Husbandry and growth rates of neonate epaulette sharks,Hemiscyllium ocellatum in captivity

In this report, I describe husbandry techniques that are used to successfully hatch and raise epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, in captivity. Egg cases and hatchlings were held in floating baskets within a 1,306‐L tank, at water temperatures of 24.4–25.5°C. From 56 egg cases, 27 neonates successfully hatched, and 22 survived. Based on seven tagged egg cases, the average gestation time was 140.3 ± 4.6 days with a range of 134 and 148 days. Upon hatching, neonate length was 16.2 ± 0.522 cm, with a range of 15.24–17.30 cm, and weight was 19.9 ± 2.06 g, with a range of 16.50–24.5 g. Growth rates of four individuals were recorded over time. Finely chopped capelin, Mallotus villosus, fillets, supplemented with a multivitamin were the primary food items accepted by neonates. The success in rearing H. ocellatum can likely be attributed to a low stress environment, limited disruption, an easy to consume diet, multivitamin supplementation, and excellent water quality. Zoo Biol 31:718‐724, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Birth and growth of the shortnose guitarfish Zapteryx brevirostris (Müller & Henle, 1841) (Chondrichthyes,Rhinobatidae) in captivity

Endemic to the south-west Atlantic Ocean, the shortnose guitarfish (Zapteryx brevirostris) is a small species, classified as endangered by the IUCN. Although reproduction in captivity has been successful for some species, a range of factors can limit the success of captive breeding programmes for elasmobranchs. In Brazil, the Ubatuba Aquarium was the first public aquarium to reproduce small-sized elasmobranchs. Since 2018, at least five parturition events have been recorded for Z. brevirostris at the institution. From a total of 13 live neonates that rearing was attempted, the mean ± standard error of weight, total length (TL) and disc width at birth were 17.47 ± 1.6 g, 13.25 ± 0.7 cm and 6.53 ± 0.2 cm, respectively. The mean weight as well as mean TL were higher for females at all births, with 26.15 g and 15.07 cm for females in comparison with 17.09 g and 13.94 cm for males. Considering the increasing risk of extinction that the species is facing, age and growth studies are fundamental for the success of conservation, improving the knowledge of Z. brevirostris life cycle so that a more efficient and sustainable management can be carried out. This study provides important data, as well as directions for captive breeding of the species.     

The interaction between Cyprinus carpio L. and Potamogeton pectinatus L. under aquarium conditions

Plants and seedlings of Potamogeton pectinatus were obtained from tubers grown under laboratory conditions. Four plants (mean total length: 14.3 m) and two seedlings (mean height: 10.9 cm) were placed in each of twenty 1001 aquaria illuminated with fluorescent lighting. A 5 cm-thick layer of muddy sediment was then put in each aquarium together with two size-matched fish (mean size classes: 6.8, 14.1 and 23.0 g) of the species Cyprinus carpio. After four weeks, the total length of the plants in the control and small fish aquaria had increased by 71% and 3% respectively, whereas plant total length in the aquaria with medium and large fish had diminished by 33% and 76%, respectively. Few seedlings survived in the presence of the fish. The reduction in plant growth was associated with an increase in water turbidity in all treatments as a result of the benthic feeding habit of C. carpio, and of direct herbivory action in the case of medium- and large-sized fish.     

Notes on the Husbandry and Long‐Term Transportation of Bull Ray (Pteromylaeus bovinus) and Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus and Coryphaena equiselis)

Bull rays (Pteromylaeus bovinus) and Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus and Coryphaena equiselis) were collected in Olhão (south of Portugal). These animals hosted multiple parasites, namely Caligus spp., and underwent a variety of treatments to remove them. Of all treatments tested, hydrogen peroxide showed the best results, although only concentrations above 100 ppm were effective in parasite removal. These high concentrations, however, proved to be highly toxic for the fish and led to the loss of some animals, especially those which had been handled before treatment. A total of 14 Bull rays were transported to Bolougne‐Sur‐Mer (France) by road and some animals were lost, which was attributed to excessive time in transit (>45 hr). In another transport, three Bull rays and 10 Dolphinfishes were moved to Stralsund (Germany) by road and air. The mechanical wounds suffered by one of the Bull rays during transport led to its death and, consequently, a deterioration of water quality in the tank containing two other conspecifics. This deterioration of water quality resulted in problems for the other two Bull rays, and one perished approximately 48 hr after arrival. The authors concluded that Dolphinfish can be transported with a low bioload for at least 27 hr, and Bull rays should not undergo transports longer than 35 hr. Special attention must be taken to injured animals, since this can lead to a decrease in water quality and consequently affect other animals in the same transport tank. Zoo Biol. 32:222–229, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Unraveling the Complexity of the Zoo Community: Identifying the Variables Related to Conservation Performance in Zoological Parks

Zoological parks make up a highly heterogeneous community. Ranging from small collections at shopping malls to highly developed bioparks, their contribution to conservation is expected to vary enormously. Although several studies have focused on assessing such contribution, the parameters used frequently do not apply when considering more modest zoos. The goals of this study are to determine, within the wide range of zoos, which type tend to fulfill the conservation mission of modern zoos and to identify the variables associated to their conservation performance. We used the requirements demanded by the European Community Zoos Directive 1999/22/EC, relating to the keeping of wild animals in zoological parks, to assess conservation performance in 72% of officially registered Spanish zoos. Sampled zoos were classified into groups according to their common characteristics, and then the variables related to how they met each of the Directive's requirements in the groups were assessed. We found that private zoological parks with large zoological collections, located within metropolitan areas, and members of a zoo association tended to fulfill the requirements. Being a member of a zoo association was the variable that better explained fulfillment of the requirements among the evaluated zoos. Data revealed that zoos not meeting any requirement were few, although those meeting all of them were not frequent. The requirement related to adequate record keeping showed the lowest level of fulfillment. We discuss the implications of our results and propose measures of change in order to promote the contribution of zoos to biodiversity conservation. Zoo Biol 31:55;–70, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Captive environment influences the composition and diversity of fecal microbiota in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins,Tursiops aduncus

Captive environments impact the microbiota of captive animals; however, the comparison of microbiota between wild and captive dolphins has been poorly investigated. To explore the impact of a captive environment, we characterized the fecal microbiota of nine wild and four captive Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus, using a next-generation sequencing and revealed differences in the fecal microbiota between the analyzed groups. Statistical differences in abundances of the phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were found between the wild and captive dolphins. Thirty-six genera (22.9% of the total genera detected in all dolphins) were shared between the groups, whereas 79 (50.3%) and 42 (26.8%) genera were found only in the wild or captive dolphins, respectively. Several pathogenic bacterial genera, including Morganella and Mycoplasma, were detected only in the captive dolphins, and the genus Lactobacillus was found only in the wild dolphins. LefSe and SIMPER analyses revealed that the genus Clostridium sensu stricto 1 was significantly more abundant in the captive dolphins than in the wild ones and contributed the most to the dissimilarity of fecal microbiota between the groups. Our results indicate that the captive environment impacts the fecal microbiota of dolphins and reinforces the importance of monitoring potentially pathogenic bacteria in captivity.