Methods for transport and long-term maintenance of spiny dogfish sharks

Spiny dogfish shark (Squalus acanthias) embryos were transported from Maine to the Maryland laboratory where they were maintained for 20 months. During this maintenance period, these sharks progressed from a yolk-sac stage to feeding stage. Animals were maintained at 10 degrees C in artificial seawater containing penicillin and streptomycin and were fed frozen brine shrimp and krill. The ease with which these animals could be maintained in the laboratory for an extended period of time greatly enhanced their usefulness as an experimental animal in a variety of studies.