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SHARK EGG HUNT

Divers at Deep Sea World in North Queensferry have rescued no fewer than seven shark eggs from their giant ocean display.

The divers spotted the eggs, or Mermaids’ purses’, attached to kelp in the aquarium’s 4.5 million litre Underwater Safari display while they were on cleaning duty.

One of the eggs has already hatched and tiny sharks can be seen wriggling inside the protective cases of the other six.

The eggs were laid by some of our British sharks. As the Underwater Safari is also home to a number of other shark and ray species – including the three-metre-long sand tigers we took the decision to retrieve the eggs and put them in a special nursery display.

Although the egg-cases are quite thick you can clearly see the unborn baby sharks wriggling inside if you hold them up to the light. Our team of aquarists work really hard to try and ensure conditions in our displays are as close to those in the wild as possible.

The fact that so many eggs are being laid and that the vast majority of them appear to be fertile is an excellent indicator to the overall health of the display and its inhabitants.

Despite its name the dogfish is actually a member of the catshark family and is usually found in shallow coastal waters where it spends most of its time close to the seabed.

Mainly nocturnal, the sharks eat everything from small fish and crustaceans to cuttlefish and squid.

Eggs are usually laid in pair and can take anywhere between five and 11 months to hatch, depending on the temperature of the water. When they hatch out the babies are around 10cms long and are able to feed immediately on small prey items. Once fully grown dogfish can reach more than a metre in length.

FREE BIRTHDAYS AT DEEP SEA WORLD

Why not celebrate your birthday for FREE at Deep Sea World! Simply show proof of your birthday with either a copy of your birth certificate or valid ID and recieve free entry on your birthday.

Or why not book a themed birthday party for an undersea adventure.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
Available for children only (up to 14 years). Ticket must be redeemed and used on the day of your birthday. There are no exceptions and no refunds for previously purchased tickets.

AMAZON MILK FROGS ARRIVE AT DEEP SEA WORLD

A quartet of Amazon milk frogs has gone on display at Deep Sea World, North Queensferry.

The frogs are part of a nationwide captive breeding programme for the species and were bred at Chester Zoo.

Originally native to the Amazonian rainforests of South America, the frogs can grow up to 10 cms in length and have one of the loudest calls of any amphibian.

The species is related to the poison arrow frog and gets its name from the milky colored poisonous fluid it excretes when threatened.

Also known as the mission golden-eyed tree frog, the species spends most of its life up among the high canopy of the rainforest, using water-filled tree holes and leaves to breed.

Deep Sea World’s Zoological Manager, Chris Smith, said: “They’re beautiful-looking amphibians with amazingly colourful markings which make them a really striking display species.

“They have also evolved a fascinating way to reproduce successfully.

“The male stakes out a water-filled hollow in a tree or bromeliad. He attracts a female with his loud call and she will lay a clutch of about 2,000 eggs which he fertilizes.

“As well as keeping guard over the eggs, he will also attract a second female to lay eggs which will act as a food supply for the tadpoles.

“The tadpoles hatch within a day and metamorphosis into juvenile frogs in just three weeks – much faster than most other species,” he added.

Although the frogs are not thought to be under immediate threat in the wild there is concern about loss of habitat due to agricultural development and logging activity.

Deep Sea World is hoping the new arrivals will eventually form their own satellite breeding programme at the aquarium which will help ease the pressure on wild populations.