In Explore, September 14, 2023
The zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum), too leopard shark, is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae.
This stout coastal shark is torpedo-shaped, with ridges that run down its flanks to its very long tail fin. It has a rounded snout and small eyes, rounded pectoral fins, small dorsal fins, and a small mouth for crunching mollusks. Adults are light yellow-brown and covered in dark spots, while the juveniles are quite dark with white bars across their bodies. The zebra shark attains a length of 2.5 m, with an unsubstantiated record of 3.5 m. Males and females are not dimorphic in size.
The zebra shark occurs in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region, from South Africa to the Red Sea, to India and Southeast Asia (including Indonesia and the Philippines, northward to Taiwan and Japan, eastward to New Caledonia and Tonga, and southward to northern Australia. It is very common around coral reefs and sandy bottoms. It generally resides around 62 m below the surface of the ocean, but it has occasionally been found in fresh water also.
They feed primarily on snails and other mollusks, but also on crabs, shrimps, and small bony fishes. They are considered harmless to humans.
This picture is taken in the large shark tank of Burgers Ocean, a part of Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, the Netherlands.
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All rights reserved. Copyright © Martien Uiterweerd (Foto Martien).
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