In aquariums, it’s imperative to be able to monitor how much food your sharks and rays are eating. We don’t want to over-feed them because they are susceptible to obesity or unnaturally fast growth rates. We also don’t want to underfeed them because we don’t want them to eat their tank mates. The perfect solution to this aquarist problem is target training!
Target training is the basis for most animal training, and it’s easy to build off of that simple behavior. When an animal first comes in, it is easiest to establish this training before the animal is transferred into a larger exhibit with other animals.
These techniques are successfully implemented with a variety of fish species, but for the ease of understanding, let’s walk through these target training steps for just a shark.
The first step is to get the shark eating. Travel and shipping can be very stressful, so making sure they are food motivated and finding out what varieties of food they like best is the perfect starting point. I choose to pair the act of feeding with a soft tapping sound on the side of the tank. Eventually, the shark or ray will associate this sound with feeding.
Image by Dani Jensen
The second step is to establish a visual target. This is often a frisbee, or a plastic shape, a whiffle ball, or a disc with an “X” on it. Aquarists are excellent at creating targets using materials already found in the building, such as bucket lids, containers, or PVC structures. The type of animal is considered when creating this target as far as it’s size, shape, and color.
Once the animal is reliably eating, we move to only feeding them next to the specified target. Putting the first few training steps together; we start by tapping to let the shark know that a feeding session has started, then we put the target in the water, and from that point forward the animal will only be fed if they come to the target to get the food. The goal is to have the animal eating directly on the target every single time.
Image by Dani Jensen
Let’s skip ahead to moving our shark into our large exhibit tank with many other fishes. The shark has been reliably eating at the target behind the scenes, it has a great appetite, and isn’t showing signs of being stressed. We properly acclimate our shark to his new exhibit water and once it is in we give plenty of time for the shark to get comfortable with their new surroundings and tankmates.
The real test of all the target training sessions behind the scenes comes to a head during the first feeding session on exhibit. In training terms, this is called a “context shift.” If you taught your dog to sit while in the kitchen, and then you move your dog to the living room and ask him to sit, that’s a context shift. It means that the animal can perform the same behavior on cue despite the change in location.
Image by Dani Jensen
The first step is to tap on the edge of the tank to indicate the start of a feeding session, and then put the target in the water where the shark will be fed. This should clue the shark to begin looking for that individualized target station. As soon as the shark finds the target, food is immediately offered. Finding the target the first time might be a little time consuming, but I assure you, once animals figure out where they are fed they never forget.
I hope this sneak peek into target training our aquatic friends gives you some insight into the hard work and dedication that goes into their care. Check-in next week CritterFacts fans, for more aquatic husbandry education.
