Zebra shark
Stegostoma fasciatum
Not assessedPhoto: Josh Hallett from Winter Haven, FL, USA · CC BY 2.0
Fishcarnivore
The zebra shark is a tropical carpet shark that patrols coral reefs and sandy seabeds in the Indo-Pacific. Adults wear a spotted coat over a ridged body, while youngsters sport bold stripes—like two different sharks in one lifetime. Their long tails make up almost half their length, helping them glide through shallow waters.
- Newborn zebra sharks have dark brown stripes that fade into spots as they grow.
- Five raised ridges run along their bodies like underwater speed bumps.
- They can reach 8.2 feet long—about the length of a small canoe.
OceanCoral reefAsiaAustralia
Read more on WikipediaAt a glance
- Classification
- Fish
- Scientific name
- Stegostoma fasciatum
- Habitat
- Ocean, Coral reef
- Regions in this directory
- Asia, Australia
- Diet
- carnivore
- Relative size
- large
