Catawba Science Center's Aquarium Features Newborn Sharks

HICKORY, N.C.,None — Several Epaulette shark pups recently hatched in the aquarium back-of-house at Catawba Science Center (CSC) in Hickory. The newborn sharks, native to the northern Australian coast, will be on display for a limited time in CSC's saltwater aquarium gallery.

Epaulette sharks, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, are primarily nocturnal and frequent shallow waters on coral reefs and tidal pools. These sharks are easily identified by large, white-rimmed black spots that resemble eyes and are located on either side of the head, just behind the pectoral fins.

Epaulette sharks have slender, eel-like bodies and use their short, stubby pectoral and ventral fins to "walk" across the sea floor. Their diet consists of worms, crabs, shrimp and small fish. At CSC, the shark pups are being fed small pieces of shrimp. A short video clip of a morning "mini shark feed" can be viewed on CSC's Facebook page (http://www.youtube.com/user/catawbascience) and its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/catawbascience).

Visitors can learn about other larger species of sharks – brown bamboo, white spotted bamboo and horn sharks, as well as Cownose and Southern stingrays during weekly afternoon shark feedings. CSC's saltwater aquarium gallery features colorful reef fish, sea horses, and porcupine puffer fish, as well as sea stars, horseshoe crabs and urchins in shallow touch pools.

The freshwater aquarium gallery features the exhibit – Expedition Amazon, with exotic fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles native to the Amazon Basin and other regions in Central and South America, including poison dart frogs, electric eel, vampire fish and earth eaters.

Learn more about daily shark feedings, exhibits, summer camp, planetarium and laser shows at CatawbaScience.org.

Catawba Science Center is a nonprofit science and technology museum in the Western Piedmont with traveling exhibits, a digital planetarium theater and a marine touch pool with live sharks and stingrays. A community asset and regional destination, Catawba Science Center is dedicated to changing lives and inspiring learning through science and wonder. Learn more at CatawbaScience.org.

CSC is funded in part by the United Arts Fund of Catawba County and is located in the Arts and Science Center of Catawba Valley, on the SALT Block, 243 3rd Avenue NE, Hickory.

WSOC