Family Stegastomatidae
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Zebra Sharks Family Stegastomatidae
Classification
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class chondrichthyes Order Orectolobiformes Family Stegastomatidae Genus Stegostoma species fasiatum
Anatomical characteristics of the family Broad low caudal fin as long as body Ridges running down body As juvinal has stripes change to spots as adult a.k.a. “leopard sharks” 3.5 m long
Genetics DNA, taken from fin clips, sequenced and found to be different from other orectolobid sharks Confirmed placement in own family
Habitat Indian ocean Western pacific E. Africa to Japan Coral reefs; intertidal 5 to 60 m deep nocturnal Red list-vulnerable Used for aquaria
Feeding Mollusks (bivalves, gastropods) Crustaceans (crabs, shrimp) Small bony fish Slow moving Sits on bottom Sucks food out of sand Reproduction Oviparous Dark brown egg case anchored with fibers Hatch 20-26 cm Young have “zebra” stripes Thought to be a reversal to egg-laying Unique compared to evolutionary trend
Literature cited Compagno, L., M. Dando, and S. Fowler. 2005. Sharks of the world. Princeton University press, princeton, NJ. Pp 173-174. Dudgeon CL, Feldheim K, Schick M, et a. 2006. Polymorphic microsatellite loci for the zebra shark Stegostoma Fasciatum. MOLECULAR ECOLOGY NOTES 6 (4): 1086-1088. Dulvy NK, Reynolds JD. 1997. Evolutionary transitions among egg-laying, live- bearing and maternal inputs in sharks and rays. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES 264 (1386): 1309-1315.