Different elasmobranchs produce different styles of egg cases. Shown right to left: Brown Banded Bamboo Shark, Clearnose Skate, and White Spotted Bamboo Shark.From the ferocious great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) to the graceful white-spotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari), Elasmobranchii are a diverse group of boneless fishes that are circumglobal, inhabiting a diverse array of habitats, temperature ranges, salinity, and niches in the world’s oceans and rivers. It is no wonder that these unique creatures, while usually boasting comparably bland coloration to the typical teleostei reef fishes, pique the interest of pretty much every hobbyist. This group of fishes definitely has its challenges but, with proper information and species selection, can be kept fairly easily by a moderately skilled aquarist with a generous budget. Breeding and raising elasmobranchs You may skim over this installment of Elasmobranch Enthusiasts because your goal maybe isn’t to breed them…but you shouldn’t! Many elasmobranchs that are sold in stores are eggs or babies, and special care needs to be taken to provide the right conditions to be successful with these smaller, more delicate aquatic animals. Because it is just the beginning of our “baby” season right now, this the perfect time to talk about elasmobranch reproduction. The birds and bees Male and female elasmobranchs are morphologically different from each other.
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