Change in stingray behaviour and social networks in response to the scheduling of husbandry events
Husbandry tasks are often carried out at the same time and in the same manner every day, resulting in the potential for them to become predictable to animals. An unpublished study conducted on a mixed species enclosure of blue-spotted ribbontail rays (Taeniura lymma) and blue-spotted maskrays (Neotrygon kuhlii), reported increased intra and interspecies aggression preceding […]
Challenges, pitfalls and surprises: development and validation of a monoclonal antibody for enzyme immunoassay of the steroid 1 alpha -hydroxycorticosterone in elasmobranch species
Sharks and rays are popular species used in wildlife ecotourism and aquariums to educate the public on the behavior, ecology and conservation challenges of elasmobranchs. To understand long-term physiological health and welfare under varying social and husbandry conditions, we developed and validated an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to measure stress/ionoregulatory hormones in managed and semi-free range […]
Validation of an Ultrasound-Guided Technique to Establish a Liver-to-Coelom Ratio and a Comparative Analysis of the Ratios Among Acclimated and Recently Wild-Caught Southern Stingrays, Dasyatis Americana
Southern stingrays, Dasyatis americana, are a well-represented elasmobranch species in public aquaria and other facilities throughout the world. This study was conducted at a facility that experienced some mortality and replenished the collection with wild-caught stingrays. A common necropsy finding among the stingrays was a small, dark liver. The objectives of this study were to […]