Bioenergetics of the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, maintained in captivity

摘要: Understanding the energy requirements for captive sharks is important their successful long-term maintenance. This information critical in assessing health of animals and suitability environment. We studied five bull (Carcharhinus leucas) up to 7 years a 2.5 × 106 liter oceanarium. Individual animal feedings provided food intake analysis. During first 3 years, fork length increase was estimated have averaged 1.9 cm/month (s.d. = 0.1), or 23.0 cm/year. Biannual measurements, begun fourth year, showed that growth rates decreased during next 4 mean rate 0.6 0.2), about 7.0 Mean consumption from June 1988 December 1992 3.4% body weight per week. Caloric conversion weights incorporated into simple bioenergetics model providing metabolic expenditures 5.7 0.3) 0.5) kcal/kg/day 1991 1992, respectively. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.