FEEDING CONDITIONING OF THE HORN SHARK HETERODONTUS FRANCISCI AT THE MUNICIPAL AQUARIUM OF SANTOS – SANTOS/SP - BRAZIL

Abstract

Feeding conditioning strategies are important for evaluating the response to a stimulus and managing animals kept under human care. This study evaluated the conditioning of a female Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci) at the Santos Municipal Aquarium using the presentation of a "tag." Fifteen experiments, each lasting 20 minutes, were conducted to record the number of touches on the "tag" and the capture of food. The results showed that the animal began to display a positive response to the stimulus, with an increase in touches over the 15 days, touching the "tag" 110 times and capturing food in most of the touches (86/110 = 78.2%). This demonstrates that the strategy used can yield positive results for the management of sharks in aquariums.

Keywords: Shark; Conditioning; Management; Animal welfare; “Tag” .