Video - Leopard Shark at the Similan Islands with Wicked Diving

Sharks are a frequent visitor to our dive sites like Breakfast Bend. These are non-aggressive species and no threat to humans in any way.

-Similan Diving

Leopard Sharks - Similan Island Marine Life

Leopard Sharks of the Similan Islands

Leopard Sharks are the common Name in Asia for Stegostoma fasciatum, which is very common on the Similan and Surin Islands. In The Americas it is the name for a very different shark - Triakis semifasciatum.

Description & Behavior
The zebra shark, Stegostoma fasicatum (Hermann, 1783), is also known as a leopard shark in SE Asia. The zebra shark has a cylindrical body with prominent ridges on the sides and 5 gill slits (slits 4 and 5 overlap). The tail lacks a ventral lobe and it is as long as the body. This shark has a broad head, small barbels, and a transverse mouth located in front of the eyes. Its spiracles are as large as its eyes. The spineless dorsal fins are back to back. The anterior dorsal fin is much larger than the posterior dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin appears above the bases of pelvic fins, the second dorsal fin is about as large as the anal fin. The body is gray-brown with dark spots in adults. Juveniles are darker with light stripes and spots. Maximum size is about 3.5 m, average size between 2.5-3 m.

World Range & Habitat
Indo-Western Pacific: South Africa to Red Sea and Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Japan, Australia, New Caledonia, Palau. Lives over the continental and insular shelves. Very common around coral reefs, often on sandy bottoms, but little is known about its biology. It is known that this species props up its pectorals in the sand and faces the current with open mouth. Such behavior and its inactivity during the day points towards a more sluggish life style and indicates that it is probably a nocturnal hunter. Recorded to have entered freshwater.

Description & Behavior
The zebra shark, Stegostoma fasicatum (Hermann, 1783), is also known as a leopard shark in SE Asia. The zebra shark has a cylindrical body with prominent ridges on the sides and 5 gill slits (slits 4 and 5 overlap). The tail lacks a ventral lobe and it is as long as the body. This shark has a broad head, small barbels, and a transverse mouth located in front of the eyes. Its spiracles are as large as its eyes. The spineless dorsal fins are back to back. The anterior dorsal fin is much larger than the posterior dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin appears above the bases of pelvic fins, the second dorsal fin is about as large as the anal fin. The body is gray-brown with dark spots in adults. Juveniles are darker with light stripes and spots. Maximum size is about 3.5 m, average size between 2.5-3 m.

World Range & Habitat
Indo-Western Pacific: South Africa to Red Sea and Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Japan, Australia, New Caledonia, Palau. Lives over the continental and insular shelves. Very common around coral reefs, often on sandy bottoms, but little is known about its biology. It is known that this species props up its pectorals in the sand and faces the current with open mouth. Such behavior and its inactivity during the day points towards a more sluggish life style and indicates that it is probably a nocturnal hunter. Recorded to have entered freshwater.

Endangered Species....

Read the UN report on endangered species...

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Feeds primarily on snails and other molluscs, but also on crabs, shrimps, and small bony fishes.

Life History
Egg laying (oviparous). Egg cases are large (17 cm long, 8 cm wide, 5 cm thick). Unknown if the female lays more than one egg at a time, but it is most likely. Hatch size between 20-36 cm. Males reach sexual maturity between about 1.5-1.8 m, females around 1.7 m.

Comments
Harmless. This species is regularly taken in inshore fisheries and a decline is likely (no data) if not in progress. Utilized fresh and dried-salted for human consumption and also for fishmeal; livers processed for vitamins; fins cut off for the oriental sharkfin trade.

Similan Diving

Similan Diving Video - Leopard Shark

Getting up close and personal with one of our friends! Leopard Sharks are frequent visitors to our waters. These guys are also really relaxed.

With their mouth located under, instead of forward you can see that they prefer to eat things in the sand rather than attack things like a Great White.

That is a Remora on his side - a cleaner fish that eats the left-overs and also various parasites that may attach to the body of the shark.



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Common name

The name zebra shark is given because as a juvenile the shark has zebra-like stripes. When it matures these stripes change to cheetah-like spots. A name widely used to refer to Triakis semifasciata, a small benthic shark found in the Eastern Pacific coastline of North America.

Distribution and habitat

The zebra shark is found in the tropical Western Pacific and Indian oceans at depths of about 5 to 30 m.
Anatomy and appearance

It is a very sleek and slender shark, about 3.5m (11.5 ft) long. In addition to the long tail, the zebra shark has distinctive ridges running down its body. As its names suggest, it is patterned; young sharks are dark with yellowish stripes, changing to an adult pattern of a tan color with dark spots, found all over including the fins. The snout is rather rounded, with small barbels (whiskers).
Zebra shark in a aquarium.

Behavior

The zebra shark is a slow-moving type, often just sitting on the seafloor in the vicinity of coral reefs, on sandy or rocky bottoms. Unlike most types of sharks, it does not need to move, and instead pumps water through its gills. This is known as the ram-jet effect.

Diet

It feeds on mollusks, crustaceans, and small fish that it sucks out of the sand at night, and is capable of wiggling through small holes and crevices in its search for food.

Importance to humans

Zebra sharks do well in captivity, and a number of aquariums around the world have them on display. They are fished commercially on a small scale. They are often seen by scuba divers, and will lay still on the bottom as long as a diver does not come too close. They are harmless to divers as long as they are not disturbed. In addition several aquariums have shown them to be easy learners, even teaching them to respond to touch by flapping their gills. Due to its large caudal fins, this species are a prized catch for fishermen to make shark fin soup."

-Similan Diving

Similan Diving - Leopard Shark

During our recent Whale Shark Education trip, Wicked Diving also encountered some amazing marine life. Okay - yes - we did see a Whale Shark!

But also Leopard Sharks, Manta's, Ghost Pipefish and Seahorses.

Here is some nice footage from our man - Dan the video man. Lovely serene Leopard shark swimming by.





If you would like to join us - we are offering a second Whale Shark Education trip in March!


All trips are done aboard our happy little Similan Liveaboard - the Parinee


-Similan Diving