Leopard Shark

ANIMAL:
Leopard Shark      Triakis semifasciata

Type of Animal:
Houndshark

Habitat:
Temperate to tropical waters-coastal waters, bays, sandy bottom areas, estuaries, kelp forest/forest bottoms, littoral waters, sand/mud flats, rocky bottoms near kelp beds, kelp beds, rocky reefs/reef bottoms, gulfs, open coasts, intertidal zones, areas of warm effluent from power plants, open ocean, not found deeper than 300 ft,

Location(s):
Pacific coast of N America from Oregon to Baja California

Appearance:
Moderately stout but fairly slender shark w/ short round snout/flattened head, large oval eyes, dark spots/saddles along back w/ bronze-gray to silvery background, whitish plain underside, adults have more spots/saddles than juveniles, long tapered tail, 2 dorsal fins w/ larger one at midpoint & 2nd one near anal fin, older sharks have paler spot interiors

Food/Diet:
Clams, shrimp, crabs, octopus, bony fish, fish eggs, marine worms, lobsters, rays, small guitarfish, smaller sharks (occasionally adults eat juveniles)

Status in Wild:
Stable

Conservation:
Breeding in aquariums, marine parks, & zoos. Prohibition of gillnets in California waters shallower than 360 ft.

Lifestyle:
Schools of 50-100. Juveniles often form own schools.

Additional Info:

Called:
Male
Female
Young: Pup
Group: School/Shiver

Weight:
Male: 25-30 lbs
Female: 35-40 lbs
Young: 5 lbs

Gestation:
8-12 months 

Life Span:
20-30 years

Body Length:
Male: 3.9 ft
Female: 4.9 ft
Young: 1 ft

Tail Length:
Male: 1.3 ft
Female: 1.63 ft
Young: 0.3 ft

Main predators of adults are sevengill sharks, great white sharks, Steller sea lions, & orcas. Variety of marine mammals as well as adult leopard sharks prey on young.
 
Eggs hatch internally (ovoviviparous), resulting in 1-36 live pups being born. Females often mate right after pups born.
 
Often seen schooling w/ other smaller shark species as well as bat rays.
 
Males sexually mature at 7 years old, females at 10 years old.
 
Can travel 1.24 miles to find food.
 
They have great senses of sight & smell.
 
Use suction to grab prey, clenching jaw down & capturing prey between teeth.
 
Coloration aids in camouflage.
 
Warmer water observed to accelerate embryonic development in this species.

Fun Fact(s):
Remains widely found in American Indian middens in California.
 
Using ampullae of Lorenzini near snout, they can detect electromagnetic waves up to 3 ft away, detecting prey hiding under sand or camouflaging itself.
 
Attacks on humans extremely rare w/ these sharks being very docile & often flighty & shy. Fairly friendly in captivity. 1 attack in 1955 occurred due to spear fisher catching fish, w/ blood smell attracting shark.
 
Like all sharks, they lack swim bladders, instead storing oil in massive livers to counterbalance own weight.
 
People can snorkel w/ these sharks during summer in La Jolla, where biggest schools found in breeding season.

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