Feeding Observations for Large Female Sevengill Shark "Emma"

Note: After the initial 3 week period, Emma was fed twice a week together with all other sevengill sharks in the Monterey Bay Exhibit. Emma was almost 3 m long and weighed approximately 120 - 150 kg. Emma was tagged and released on June 16, 1994 into Monterey Bay and recaptured on October 16, 1996 (after over 2 years) in Humboldt Bay, the original capture site.
Date Observation
1990
Jul. 23 Date captured
Jul. 26 Showed interest in food
Jul. 30 Consumed 2.86 kg, including 1 kg (36 oz.) piece salmon
Aug. 02 Consumed 5.91 kg, including 1.0, 0.91, 0.88, and 0.74 kg (36, 32, 31, and 26 oz.) pieces of salmon
Aug. 05 Consumed 1.50 kg salmon
Aug. 06 Consumed 2.04 kg salmon
Aug. 07 Consumed 2.86 kg, including 1.3 kg (46 oz.) piece of salmon
Aug. 09 Consumed 2.72 kg, including 1.87 kg (66 oz.) piece of salmon
Aug. 13 Consumed 2.14 kg salmon
Aug. 14 Consumed 1.98 kg salmon
Aug. 16 Consumed 0.57 kg, first day of reduced food consumption for both Emma and Adam
Sep. 10 Fed on squid off the bottom
Sep. 10 Fed off the bottom
Oct. 16 Caught 3- 4 kg steelhead, 3 pieces were retrieved from the bottom of the tank with about 0.5 - 1 kg section missing, tried to feed one of the pieces but it was spit out
1991
Feb. 02 Had big sturgeon in mouth with 1 foot section hanging out on each side but let it go
Sep. 12 Very likely bit a sturgeon
Oct. 03 Fed on squid off the bottom
1992
Jan. 09 Leopard shark tried to steal food from Emma's mouth, she bit down but leopard shark escaped with wound above eye
Feb. 06 1 m TL smoothhound got too close and Emma bit off the tail (to about anal fin), tail was later spit out
Feb. 23 Emma probably killed another smoothhound, 3 pieces were retrieved
May 25 Emma consumed half a salmon (say 1.5 kg), found the front half near drain at 3.30 PM
Dec. 24 During feeding a juvenile sevengill got too close, Emma took a large bite out of its midsection
1993
Aug. 02 Sturgeon was bitten and released
1994
June 09 Leopard shark was bitten, escaped with 13 cm (5") gash
June 16 Tagged and released into Monterey Bay; recaptured on Oct. 16, 1996 in Humboldt Bay!

Created May 1995; revised: Oct. 17, 1996.


Back to home page
Please send comments or corrections to Dr. Henry F. Mollet, henry@elasmollet.org