Zebra and Leopard sharks are often confused with one another, as their similar names often used interchangeably depending on location. As a Zebra shark reaches adulthood, it’s yellow with darkish spots but as a juvenile it tends to have stripes. This is why there is a ton of confusion over whether this is a Zebra or Leopard shark. It resembles a zebra as a juvenile and has the markings of a leopard as it matures. You can find Zebra sharks in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, between Japan and Australia and the Red Sea and Australia. In comparison, Leopard sharks are located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California to Mexico. Let’s take a look at the Zebra shark and Leopard shark in a little more detail.
What does a Zebra shark eat?
People call the Stegostoma fasciatum a Zebra shark in the United States and Leopard shark in Australia. This stunning shark is a carpet shark and you can usually find it resting on a sandy bottom. As adults, they feature black dots and have a long slender body, half of which is their tail. Their diet consists of crab, shrimp and small fish. They are nocturnal hunters so mostly during a dive you will see them sleeping on the sandy bottom or cruising along. Leopard sharks enjoy swimming close to the ocean floor. Their long, slender body helps them to get into small crevices in search of food. Their mouths are small and contain strong gill muscles to help suck up food.
Appearance
One of the main reasons there is confusion surrounding this shark’s name is that it looks different at various stages of its life. At birth, zebra sharks have vertical yellow stripes that make it look like a zebra. As it grows, the shark turns yellow and has dark spots making it resemble a leopard.
Scientists believe that juvenile Zebra sharks have stripes to signify they are of low-threat to other fish and sharks. As they get older, the need to blend in reduces. The juveniles also bear a resemblance to sea snakes and thus predators will tend to avoid them. Interestingly, males and females tend to be the same size and can grow up to a length of 3.5 meters.
Are Zebra sharks endangered?
Zebra sharks live in shallow water with a maximum depth of 65 meters. They can live up to 30 years in the wild. Other larger sharks can eat Zebra Sharks. Although, their main threat is humans who hunt them for their meat, fins and liver oil. People dry the meat and sell it. Its fins are cut off and used for shark fin soup, a Chinese delicacy. A combination of these practices has led to a decrease in the Zebra Shark population and they are now classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List.
Behaviour
Divers have even witnessed this relaxed shark “surfing” if the current is strong enough as they remain motionless in water. To reproduce, females can lay up to four eggs at one time. To protect these eggs, they cover them in fibers and sit on the seafloor for between 4 to 6 months before they hatch.
What is a Leopard Shark?
In comparison, you can find the Leopard Shark (species: Triakis semifasciata) in the waters on the West Coast of Mexico and the United States in the Pacific Ocean. Leopard sharks tend to inhabit shallow water. They have teeth with three points. These types of sharks are gray and have a banded pattern on their back with large black or brown dots. In addition, females tend to be larger than males. A fun fact about Leopard Sharks is that if they stop swimming, they sink. An interesting fact is that the pups are hatched internally by the mother and she can lay up to 30 live pups at a time.
So, which of these two wonderful sharks are you likely to encounter in Oman? The Zebra shark, of course! At Daymaniyat Islands, we’re lucky to be able to dive with these majestic sharks.
What are you waiting for? Contact us today!