In a world first, a baby Maugean Skate has successfully hatched from a captive-laid egg as part of a breeding program run by scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).
The first hatchling, a female, arrived on 10 July after about seven months developing in the IMAS facility at Taroona.
The breeding program, funded by the Federal Government, is expected to see many more baby skate hatch in coming weeks and months.
Sadly, the Maugean Skate population has almost halved in the past decade in Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour, the only place in the world where it still exists.
It’s hoped the successful breeding program will help make sure the Maugean Skate will survive for generations to come.
“We’ve been trialling captive holding and rearing methods for two years with other skate species, so successfully producing our first hatchling from a captive-laid egg for this very unique skate is really something to celebrate – and it’s a significant step towards conserving the species,” said IMAS researcher, Professor Jayson Semmens, who leads the IMAS Maugean skate captive breeding program.
“The eggs take around seven months to develop, with the first healthy female skate hatchling arriving on the 10th of July.
“The adult female has been laying eggs since her arrival last December – two at a time, every four days on average – and has produced over 100 eggs to date. So we’re preparing for more hatchlings to make their appearance any time now,” Professor Semmens said.
The Maugean Skate is one of 110 species prioritised for recovery under the Federal Government’s Threatened Species Action Plan.
“It is fantastic news that the University of Tasmania has achieved such great outcomes in such a short time,” said Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek.
“But the battle to ensure the future for the endangered Maugean Skate is by no means won.
“We’ll keep working with industry, environmentalists and the Tasmanian Government on restoring the health of the harbour.”
