World’s first! Tiger shark born in the aquarium.Exhibited now at the Shark Research Lab tank.

We are happy to announce the world’s first exhibit of a captive-bred tiger shark that was born in the tank of the Shark Research Lab at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. Our shark tank is also the only place in Japan, where rare sharks including the silvertip shark and silky shark are also exhibited.

A world’s first! Born at the aquarium

≪Tiger shark≫
Scientific name：Galeocerdo cuvier
English name：Tiger shark

The tiger shark is a species of requiem shark that can grow to over 4 meters in length. Young tiger sharks have distinctive stripes on their sides. Tiger sharks are found in the world’s tropical and subtropical waters. In Japan, they are mainly found around the Ryukyu Islands.

Exhibited together! In Japan, this is unique to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

≪Silvertip shark≫
Scientific name：Carcharhinus albimarginatus
English name：Silvertip shark

Silvertip sharks get their name from the distinctive white tips and white rear edges to their fins. They are distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. They are rarely seen around mainland Okinawa, however they are relatively common in the Yaeyama region.

≪Silky shark≫
Scientific name：Carcharhinus falciformis
English name：Silky shark

The silky shark is a species of requiem shark that can grow to over 2.5 meters in length. Compared to other requiem sharks, its dorsal fin is much smaller with a rounder tip.

Place of exhibit

“Shark Research Lab” in Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Exhibit starts from

From 2019 June 25th ~
※Exhibit may close depending on the condition of the animal.

The young tiger shark on exhibit was born in the Shark Research Lab’s tank two years ago. It is the world’s first tiger shark born in an aquarium. At birth it was approximately 80cm in length and after two years it has grown to approximately 2 meters in length. You can see special footage of its birth. A silvertip shark and a silky shark are also swimming in the same tank. There are not many cases of silky sharks reared in Japan. This is the only aquarium in Japan where you can see silvertip sharks.
Due to the difficulty of rearing these sharks there is limited information about their ecology. However, through continued rearing we can discover a great deal about their growth and reproduction. Please take this opportunity to see these rare sharks.