Near Threatened Species The Lemon Shark Will Be Part of Maritime's FINtastic RefurbFISHment

Yet another scientific study was released this past fall expressing concern that there are fewer sharks around.

“There is mounting evidence of widespread, substantial and ongoing declines in the abundance of shark populations worldwide, coincident with marked rises in global shark catches in the last half-century,” said the lead scientist of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in Australia.

We’re catching sharks faster than they can reproduce. Take the lemon shark, for example – a species now on display at The Maritime Aquarium as part of its $4 million “FINtastic RefurbFISHment.” The lemon shark population is listed as “near threatened.”

Lemon shark babies take 10 to 12 months to develop within the female before being born. And then it will take six to seven years before those pups reach sexual maturity to have their own babies. These are common numbers for many shark species. And that’s why – even if we totally stopped catching sharks today – it will take a long time for shark numbers to rebound.

Lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) are similar in size and shape to the sand tiger sharks that also inhabit The Maritime Aquarium’s “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit. But the lemon shark’s snout is more blunt, its teeth aren’t as visible and its pectoral – or side – fins are bigger. (Lemon sharks also can rest on the bottom; something the sand tigers rarely do.)

Lemon sharks have a hint of yellow on their bellies (hence the name). They grow to 10 feet long and range in coastal waters from New Jersey down to Brazil. 

Opening Feb. 18, The Maritime Aquarium’s “FINtastic RefurbFISHment” will feature 21 new exhibits, 27 new species and more than 300 new animals. Get details at www.maritimeaquarium.org.