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Rare Prickly Shark Has Just Gone on Exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey, CA - A rarely seen prickly shark has just gone on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The rarely seen deep-water shark was collected last night (Tuesday, June 9) in Monterey Bay – only the 2nd time that one of these animals has ever been seen alive outside the wild. The shark will remain at the aquarium as long as it is in good health. The only other prickly shark exhibited anywhere in the world was exhibited at the aquarium in July 1990 and returned to the wild seven days later. The prickly shark arrived a day after the aquarium put on permanent exhibit three cowcod – one of the largest of all rockfish species. They have never been exhibited anywhere in the world until now – and are protected in the wild because their numbers have been severely depleted by overfishing. When: Starting today, June 10 Where: Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit, Monterey Bay Aquarium
The 6-foot, 8-inch male weighs 189 pounds. It is only the second of its species ever to be kept at an aquarium. Little is known about the biology and behavior of prickly sharks in the wild. The prickly shark (related to the bramble shark) has rough, thornlike spines on the scales of its upper body. Its other distinctive features are two dorsal fins near the tale, rather than the single prominent fin associated with many sharks. A sluggish bottom-dweller, it feeds on fishes, other sharks, octopus, squid and crustaceans. It carries fertilized eggs inside its body but gives birth to live young. The cowcod added on June 9 were collected by researchers at Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in waters more than 1,000 feet deep, at Tanner Bank off San Diego, and donated to the aquarium. They are a fish of significant importance because they were overfished and are currently protected. They have never been exhibited at any aquarium before. To view Monterey Bay Aquarium's web page on Zoo and Aquarium Visitor, go to: http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-560-Monterey_Bay_Aquarium UpdateAn uncommon deep-water prickly shark collected late Tuesday night was released in Monterey Bay about 15 hours after it was placed on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Staff biologists monitoring its condition on exhibit observed that it appeared to be too buoyant to swim easily, and decided that it was in the shark’s best interest to return it to the wild as quickly as possible. Shortly after 1 p.m., the shark was transported in the aquarium’s collecting boat, the Lucile, and was released at the surface in waters 250 feet deep offshore of the City of Marina. Observers on the boat said it swam off strongly.
The shark carries an electronic data tag that is programmed to pop free from the shark within six months. If the tag functions properly, it will report back with data on where the prickly shark traveled, and the water depths and temperatures it favored.
The only other prickly shark exhibited anywhere in the world was kept at the aquarium in July 1990 and returned to the wild seven days later.
Background: For only the second time ever, an odd-looking deep-water prickly shark, Echinorhinus cookei, was collected and placed on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The shark, found around the Pacific Rim at depths to 3,000 feet, was collected at the head of the Monterey submarine canyon off Moss Landing – an area where the aquarium had supported research by a Moss Landing Research Laboratories graduate student who documented daily migrations of prickly sharks from deep waters of the canyon to the shallows of the canyon head.
The shark was a 6-foot, 8-inch male that weighed 189 pounds. Little is known about the biology and behavior of prickly sharks in the wild.
The prickly shark (related to the bramble shark) has rough, thornlike spines on the scales of its upper body. Its other distinctive features are two dorsal fins near the tale, rather than the single prominent fin associated with many sharks. A sluggish bottom-dweller, it feeds on fishes, other sharks, octopus, squid and crustaceans. It carries fertilized eggs inside its body but gives birth to live young.
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By Kasia Deuel
Description: For only the second time ever, an odd-looking deep-water prickly shark, Echinorhinus cookei, has been collected and placed on exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The shark, found around the Pacific Rim at depths of to 3,000 feet, was collected at the head of the Monterey submarine canyon off Moss Landing – an area where the aquarium had supported research by a Moss Landing Research Laboratories graduate student who documented daily migrations of prickly sharks from the deep waters of the canyon to the shallows of the canyon head. 
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Irresponsible Board of Management
Maybe , just maybe The Toronto Zoo Board Is In The Middle Of A Financial Crisis And There Is No Place To Go But To City Council like a wayward son go to Mom and Dad for more money...
Although it was made clear by Shelley Carroll (the City's Budget Chief) that the Toronto Zoo has to behave more financially responsible, perhaps the problem is that there is no place else to go. The $250 Million fund-raising plans are a pipe dream (especially after firing the Zoo Foundation), it is not possible to raise admission prices any longer (or face a significant drop in attendance) and the "junkets" (especially to China for the Giant Pandas) by members of the Zoo Board can not be cut significantly for any reason. In other words, there is no place to go but City Council. What a crock! The Toronto Zoo Board needs a reality check, as it has become clear that they do not understand the problems they are facing. Perhaps the thousands of free Zoo passes given to Councillors on the Zoo Board could be cut to zero, perhaps the Zoo Foundation could be re-instated, and perhaps a citizen's advisory committee could be formed to provide much-needed guidance to the existing members of the Board.
This is Proof positive
that citizens should have more direct say in the budget process. Line item veto by a citizen's budget committee might get the desired cuts we must attain. The citizens of Toronto should stand with one voice that we just won't allow a property tax increase this year.
By Latinoboy in TORONTO
Ethyl Mercaptan
I would be quite interested in any reference you might have to the presence of ethyl mercaptan in carrion. Most literature indicates that dimethyl sulfide and methyl mercaptan are the sulfur containing entities involved. I had also thought that vultures, like many carrion eating and inhabiting species (flies, etc) were attracted to the rather bad smell of the nitrogenous materials (cadaverine, putresceine, etc) produced during decomposition.
Ant farms
Very nice ant exhibit! I wrote a small ant farm post with a reference to your article.
Train Business Directory Available for Visitors
A "Train Business Directory" shows over 850 locations near all of the Portland MAX light rail at PortlandLightRail.net.
Happy Birthday, Boomer!
You are a great ambassador for your cousins in the wild, Boomer!
Orangutans are critically endangered because of rapid deforestation and the expansion of palm oil plantations.
If nothing is done to protect orangutans, they could be extinct in just a few years!
Your fans can visit the Orangutan Outreach website to make a difference!
Orangutan Outreach
http://redapes.org
Reach out and save the orangutans!
Facebook Cause: http://causes.com/redapes
Venemous snakes?
What is it with people that want to exterminate venemous snakes? If they weren't an integral part of the food chain and ecosystem, they wouldn't be here! Evolution and natural selection has chosen them as survivors! The fact that they are "harmful" to humans is only a result of humans encroaching on their territories and habitats. Be mindful of your surroundings and situation and you can safely live with the so called "harmful" species that we share this planet with!
Local wildlife day
Good luck with the event. We have some fabulous wildlife in Devon that's really worth celebrating. We recently had a botanical survey of our small Devon nature reserve, which recorded more than 180 species in about 3.5 acres. And even more amazing was the depth of local knowledge the visiting naturalists had to share - on everything from obscure moths to lichens.
Local wildlife day
Good luck with the event. We have some fabulous wildlife in Devon that's really worth celebrating. We recently had a botanical survey of our small Devon nature reserve, which recorded more than 180 species in about 3.5 acres. And even more amazing was the depth of local knowledge the visiting naturalists had to share - on everything from obscure moths to lichens.
Sadly, a lack of common sense is the trend
What is sad to me is the lack of common sense regarding venomous snakes that seems to becoming more commonplace.
It has become trendy for government agencies to defend venomous snakes, saying they kill rodents, etc., but non-venomous snakes also kill rodents. I have not heard one logical argument as to what a venomous snake contributes to an ecosystem that a non-venomous snake doesn't.
Any non-biased biologist can affirm species extinction has always happened naturally. It's common sense to kill a venomous snake, rather than let it continue breeding and increase the potential for harm.
The unfortunate consequence of naturalists defending venomous snakes is they make them appear so necessary and harmless that both people and agencies--hospitals, for example--do not expect or prepare for snake encounters.
It's doubtful that many hospitals near the snakes stock the expensive antivenin. Governments should help fund snakebite treatment rather than fund snake protection.
Skype Usage
Very cool and novel way to use Skype. Glad to see that people are thinking outside the box with its collaborative application. If it's not too late, you may want to submit this to Skype as a good use of their software for the Skype in business contest they're running.
Shawn
OnState Communications
Word Oceans Day - June 8
And don't forget to "Wear Blue and Tell Two"
Another great way to celebrate World Oceans Day is to wear blue in honor of the ocean and tell people two things they likely don't know about the ocean and two ways they can take action. For more Information check out this website:
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