Visitors to Hastings Blue Reef Aquarium will have the chance to name their newest arrivals over the summer holidays (July 21st– September 5th) – two black tip reef sharks.
Both sharks are male and are around two-years-old. The duo, which have become best friends since settling in to their new home, are approximately 60cm long.
They enjoy feasting on their favourite food, mackerel and herring.
The blacktip reef shark is one of the three most common sharks inhabiting coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific along with the whitetip and grey reef sharks.
Belonging to the same family as the great white shark, blacktips only reach a maximum size of around 1.6 metres.
They are active predators and feed on a wide variety of prey including small fish, octopus, squid and crustaceans.
They have also been known to eat sea snakes and even seabirds and give birth to live young which can hunt as soon as they are born.
Blue Reef Aquarium’s Leanna Lawson said: “They are a truly magnificent looking pair and we’re hoping our visitors can come up with a suitably impressive-sounding name.
“We’re asking for suggestions from anyone aged under 13- years-old and they can either post them in to a special box we have here at reception or email them direct to us.
“Our aquarists will then sift through all the entries and pick the two winners who will also receive a free annual pass to Blue Reef,” she added.
Visitors will be able to pick up a naming form at reception and can drop off their suggestions in a post box in the shop at the end of their visit.
The ocean tank features a variety of tropical fish from the south pacific, such as pufferfish, batfish and wrasse, all which can been seen from beneath the spectacular underwater tunnel.