allright then. I mainly want to be able to hand feed them.

 

[Jabba954]

Oh allright then. I mainly want to be able to hand feed them.

You know where the food goes in, right?

Just messing with you... what rays are you thinking?

 

[Deano1956]

i hand feed mine and my grandkids too!

 

[Deano1956]

Oh allright then. I mainly want to be able to hand feed them.

i will make a small video tonight to show you about hand feeding.

 

[foothead]

Okay thanks!

I have handfed ones at sea world before (a very long time ago though) and they were all very used to people sticking their hands in. They also had their stingers removed, so I assumed that it might be a normal thing.

I am not really sure what type of rays I want, I guess it will boil down to whatever the fish store is able to get for me.

The one thing I am still worried about is if the rays will sting my cat. She has fallen into the pond quite a few times, and I imagine that might make the rays feel threatened.

Btw, still looking for info on M. Henlei. It is most commonly known as 'brown smoothhound' but I have seen M. Mustelus, and a couple others called that by suppliers.

 

[krj-1168]

Mustelus henlei - is the Brown Smoothhound. Sometimes they are referred to as the Pacific Brown Smoothhounds - because they have the same basic range as the Gray Smoothhound. But Browns only reach about 39 inches long.

They also seem to be less hardy than the grays, and are usually considered to be more difficult to keep. Either way - for smoothhounds - our looking at keeping water temps below 70F.