Leopard Shark

Stegostoma tigrinum

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Stegostomatidae
Genus: Stegostoma
Species: Stegostoma tigrinum

The leopard shark or zebra shark (Stegostoma tigrinum) is a spotted, ridged shark with a very long tail that rests on sand. Juveniles are dark with pale stripes, which gives the zebra name, while adults are pale with dark leopard spots.

It grows to about 2.5 m and feeds on molluscs, crustaceans and small fish, sucking prey out of crevices. It is docile and often lies still on the bottom. It is classed as Endangered.

In the Philippines it is found on sandy areas near reefs, though sightings have become uncommon.

Photo: 陳德範（Chen, De-Fan）, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist