<p> Zebra Sharks Family Stegastomatidae</p><p>Classification</p><p> Kingdom Animalia  Phylum Chordata  Class chondrichthyes  Order Orectolobiformes  Family Stegastomatidae  Genus Stegostoma  species fasiatum</p><p>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</p><p>Genetics  DNA, taken from fin clips, sequenced and found to be different from other orectolobid sharks  Confirmed placement in own family </p><p>Habitat  Indian ocean  Western pacific  E. Africa to Japan  Coral reefs; intertidal  5 to 60 m deep  nocturnal  Red list-vulnerable  Used for aquaria</p><p>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</p><p>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.</p>