Picky-Eater Tiger Shark Gives Aquarium Heartburn

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 11, 2009 8:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – Tiger sharks are known for eating anything—including metal junk, other sharks, and people—but the Long Beach Aquarium seems to have landed the world's choosiest one, the Los Angeles Times reports. The new arrival, one of very few tiger sharks in captivity in the US, regularly turns up its snout at restaurant grade steak, tuna, and lobster, causing headaches for staffers trying to choose from more than 30 menu items.

"Name it and we've probably tried it," says an aquarium curator, who considers the shark by far the trickiest to feed of the aquarium's 10,000 marine creatures. "Some days she won't eat," he says. "Other days she goes on benders, feasting only on one type of food. Her tastes change from one day to the next. The tricky part is figuring out what thing triggers her hunger on a given day."

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Tiger sharks can grow up to 14 feet long in the wild. (Shutter Stock)

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Long Beach Aquarium Director of Animal Husbandry Perry Hampton talks about the troubles of keeping a tiger shark in captivity. (ronkilgore1070)

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