Happy Finn Friday my fellow curious critters! Today we are going to learn all about Finn, my little shark friend swimming around with me in my logo. Finn is a Port Jackson Horn shark and they are super adorable. When I worked at the Newport Aquarium near Cincinnati we had a couple in our shark touch tank and I absolutely fell in love with them. These guys are bottom dwellers, so toss on a wet suit and some fins and let’s dive on in!
Where do they live?
Port Jackson Horn sharks are found off the southern and western coasts of Australia. Like I said earlier, they are bottom dwellers, preferring to stick to more rocky areas. They can sometimes be seen in muddy or sandy areas where seagrass is present. They typically stay at depths from the surface to around 900 feet (275 meters) deep.
How long do they live?
Scientists believe that Port Jackson Horn sharks can live for 30 or more years. Studies have shown that females reach maturity at around 11-14 years of age while males reach maturity at around 8-10 years of age.
During their breeding season, females will lay up to 16 eggs. These eggs will hatch after approximately 10-11 months. Their eggs are really cool because they are shaped like a corkscrew! This special shape helps them stay put when the female sharks wedge them between rock crevices when they are laid. Otherwise, the eggs would be at a much greater risk of becoming unattached and washing ashore where they would then dry out and the unhatched shark would die.
What do they eat?
There is nothing the Port Jackson shark loves more than a nice crunchy snack. I don’t really blame them. Crunchy snacks are obviously the best snacks. Some of their favorite foods to chomp down on are sea urchins, crustaceans, mollusks, and some small fishes. Because their food preference leans to the crunchy side, they also have special teeth. Unlike what you typically think about when you think about shark teeth, Port Jackson Horn sharks have teeth that more closely resemble a golf ball or your back molars. These special teeth allow them to crush and grind up their hard-shelled prey.
What do they like to do?
Port Jackson Horn sharks are nocturnal creatures, so they spend most of their days napping in caves or under rock outcroppings. During the night when they are most active they, like me, like to wander around finding lots of tasty snacks.
Conservation Status:
According to the IUCN Red List, Port Jackson Horn sharks are listed as least concern. The Port Jackson Horn shark is not used for food or targeted for sport fishing, so that greatly helps keep their populations more stables. Like all shark species, and everything else that calls the ocean home, climate change and pollution could change that faster than any of us would like.
Thank you so much for coming and hanging out with me today! I hope you had as much fun learning about our pal Finn as I did. What shark species do you want to learn about next? Let me know in the comments! I’ll see you all back here Monday for more science fun!
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