Created by Kelly Hunt for the Atlantic City Aquarium, 2007 The Whitespotted Bamboo Shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum, is a small, mostly nocturnal, species that is harmless to humans. As an adult, its size is approximately three feet in length. Whitespot- ted Bamboo Sharks feed mostly on small fish and invertebrates. They are common- ly found in coral reefs in the Pacif- ic Ocean. The Whitespot- ted Bamboo Shark belongs to the order Orectolobi- formes, also known as carpet sharks. There are 39 species of shark in this order, and they are named as such because many members have carpet-like patterned mark- ings. Two well- known species of carpet sharks are nurse sharks and whale sharks. Touch Tank Tales Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks Welcome to a unique, interac- tive experience for your students and you! Join us on the 2nd floor of the aquarium and enter the world of sharks and rays. In our 900 gallon touch tank, your students will have the oppor- tunity to interact with two types of rays—Cownose Rays and Southern Rays, as well as with the Whitespotted Bamboo Shark. These friendly creatures are sure to capture your students’ atten- tion! Special points of interest: 900 gallon of water are in the touch tank. Three unique species live here. Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks grow to three feet in length. Cownose Rays are the most common ray in our area. The disk of the Southern Ray can grow up to six feet in diameter. Touch Tank Tales 1 Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks 1 Cownose Rays 2 Southern Rays 2 Key Vocabulary 2 Internet Resources 2 Inside this issue: Fish Tales ATLANTIC CITY AQUARIUM Atlantic City Aquarium 800 N. New Hampshire Avenue Atlantic City, NJ 08401 609-348-2880 www.acaquarium.com
Transcript
Created by Kelly Hunt for the Atlantic City Aquarium, 2007
The Whitespotted
Bamboo Shark,
C h i l o s c y l l i u m
plagiosum, is a
smal l , mos t ly
nocturnal, species
that is harmless to
humans. As an
adult, its size is
a p p r o x i m a t e l y
three feet in
length. Whitespot-
t e d B a m b o o
Sharks feed mostly
on small fish and
i n v e r t e b r a t e s .
They are common-
ly found in coral
reefs in the Pacif-
ic Ocean.
The Whitespot-
ted Bamboo Shark
belongs to the
order Orectolobi-
formes, also
known as carpet
sharks. There are
39 species of
shark in this
order, and they
are named as
such because
many members
have carpet-like
patterned mark-
ings. Two well-
known species of
carpet sharks are
nurse sharks and
whale sharks.
Touch Tank Tales
Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks
Welcome to a unique, interac-tive experience for your students and you! Join us on the 2nd floor of the aquarium and enter the world of sharks and rays.
In our 900
gallon touch tank, your students will have the oppor-tunity to interact with two types of rays—Cownose Rays and Southern Rays, as well as with the Whitespotted Bamboo Shark.
These friendly creatures are sure to capture your students’ atten-tion!
Special points of interest:
900 gallon of water are in the touch tank.
Three unique species live here.
Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks grow to three feet in length.
Cownose Rays are the most common ray in our area.
The disk of the Southern Ray can grow up to six feet in diameter.
Touch Tank Tales 1
Whitespotted Bamboo Sharks 1
Cownose Rays 2
Southern Rays 2
Key Vocabulary 2
Internet Resources 2
Inside this issue:
F
ish
Ta
les
AT
LA
NT
IC
C
IT
Y A
QU
AR
IU
M
Atlantic City Aquarium
800 N. New Hampshire Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
609-348-2880
www.acaquarium.com
Created by Kelly Hunt for the Atlantic City Aquarium, 2007
worms. Though docile creatures, Southern Rays have long, whip-like tails with one or two sharp barbs which are used for defense.
The Southern Ray is another common ray that is found along the Atlantic Coast. This ray is a bottom feeder, and can often be found buried in the soft sands of the ocean floor. It has a flat, diamond-shaped body, with a brown upper-body and white under-belly. It can grow to a diameter of over six feet, and weighs nearly 200 pounds.
The diet of the Southern Ray consists of bony fish, crabs, clams, shrimp, and marine
The Cownose Ray is the most
common ray in the region,
ranging from southern New
England to Florida and the Gulf
of Mexico. They are found in
both ocean and bay environ-
ments. These rays can grow to
over 35 pounds, and span over
three feet from “wingtip to
wingtip”.
Cownose Rays eat clams, as
well as other shellfish and in-
vertebrates. After finding prey,
the ray uses its pectoral fins to
dig deep depressions in the
sand. Then, they suck the sand
through their mouths and out
their gill slits. Its mouth,
located on its underside, has
powerful grinding plates that the
ray uses to crush clams and other
invertebrates it sucks up. It will
then spit out the hard shells and
eat the soft body parts.
Though these rays are
considered docile, they do have
poisonous stingers at the base of
their tail, close to the ray’s body,
like other rays. These stingers,
called spines, are laced with toxic
venom, but it doesn't usually
inflict damage to humans. A sting
would likely possess symptoms
similar to that of a bee sting.
Cownose Rays are known for their
long migrations in large schools. As
they swim through the water,
people often confuse them for
sharks. This is because when their
wingtips break the surface, they
resemble the dorsal fins of sharks.
Pectoral fin—side fin of a ray
Invertebrate—animals without backbones
Nocturnal—of the night
Schools—groups of sea creatures that travel together
Docile—calm
Page 2
Southern Rays
You Won’t Hear Moos From These Cows!
Key Vocabulary Internet Resources
FI S H TA LES
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/blueplanet/sounds/sounds.html—Discovery Channel—hear the sound of a Cownose Ray
