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Zebra Shark

Don’t let the name fool you — zebra sharks look more like spotted leopards than striped zebras once they grow up! Striped juveniles look so different from spotted adults that they were originally thought to be a completely separate species.

 

Zebra sharks grow to an average length of 2.5-3 meters (8-10 feet) long, with an elongated tail that can be nearly as long as the rest of their body. Juveniles sport dark bodies with white spots and stripes, giving them their “zebra-like” appearance. As they age, they lose this striking pattern and their color transitions to a yellow-brown with dark brown spots. Because of this pattern, zebra sharks are also sometimes known as leopard sharks. 

These sharks are found in coastal waters across the Indian and Western Central Pacific Oceans. Often found around coral reefs and sandy bottoms, zebra sharks spend their days swimming slowly or resting on the seafloor. At night, they wake up and go hunting for a variety of prey, including crustaceans, small fish, mollusks, and sea snakes.  

 

 

Zebra sharks face a range of human-caused threats, which have led them to be listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List. 

Overfishing 

These sharks are caught in targeted fisheries in multiple areas across their range. They are also frequently caught accidentally as bycatch in gillnet and trawl fisheries. 

Habitat Loss 

Destruction of coastal habitats like coral reefs and mangroves poses a serious threat for zebra sharks. Climate change also significantly impacts reef ecosystems, threatening the long-term survival of the species. 

 

 

Stopping overfishing and destructive fishing practices is essential to helping ocean species recover from intense fishing pressure. Oceana is working around the world to reduce overfishing and bycatch, protect threatened marine wildlife, and safeguard vital ocean habitats. We’re also helping advance the global goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. 

 

 

 

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