Zebra shark
Grown zebra shark
The zebra shark ( Stegostoma fasciatum; Also: Leopard Shark ) is one of the Ammenhaiartigen ( Orectolobiformes ) and is the only type of Stegostomatidae family.
Dissemination
The zebra shark lives on the shelf of the continents, islands in the Red Sea and the Indo-Pacific from East Africa to Australia, New Caledonia and southern Japan, mostly in depths of 5-30 meters, maximum up to depths of about 60 meters.
Physique
The adults usually remain below 2.30 meters, but may be able to be up to 3.6 meters long. Zebra sharks are particularly conspicuous by their disproportionately large tail fin that can almost reach the length of the rest of the body. You have two spineless dorsal fins, the first is much greater than the second. On the sides of the body, the full-grown animals have distinctive edges.
Their teeth are small. In each jaw sit 20 to 23 rows of teeth. The eyes sit on top of the head. The external nares are located near the mouth, have small barbels and are connected by folding the mouth. The injection holes are medium in size and are located behind the eyes. Of the five small gill slits are the last three behind the pectoral fin base. The pectoral fins are large and rounded. Zebra sharks have 207-243 vertebrae.
Young animals that are smaller than 70 inches, have a drawing of black and yellow horizontal stripes; the adult sharks, however, are spotted much brighter and dark. Therefore, they are also known as leopard. There is, however a likelihood of confusion with Triakis semifasciata who has selfsame German name.
Way of life
Zebra sharks are common especially on sand and gravel bottoms in coral reefs. In the Philippines, he should go in freshwaters. Zebra sharks are crepuscular, possibly nocturnal and feed on mussels and snails, crabs, shrimp and small fish. They move slowly and can in search of food squeeze through narrow crevices and caves.
They are oviparous ( egg- laying ). The egg capsules are large, dark purple -brown or blackish. The young fish are 20 to 26 inches long at birth.