Less dangerous than they look

4 sandbar sharks join aquarium exhibit.Shallow-feeders not a threat to humans; popular with anglers.

By Howard Pousner – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If the four sandbar sharks that are the newest residents of the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Voyager gallery seem a little scarce initially, well, you’d proceed carefully too if you were suddenly sharing the tank with seven other species of sharks.

“They’re moving around a little bit, trying to figure out their new ‘ocean,’ ” explained Chris Coco, manager of the 6.3-million-gallon display. He predicts that within three or four weeks, the sandbar sharks will be all over the gallery and more easily spotted from the underwater tunnel or viewing windows.

That’s a good thing as far as aquarium officials are concerned, since sandbar sharks, commonly found in the western Atlantic from Cape Cod south to Argentina, have crowd-pleasing looks, like sharks from central casting. They don’t attack humans, but they look the part with a stout body, a moderately long, rounded snout and distinguished, tall first dorsal fin.

“They’re very sharky,” Coco said, pointing out that those good looks, and the fact that sandbar sharks dwell in shallow waters, have made them popular with anglers because they also look good mounted for display.

That has played a part in sandbar sharks being listed as “near threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources “Red List.” In different parts of the world, they’re also commercially harvested for meat.

There’s very little threat for these four juvenile-size sharks in captivity, as the aquarium has feedings down to a science, setting up stations for the different sharks in different parts of Ocean Voyager. They’ll feast on a variety of cut fish —- mackerel, bonito and squid —- along with vitamins.

The three male and one female sharks, 56 to 60 inches long, will be served about three pounds of fish a week. Adults can reach up to 7 feet and weigh 100 to 200 pounds.

Since the Georgia Aquarium tells the global world waters story, the relatively common sandbars are only now being added to its 91-shark population (14 species in all).

That’s by popular demand, spokeswoman Meghann Gibbons said. “Sharks are fan favorites. Our visitors are always asking us to introduce new species.”

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