Birth of Shark Pups Is a First in Captivity

Shark! Three blacktip shark pups, to be precise.

The would-be reef-prowling trio began their lifelong swim early Friday, distinguished by being the first of their species born in captivity, handlers at Sea World said.

A 9-year-old blacktip gave birth to two 20-inch pups and a 14-inch “runt” about 6:30 a.m., after a 14-month gestation period, said Carl Jantsch, assistant curator of fishes at the aquatic park.

Native to tropical waters off Hawaii, Australia and the east coast of Africa, blacktips derive their name from the dark coloring on their appendages, Jantsch said.

The pups, with their distinctive tail and fin markings, bear striking resemblance to the rest of their species.

“They are sharks in miniature,” Jantsch said. “They come fully equipped. The mother has very little to do with them after birth.”

One of the things she doesn’t do is eat them. “That helps,” he said, adding that sharks are known to feed on smaller sharks, sometimes of the same species, Jantsch said.

There are other hardships.

Besides being left at birth to survive on their own, Jantsch said, the blacktip shark is different from other reef-dwelling species because it has a “swimming requirement.”

“Once it starts swimming, it never stops,” he said. “At least not on purpose.”

To make the beginning easier for the pups, handlers will give them bits of their favorite feed: fish, shrimp, squid, lobster.

During the 14 months of gestation, researchers discovered new information. For example, Jantsch said, it was previously unknown how long the gestation period lasted. And the life span of the blacktip, another unknown, can now be tracked.

Keepers have yet to handle the newborns--two of which are male, the third not immediately determined--so as not to disrupt their early development.

On Friday, Sea World officials were content to just observe.

“The ultimate thing you can do is to raise an animal to give birth,” Jantsch said. “It means you must be doing something right.”