Sandbar shark pups born at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium!!

On May 24th 2018, sandbar shark pups were born in the Shark Research Lab at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Nine pups (ranging from 60 to 70 cm in length) are now happily swimming in the “backyard” tank of the aquarium.

Sandbar shark pups born at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium!!
(Sandbar shark pups swimming in the “backyard” tank)

≪Sandbar shark≫
Scientific name：Carcharhinus plumbeus

The sandbar shark is a species of requiem shark (Carcharhinidae family) that is widely distributed along the coasts of temperate and tropical regions around the world. It reaches 2.5 meters in length. The genus Carcharhinus has many other sharks that look similar to this species, however the first dorsal fin of a sandbar shark is much larger and taller compared to other species making it easy to identify.
Gestation is around one year, and fetal pups are connected to the mother by an umbilical cord. Sandbar sharks usually produce around 10 pups that are around 60 to 70 cm in length.