I recently helped open a brand new aquarium in Branson, MO called Aquarium at the Boardwalk. Part of my new role includes being an animal “champion” to all the species of small elasmobranchs in the building. That means that I keep records, plan physicals/treatments, and keep track of breeding programs and conservation statuses.
What’s an elasmobranch? Elasmobranchii is the subclass classification for fishes with a cartilaginous skeleton. This includes sharks, skates, rays, and sawfish. I’ve worked with quite a few species of elasmobranch in my career and just with this job that number has nearly doubled! Here’s some basic information about the 9 species I care for currently.
Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks
Bamboo sharks are bottom dwellers that don’t get very large; they only get up to 3ft long. They are nocturnal and live in reefs in the Pacific Ocean. They have very small teeth and are harmless to humans. Bamboo sharks hatch from eggs, also known as mermaid purses.
Epaulette Sharks
Another bottom-dwelling and nocturnal shark, but this species is from Australia/New Guinea. They get their name from the big dark circles where their “shoulders” would be. These sharks also hatch from leathery eggs. What’s amazing about these sharks is they use their fins to “walk” along the bottom and they can even be mobile out of the water. They can also survive an hour out of the water, something most aquatic species could not tolerate. Amazing!
Kuhl’s Maskray
This ray has a rhomboid body and beautiful blue and brown speckles to help them blend into sand bottoms and mudflats. Most individuals have some sort of pattern over their eyes that looks mask-like. This species is tropical and is found nearshore in the Western Pacific as well as the Indian Ocean. Their tails are long, and when fully grown, develop two venomous spines for defense.
Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray
These rays have an oval-shaped body with electric blue spots and two blue stripes down their tails. They are found nearshore in Indo-Pacific reefs. They, too, can have two venomous spines on their tail. This species is listed as “near threatened” by the IUCN. Which is mostly due to the decline of the reefs they call home.
Yellow Stingray
This disc-shaped stingray resides a little closer to home in the Western Atlantic from North Carolina to Trinidad. These small rays only get up to around 14inches. Their tails only develop one venomous spine but they do have a small leaf-shaped caudal fin at the end of their tail.
Atlantic Guitarfish
Aptly named for their unique body shape, guitarfish have no venomous spines and are therefore a skate, not a stingray. This species can be found in the Southeast USA and the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. Their bodies look very shark-like, but they can be distinguished from shark species because skates and rays have ventral gills, and sharks have gills positioned behind their eyes.
The new Aquarium at the Boardwalk is gorgeous and I’m so proud of what we created. If you’re ever in the Branson, MO area I hope you’ll consider visiting!
