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The Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad recently welcomed its newest members — lemon sharks, which are expected to draw visitors and marine life enthusiasts in large numbers. Three six-foot lemon sharks were brought to the Science City on Monday, and are put on display in the tunnel of the aquatic gallery.
Lemon sharks, with the scientific name Negaprion brevirostris, are a species of shark from the family Carcharhinidae. They are primarily found in the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, from New Jersey to southern Brazil, in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from southern Baja California to Ecuador, and in Cape Verde in Sal Island.
This species of shark often occupies the subtropical shallow waters of coral reefs, mangroves, enclosed bays, and river mouths. Although lemon sharks do swim up rivers, they seldom travel very far into fresh water.
They are found in open water primarily during migrations, and tend to stay along the continental and insular shelves for a lion’s share of their lives. In addition, lemon sharks are known for returning to specific nursery sites for breeding.
Characterised by its greenish yellow colour, this species of shark can grow up to 11-feet in length, and weigh up to 90 kilograms by its adulthood. The shark’s yellow colour provides them an excellent method of camouflage when swimming over the sandy seafloor in its coastal habitat.
Often feeding at night, these sharks use electroreceptors to find their main source of prey — fish.
Lemon sharks are calmer in nature in comparison with other species of sharks. They are not considered to be a large threat to humans; there have been 10 recorded bites so far, none of which were lethal.
As a matter of fact, this species of shark is classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The lemon shark’s life span is unknown, but the average life of the shark is believed to be 25 to 30 years.
Besides lemon sharks, the aquatic gallery at the Gujarat Science City, which incidentally is the country’s largest public aquarium, is home to over 188 aquatic species and 11,600 fishes, including African penguins, according to its official website.
The primary attraction of this 15,000-plus-square metres gallery is its 28 metre-long aquatic tunnel, designed to give the visitors an experience of walking on the ocean bed.
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