Re: NANFA-- Lake Erie Shark
Nick Zarlinga (njz_at_clevelandmetroparks.com)
Wed, 28 Aug 2002 08:43:31 -0400
Ok, ok, ok......Here is the skinny on the shark. I am writing an article
for ac on it so you will see more on this. Here goes....This little anomoly
has turned out to be a rather interesting little detective exersize. I have
done a little research on the different ways that the animal might have made
its way to Lake Erie. I figure that 1) It could have either swam in from
the Atlantic (very highly unlikely), 2) been caught up in ballast as you and
others have suggested (again, highly unlikely-more in a minute), 3)was
caught by a fisherman who transported it alive to Lake Erie (some what
unlikely but better than the other two) or 4) caught by a fisherman and
transported in a cooler and "let go" in the lake for entertainment value.
Although I have heard reports that Atlantic sharpnose can take lower
salinities, and even freshwater for a period of time (one of which was your
experience, Moon), I am very skeptical that it could have made its way here
from the Atlantic. The ballast water idea seems logical, however when I
called the coast guard to do some checking on the possiblility, I was told
that ships that normally use the Great Lakes have 2 to 4 inch pipes with
which they uptake water. This shark, if sucked head on would barely fit in
the pipe, you couldn't fit a penny in next to it it would be so close. There
were no marks on it either and from what I know about fish, they avoid any
strong suction which would have meant that it would have turned to either
side to escape the force, thereby getting sucked broadside and not
surviving. It seems much more likely that a person caught it fishing along
the coast and brought it back and for some reason "let it go". I say that
in quotes because transporting these carcharinids is rather tricky for
anyone without experience in transporting ram ventilators. I highly doubt
that it was alive, although I was told that there were many witnesses who
said that it indeed was alive. I think that we have to take into account
though that peope see what they want to see sometimes. I was relayed a
story recently about a fishermen who caught a bull shark in Lake Michigan.
He had witnesses who swore they saw him actually catch and kill the fish.
Later he confessed that he was recently fishing along the coast and caught
the shark. He put it in the cooler and brought it home. On his next
fishing trip to Lake Michigan, he admitted to getting to the prime fishing
spot early in the morning, before anyone else, hooking the dead shark and
throwing it out into the lake. When there were enough people around, later
in the day, he "checked his line" and played the fish as if it were alive,
then before he got it to shore, he jumped in the water and killed it. All
the witnesses said the fish was alive when he caught it. I have to believe
that our scenario is something similiar. I now open it for discussion......
Nick Zarlinga
"If we ignore nature.....maybe it'll go away."
----- Original Message -----
From: <Moontanman_at_aol.com>
To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 28, 2002 1:29 AM
Subject: NANFA-- Lake Erie Shark
> Did I miss the final word on the Lake Erie Shark? What happened? Was it
> dropped from a black helicopter?
>
> Moon
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/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org