Sharks/Rays

The shark’s/ray’s skeleton is made up entirely of cartilage. The ray is characterized by its flattened body and large pectoral fins which are fused to its head. Rays also have elongated tails tipped with a sharp spine and when threatened use this spine to deliver either an electric shock or a venomous sting. Aquarists should be extremely careful when handling sharks/rays in an aquarium environment. Most species of sharks/rays are extremely large in size and can easily exceed a few feet in length. Most aquarium species however are much smaller in size. Sharks/Rays are also a highly predatory species and should only be kept by experienced aquarists. Sharks/rays usually come in dark colorations of brown, grey and black.

The most important consideration when purchasing a shark/ray for the home aquarium is its potential size. Most aquarium varieties grow to well over 2 feet in length and require extremely large aquariums with vast swimming spaces to survive. Aquarium sharks/rays are bottom dwelling species of fish and often enjoy burying themselves in the ocean floor. For this reason it is important to house them in an aquarium with a soft substrate of sand or very fine gravel. Sharks/rays also require optimal water conditions to survive and careful attention should be paid to the filtration and water parameters of the aquarium.

Sharks/rays are carnivores and can be fed on a diet of fish, shrimp, squid and scallops.

Sharks/rays are a highly predatory species of fish and are best kept in a species tank or, in the case of very large aquariums. It is important to note that sharks/rays are extremely sensitive to copper and cannot be medicated with medicines that contain copper. This is because the shark’s/ray’s cartilaginous skeleton absorbs the copper, often resulting in sickness or death.