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Rare baby shark rays growing up in Atlanta
Finding bowmouth guitarfish in their native habitat is now harder than ever before, but the Georgia Aquarium is trying to reverse that trend. FOX 5 Meteorologist Jonathan Stacey went behind the scenes to see how the aquarium is helping these rare creatures grow up strong.
ATLANTA - If you've visited the Georgia Aquarium, you've likely spotted a bowmouth guitarfish.
Finding these shark rays in their native habitat is now harder than ever before, but the aquarium is trying to reverse that trend.
Inside part of the Georgia Aquarium that visitors never see is a delivery room for the youngest underwater creatures, a rehab for the injured, and a safe haven for the endangered - like the three bowmouth guitarfish pups.
"They are incredibly majestic animals," said Chris Coco, the aquarium's senior director of Aquatic Sustainability.
(Courtesy of the Georgia Aquarium)
But these Asian-born bottom-feeders are now a rare breed - with fewer than 25 living inside zoos and aquariums across the United States - it’s in the wild depths of the Pacific Ocean where this specie is struggling to survive.
"They are harvested for their fins, shark fin soup supply. And now even more complicated, the thorny bits that are on top of their backbone and around their eyeballs are utilized for jewelry," Coco said.
With the population in decline, their preservation is now a top priority for researchers and caregivers from Taiwan to their new home in Georgia.
A little after 9 a.m., aquarist Megan Sanborn gets ready to feed the trio.
"They really love lobster," she said.
(Courtesy of the Georgia Aquarium)
She hand-feeds the shark rays a mixture of crustaceans twice a day.
"Our food is restaurant quality, it’s the highest tier you could possibly get," Sanborn said.
These three pups were found in Tawain when their mother was caught in a fishing set net anchored to the seabed.
Coco says eventually the aquarium would like to create a conservation program where they can breed the fish in the areas of the world where they've disappeared and reintroduce them to their home ranges.
(Courtesy of the Georgia Aquarium)
Right now, the pups are only 1-year-old. By adulthood, they'll grow to weigh 300 pounds while spanning about 9 feet in length.
Eventually, they'll join three adult guitarfish currently living in the Ocean Voyager habitat in Downtown Atlanta.