The Zoo is
CLOSED
for the winter season.
Visit us when we
reopen in April 2010.

Zebra Shark

Scientific Name:	Stegostoma fasciatum
Range:	Western Pacific Ocean
Habitat:	Very common in coral reefs
Natural Diet:	Snails, crabs, shrimp, and small bony fish
Zoo Diet:	Scallops, capelin, shrimp, squid, krill, aquarium flake food, brine shrimp, and vegetables
Physical Characteristics:	Juvenile zebra sharks are dark brown with yellow-white stripes and spots. These stripes give the shark its name “zebra.” However, as the shark grows up, its appearance changes. The white stripes and brown body are replaced by a pattern of dark brown spots on a beige body. Full-grown zebra sharks average seven to nine feet in length and 66 pounds in weight.
Behavior:	Zebra sharks live a leisurely lifestyle near the ocean floor. Their long, unusually flexible body moves easily through the coral reefs of the sea. Zebra sharks often rest on the ocean floor and prop themselves up on their front two fins. The mouth points downward, helping the shark feed off of the ocean floor.
Reproduction:	The female lays fertilized eggs in tough capsules covered with filaments that attach the eggs to the seafloor.
Notes:	Unfortunately, in some countries zebra shark fins are used for shark fin soup. After the sharks are caught, fisheries take off the fins and toss the rest of the shark overboard. The United States and several other countries are working to stop this practice.