Dubai: One of the world’s largest fish tanks, the Dubai Aquarium, has added a few new friends to the thousands of fish already present in the 10-million litre tank, say officials.
To complement the existing 200 species of fish and other marine life that already call the aquarium home, a phalanx of new Caribbean sharks have been added into the mix of sharks and rays.
Dubai Aquarium has welcomed what aquarium managers said are “the smallest members in the hammerhead shark family, the ‘bonnethead or shovelhead sharks’.
“The bonnethead sharks from the Caribbean seas average 30-50 inches (70-127cm) in length and weigh up to 24 pounds (10.8kg). They are naturally seen at estuaries, shallow bays, sand flats and coral reef habitats,” said aquarium officials in a statement on Sunday.
The addition will be augmented with interpretative sessions for visitors to the aquarium who can learn from aquarium marine specialists “about how [the sharks] communicate by hunching their backs, head-shaking, jaw-snapping and circling in ‘follow the leader’ style groups and other interesting facts”.
The latest arrivals reflect a real saltwater community that is rich and diverse and includes the hamour, a fish native to Gulf coral reefs along the UAE coastline.
