Info on Cat Sharks/Breeding in captivity

[marlin85]

Any Shark Experts out there??

Every now and then I see pairs of sharks on Divers Den. Like right now there is a pair of Arabian cat sharks and I was wondering if anyone knows, does that mean they are a mated pair to where they have laid eggs in the past? Or is it just a male and female that have been put together?

Also, I was wondering how common it is for them to mate in captivity and how often they would/can lay eggs?

I have a 600 Gallon pond and Im thinking about a pair like this.

Thanks

[capo larzo]

Not an expert but well experienced and knowledgable.
Those two sharks at there current size are most likely not sexually mature and in fact, just speculating, probably came from a breeder or hobbyist which imo means theyre brother/sister. They seem too young to mate and i believe were just put together as a "pair" . Remember just my opinion. Im sure he will find this and chime in. They may be from the Persian/Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea! Who knows?
I just keep em and ive been eyeing that pair for days. They are the smallest of the bamboo sharks making them more desirable for aquarists. They used to be impossible to find but are showing up more often now. They max out a few inches smaller than bamboos like banded and white spotted, probably hasselts or indonesian bamboo as well, but those do terribly in aquariums

[capo larzo]

All of the fish store sharks are commonly mis-labelled. There are bamboo sharks (chiloscyllium genus) these include banded, white spotted, arabian, and indonesian aka zebra. Then there are cat sharks (atelomycterus genus) which really only include the coral cat shark and a newly identified but very similar indonesian coral cat or baliensis, im sorry but i cant recall the newer right now. Coral cats are a little bit more active as far as benthic sharks go and the stay a bit smaller but because of the increased activity need just as much space as all of these sharks do, which is a lot.

What are the dimensions of your pond? And what type of equipment is it running? Also whats it made of, especially structurally?

Thanks

[bsagecko]

If you plan on breeding, You should personally contact Diver's Den and ask about them...

They can be bred if given the right environment, might not be easy or cost effective but anything is possible with the right care-taker.

[capo larzo]

they can definitely be bred. its just that those two on diversden are not mature. they are 12" long.
Ive been able to successfully breed whitespotted bamboos which happen to be my favorite of the bunch.
Either way, good luck with whatever you choose to do!

[alprazo]

I have an Arabian, bought at 8 inches, now about 16 two years later. Very hardy shark, they are reported to easily reproduce in captivity. I would say two more years for the male and three for the female until sexually mature for the DD sharks. I would go grey or arabian if thinking about breeding. The hasselts are tough as capo mentioned.

[marlin85]

Thanks for all of the info, Im still thinking about what exactly I want to get. I know I want a pair, i just dont see them that often for sale. Where is the best place to look anyway, Divers Den?

[capo larzo]

Liveaquaria also sells the more common bamboos, banded and whitespot, as well as eggs to hatch yourself. They arent always in stock. LFS usually carry juveniles if they have tne demand and tank space. Or if you speak to an owner they can check their availability sheets and see if they can bring one in for you. Most often when done this way you have to/should pick it up as soon as the LFS recieves so it only has to acclimate once.

[marlin85]

Capo Larzo, I bought 3 sharks from my local fish store. There is a male and two females. Of course they were just labeled cat shark. 2 of them are a darker color and 1 is lighter, are they 2 different types of sharks or the same? Do you Know exactly what they are by the picture?

Thanks
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=175355&stc=1&d=1327610192http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=175356&stc=1&d=1327610222

[alprazo]

To answer your question - neither are catsharks.

They appear to be different species too.

Based on the placement fo the dorsal fin, I am pretty sure pic one is C. gresium (grey bamboo) and pic two is C. punctatum (brown banded bamboo). I would need to see profile pics of the dorsal and anal fins to be sure.

They appear healthy from the photos. Enjoy them.