The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-05-13
WINTER CARE OF SHARKS
Warm Water EsueatIaI to Their Ez'
iatenee-They Are Calm Of hieh
and Always MOviHg.


Sharks have been exhibited In their
season at the aquarium every year
since il was opened. Some specimens
of considerable size have been seen
there, and as many as dozen sano
sharks ranging from three to four ana
a half feet in length have been shown
at once in the great central pool, but
none has ever been carried through
the winter there before, The sharks
do not stay in these waters through tne
winter, but go further south In the iaA'
10 return in the spring.
They cannot be kept alive through
the winter here in water OF the nat
ural temperature Of the bay, though
how long they viii Survive in 1t de-
pends on circumstances. They oesih
10 drop of In October and November
hut a few of the bardler specimens may,
last considerably longer, and In a mod
crate winter, in which the tempera-
ture of the water declined to its mini
mum gradually a shark or two migne
hang on until January or even untit
February. One season single shark
lived until February IS. There are TWO
sharks at the aquarium now that are
lively and in good condition, but these
are in tank supplied with warm wa
ter. They are probably the first sharks
80 kept
In October last these two sharks. one
Of which Is about three feet In length
and the other about three and half
feet. were taken from among others
in the central pool and placed where
they now ire, In q double tank on the
ground floor tier. salt water side, where
they could get the benefit of the aqua
RUINS warm water supply, which Is
utilized not oRly for the comfort and
safe-keeping OF the tropical fishes. but
for the preservation also Of some mi
gratory fishes that are familiar here
in summer and go south in winter
They were not very big, for sharks, but
seen behind glass and close at hand
they looked big, and, as any shark
looks wicked and ferocious, thesa
sharks made an attractive exhibit
9 There were placed with them mum
ber of pilot fish familiarly associated
a with the shark as accompanying 1t
a and these are still in the tank.
While the tank is Of generous proper
tions for a tank, about ten feet II
a length, it is very different from tn
n pool whence they were taken, which
d 3s feet in diameter, with depth o
= water of six feet: and at first in tn
|. confinement Of their comparatively re
1t stricted new quarters ths sharks woui
L take but little food. For long tim
q however, they have been feeding wei
4 Both have visibly increased in girt
ia and have increased in size and OF
e. erwise. There seems to be nc reaso
barring accidents, why they should n
60 through the winter all right
Z They are now apparently ccmfol
~ able and sufficiently at home and
" customed to their surroundings .
IT. to be disturbed when their tank
an cleaned, which is done once we
m But calm as they are In nsnner z
ne are always moving Slow bout, sd /
he tering from one compartment to 4
hit other Of their big double tank throul
be the wide connecting arch. Usual
,ff they go clean to the end before thu
he turn, throwing their tails there smoot
in ly and deliberately, but hard, over
re port, with repeated sweeps, steeriI
he themselves thus around the end of h
tank to beadup In the other directi'
:. and pass again through the arch in
~ -, the other tank. to turn there In Il
nc ne same manner and swing back again.
no M The pilot fish keep moving, too, SON
o ", times ahead Of the sharks, sometim
~ aa behind them; sometimes pilot fish W
swim alongside of one Of the shark
no. but they are not always together. I
sin swimming course Is rather short, q
and possibly that makes II confusing.
md any rate, the pilot fish sometimes tu
ne; short of the shark and sometimes
'ats shark leaves them.--N. Y. Sun.