Another Grey Nurse Shark rescued off Byron Bay

They called the shark Julian ...

When rescuers found Julian the grey nurse shark off Byron Bay, he was 25kg underweight and dragging his bottom jaw along the sea floor.

The 2.5m predator's head was also wrapped in fishing gear and it had been some time since the thin creature had caught himself a meal.

Julian, one of a critically endangered species, is being cared for at Sea World.

Vet David Blyde said the shark was unable to close its mouth so was being hand-fed to boost its weight, which is only two-thirds what it should be.

After catching the shark in 15m waters a few days ago, Dr Blyde stuck his hand down its throat to clear it of fishing line and hooks.

But it is feared the damage to the jaw may be beyond repair and if returned to the wild the shark may starve to death.

"This is an animal that needs to go back and hunt for itself," said Dr Blyde yesterday. "I don't think it's in pain. It just closed its mouth.

"There's no swelling or discharge ... but I think it would be frustrating and I think it is frustrated."

Recuperating yesterday, Julian floated through the quarantine pool at Sea World with the director of marine sciences Trevor Long.

Mr Long said Julian was spotted near a popular dive site at Julian Rocks, about 2.5km off Byron Bay.

It took more than a day to locate Julian and untangle him.

Soon it became apparent the mess of fishing gear was not preventing Julian from eating but an unknown injury.

More tests will be carried out on the jaw to determine the extent of the damage.

Mr Long said grey nurse sharks were at their '11th hour' and needed more protection. There are only about 500 on the east coast which breed every three years, giving birth to only one or two pups.

For pictures and more, go to:

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2009/09/18/138435_gold-coast-news.html

Contributed by Tim Hochgrebe added 2009-09-18