Created on Day 5
October 12, 2012
Like other bottom-dwelling sharks, the zebra shark can pump water over its gills. This ability was a provision within this creature’s original created kind.
- This shark is cylindrical with a long tail and broad head.
- Its gray body is covered with dark brown spots.
- The young zebra shark has stripes and a darker body. As it grows, the zebra shark loses its stripes and develops spots.
- The zebra shark is oviparous. The pups hatch from eggs that are left on rocks at the bottom of reefs.
- This shark’s tail is sometimes as long as, if not longer than, its body, and it lacks a distinct lower lobe.
- This shark is commonly, and incorrectly, referred to as a leopard shark because of the pattern of leopard-like spots that develop with maturity.
CLASS: Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish—sharks, skates, and rays)
ORDER: Orecctolobiformes (carpet sharks)
FAMILY: Stegastomatidae (zebra sharks)
GENUS/SPECIES: Stegastoma fasciatum (or Stegostoma varium)
Size: 8–10 ft (2.4–3 m)
Depth: Up to 203 ft (62 m)
Diet: Mollusks and crustaceans
Habitat: Indian Ocean, west Pacific Ocean; abundant in Australian coastal waters