Zebra Shark
Also known as: Stegostoma tigrinum (current scientific name) · Leopard shark (adult coloration; shared confusingly with an unrelated American species) · Striped shark (juvenile form, older usage)
Definition
The zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum), long familiar under the name Stegostoma fasciatum, is a nocturnal carpet shark of Indo-Pacific coral reefs whose striking transformation gives it two common looks: boldly striped juveniles — the source of the name zebra shark — and spotted adults often confused with leopard sharks. Growing to about 2.5 meters, it rests on the seabed by day and forages for mollusks and crustaceans at night, and it is assessed as Endangered across its range, which includes Philippine reef systems such as Tubbataha. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Zebra shark |
| Wikidata | Q169468 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Stegostoma tigrinum |
| AGROVOC | N/A |
| Google Scholar | Stegostoma tigrinum zebra shark leopard shark Philippines coral reef Endangered nocturnal |
| ConceptNet | shark |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Stegostoma tigrinum (current scientific name)
- Leopard shark (adult coloration; shared confusingly with an unrelated American species)
- Striped shark (juvenile form, older usage)
Examples and Analogy
- A shark that rewrites its own wardrobe: The zebra shark molts its stripes for spots as it matures — as if a tiger grew up to become a cheetah — one of the animal kingdom’s most dramatic ontogenetic costume changes.
- The night-shift vacuum: Its slow, undulating sweep over reef sand, suctioning snails and crabs from crevices, works like a nocturnal cleaning service few tourists ever see because it sleeps under ledges by day.
Usage Scenarios
1. Dive-Tourism Encounters
Where protected — including Philippine marine parks — habituated zebra sharks let divers approach closely, making them flagship species for shark-diving value over shark meat value.
2. Aquarium Display and Research
Zebra sharks adapt well to large aquaria, where their breeding is studied and publicized; aquaria have even partnered on egg-release and reintroduction research for the species.
Strategies
- Regional protections under shark and ray listing frameworks restrict catch and fin trade, giving zebra sharks legal shielding in signatory waters.
- Long-term photo-identification of individual spot patterns lets researchers track residents without tags, informing marine-park management.
Security and Safety Measures
- Zebra sharks are docile; injuries are essentially limited to provoked situations involving feeding or tail-grabbing, so divers keep hands off.
- As with all large sharks, spearfishers avoid stringing catch near resting sharks to prevent investigatory behavior.
Historical Context
The species was described in the eighteenth century from Indo-Pacific material, and the juvenile’s stripes initially misled some naturalists into treating young and adults as different animals. In the Philippines, zebra sharks entered the historical catch as part of shark landings and the fin trade, while diving tourism later elevated their live value at sites where they rest predictably. Taxonomists recently settled the correct spelling of the scientific name as Stegostoma tigrinum, an unusually reader-visible nomenclature fix in shark literature; conservation assessments in the same period moved the species to Endangered as reef shark numbers declined region-wide.
Challenges and Controversies
Unregulated Artisanal Catch
Outside protected areas, zebra sharks remain vulnerable to nets and longlines in multi-species fisheries where species-level rules are hard to enforce.
Population Unknowns
Their secretive nocturnal habits complicate population estimates in the Philippines, leaving debates open about how fully local protection reflects actual abundance trends.