A Scottish aquarium is celebrating a UK and possible world first with the successful birth of 19 Angel shark pups (Squatina squatina).
Anne the angel shark, is resident at Deep Sea World in Fife, Scotland and had given birth to a single pup prematurely last month. Since this early arrival she has been closely monitored in a special isolation tank as further births were awaited.
A specialist vet joined divers and the aquarium's zoological team to assist with the delivery of the pups and managed to get the first ever live images of shark pups inside their mother by using a tiny camera on the end of an endoscope.
The 1.5m long mother subsequently gave birth to four more young two weeks ago, followed by a further 11 on Monday and a final three this Wednesday (December 7) bringing the total to 19.
Deep Sea World's Zoological Manager, Chris Smith, said: "All the pups, including the one which was born prematurely, are doing extremely well. We have already got a number of them to take food from a stick which is a very positive sign. It's been an amazing effort by Anne and we're absolutely delighted that such a vulnerable species has bred successfully in captivity for the first time.
"For us to have had one pup would have been a cause for real celebration, to have 19 of them is nothing short of extraordinary.
"We'll be sharing the information we have gained throughout the pregnancy and birth with other aquariums throughout Europe in the hope that we can replicate this success at other sites and help to protect the species from the threat of extinction," he added.
Anne and her pups are part of a collaborative Angel shark breeding project between Deep Sea World, Fife and UnderWater World, Hastings which started in 2002. The project involves the only captive mature specimens of the critically endangered species in the UK.
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