This is an update from the Department of Russian Far East Marine Species about the young of the spiny dogfish, or spurdog, Squalus acanthias born at the Primorsky Aquarium last December.
Members of the Department reported that in four months the weight of the sharks has more than tripled and is about 88 grams now, and they grew to a length of 26.3 cm. That means that the dogfish born at the Primorsky Aquarium have survived, are steadily gaining weight and are doing well.
As you may recall, the Primorsky Aquarium became the first in Russia to successfully breed the spurdog in aquarium environments in December 2024. The event came as no surprise for the Aquarium team: the mating games of the fish have happened multiple times. Through the expertise and experience of our devoted team, young sharks have been developing well.
“We regularly massaged the newborns to start their metabolism, adjusted the temperature and oxygen content, and hand-fed the pups with caviar, shrimp and other delicacies,” says Natalia Krymskaia, senior specialist of the department. She speaks about the dogfish babies with love and care, as if they were her own children.
The spiny dogfish are small sharks, reaching two meters in length and weighing up to 15 kg. They inhabit temperate continental shelf areas around the world. As summer arrives, dogfish come more and more often to Peter the Great Bay. They are typical inhabitants of the Bay, usually staying near the bottom. In winter, dogfish migrate to depths of 110–190 meters, and in summer they ascend closer to the surface, preferring depths between 5 and 70 meters, where they are often spotted by divers. It is worth reminding that, although dogfish are not dangerous to humans, the pricks of their dorsal spines can be rather painful.
The aquarists have not yet decided when they move the young dogfish from the Science and Acclimation Building to their permanent residence in the exhibits. They want to use the unprecedented opportunity to study the sharks’ growth and development in detail. Visitors are welcome to see the first generation of dogfish on display in the Bering Sea and Sea of Okhotsk exhibit.