Sea Life Scarborough asks public to name rare shark pup

The male pup, born at Sea Life Scarborough on October 28, 2025, is now on display as part of Shark Week, taking place from July 26 to August 1.

Sea Life Scarborough is asking visitors to help name this critically endangered short-tail nurse shark pup (Image: Anthony Devlin)

Visitors can vote for his name on the aquarium’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

Todd German, curator at Sea Life Scarborough, said: "Welcoming a healthy short-tail nurse shark is a fantastic achievement for our team and an important milestone for the conservation of this incredible species.

"Every successful birth helps strengthen the population of the species we are so determined to protect.

Sea Life Scarborough is asking visitors to help name this critically endangered short-tail nurse shark pup (Image: Anthony Devlin)

"We can't wait to see which name the public chooses.

"He's already captured the hearts of our team, and we're sure visitors will fall in love with him too."

The pup is the offspring of Persephone, who has lived at the aquarium for the past 20 years, and Hades.

Sea Life Scarborough is asking visitors to help name this critically endangered short-tail nurse shark pup (Image: Anthony Devlin)

Both sharks are part of a conservation programme.

Although small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, the young shark is already thriving under the care of the aquarium’s animal care team.

Short-tail nurse sharks are among the smallest nurse shark species.

Sea Life staff have described them as "the lazy dogs of the ocean" due to their docile nature and habit of resting on the sea floor.

The pup is weighed and measured weekly to track his growth, and he will remain in his nursery habitat alongside other captive-bred marine animals for the time being.

Sea Life Scarborough is asking visitors to help name this critically endangered short-tail nurse shark pup (Image: Anthony Devlin)

He currently favours a diet of krill and prawns.

Despite his size, the pup represents a significant step in conservation.

Short-tail nurse shark populations have declined by around 80 per cent over the past 30 years.

Sea Life Scarborough is asking visitors to help name this critically endangered short-tail nurse shark pup (Image: Anthony Devlin)

The species is native to a small area of the Indian Ocean and is highly vulnerable to overfishing due to its proximity to coastal reefs and limited habitat range.

Sea Life's conservation efforts focus on maintaining a genetically diverse captive population while raising public awareness of the threats facing these sharks in the wild.

The winning name will be announced after the public vote.

To cast a vote, visitSea Life Scarborough’s social media pages during Shark Week.