The zebra shark is a bottom-dwelling carpet shark found on sandy and muddy seabeds across Indo-Pacific reefs and lagoons, typically at 5–70 metres depth. Adults reach around 3.5 metres and lose the bold zebra stripes of juveniles, becoming spotted and more uniformly coloured. It feeds by probing the seafloor with its elongated snout, sucking up small fish, crustaceans, and molluscs. Listed as endangered, zebra shark populations have declined due to fishing pressure and habitat loss.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Elasmobranchii
- Order
- Orectolobiformes
- Family
- Stegostomatidae
- Genus
- Stegostoma
Most likely to be seen at
Sites where its range and habitat make it likely — not yet confirmed by a logged sighting.