Sharks in captivity
Open-knowledge reference entry
Several species of sharks are kept in captivity in public aquaria. In home aquaria, size constraints mean that only the smallest sharks are typically viable as pets.
Public aquaria
Until recently only a few benthic species of shark, such as horn sharks, leopard sharks, catsharks, and zebra sharks, had survived in aquarium conditions for up to a year or more. This gave rise to the belief that sharks, as well as being difficult to capture and transport, were difficult to care for. A better knowledge of sharks has led to more species (including the large pelagic sharks) being able to be kept for far longer. At the same time, transportation techniques have improved and long distance movement of sharks is becoming easier. Several attempts to keep a great white shark in captivity have been made, but most specimens died or had to be released after a short time. One example, placed in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan, only survived for three days. The longest a great white was held in captivity was at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, in September 2004. A young female was kept in an outdoor tank for 198 days before releasing her back into the wild.
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