{"id":14791,"date":"2019-03-23T16:31:56","date_gmt":"2019-03-23T14:31:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/fishconsult.org\/?p=14791"},"modified":"2020-02-08T14:08:58","modified_gmt":"2020-02-08T12:08:58","slug":"leopard-shark-triakis-semifasciata-video","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fishconsult.org\/?p=14791","title":{"rendered":"Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata) – Video"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This video was filmed\nduring my visit to the Sea World, California, USA.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Introduction:<\/strong> The leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata<\/em> belongs to the hound shark<\/strong>, in the family Triakidae. The species is small and pretty animals. The species\nis harmless to humans if they are not disturbed and hence divers can safely\ncome close enough to the leopard shark and photograph them especially when not agitated\nor frightened. In fact, only a single mild injury for a diver was reported in\n1955.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The species have lived in aquariums\nfor up to 20 years while their lifespan in the wild is up to 30 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Range and habitats<\/strong>: Leopard sharks are found in the\nEastern North Pacific Ocean: from the coast of Oregon to the Gulf of California, Mexico. They occur in abundance in San Francisco Bay and other large estuaries. The\nleopard shark inhabits inshore and offshore cool and temperate waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In shallow waters, the species is most common on or near the\nbottom between zero to 4 meters. Inhabiting a depth of up to 90 meters has been reported. Leopard sharks\nprefer sand flats, muddy bays and rocky bottoms near reef sites and kelp beds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Description:<\/strong> The leopard shark has been <\/em>named for its for its distinctive bold dark saddles and spots on\nthe fins and upper body. The species is characterized by their gray to\nbronze-gray upper bodies with light ventral\nside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The species have relatively\nbroadly-rounded and short snouts. Leopard shark teeth are arranged in\noverlapping rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The average size of adult leopard\nshark ranges between 1.2-1.5<\/a> m with a maximum reported total length\nof about 1.8<\/a> m with a maximum weight of about\n19 kg.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feeding habits:<\/strong> Leopard sharks are opportunistic\nfeeder preying primarily on bottom-living invertebrates.\nWhile invertebrates dominate their diet, other preys have been found in their\nstomachs including worms, crabs, shrimp, clams, octopus, and other small\nsharks. Their feeding habits may change according their size as well as the\nseasons. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, the small leopard\nsharks<\/strong> are preyed\nupon by large sharks such as the great white shark and the broadnose sevengill\nshark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reproduction:<\/strong> Leopard sharks are Ovoviviparous<\/a> animal producing between about 4\nto 30 pops per litter after a gestation\nperiod of about 10-12 months. Being an Ovoviviparous<\/a>, the eggs produced by the female are\nmaintained in a brood chamber until the embryos develop relying on nourishment from a yolk sac and hatch\ninternally within the mother\u2019s uterus. Upon birth, the pop size is about 20 cm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leopard sharks reach their sexual maturity at\nabout 10 years whereas the size of mature female ranges from 1.1 to 1.3 m\ncompared to 0.7 to 1.2 m for mature male.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Habits:<\/strong> The leopard sharks are nocturnal animals and normally sleep during\nthe day. They can be found resting\nstill on sandy bottoms.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the exception of few specimens of\nleopard sharks found hundreds of miles away from their home, the species are\nknown to remain in the same area for much of their lives (homebodies). Leopard\nsharks are strong swimmers and they are known to swim a strong undulating\nmotion in large groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adaptation to environmental conditions:<\/strong> Leopard shark was found to have numerous\nsmall red blood cells compared to related shark species. This adaptation\nenables the species to absorb oxygen more easily in low oxygen environments\nsuch as estuaries which is considered a competitive advantage over some of its\nclose relatives of sharks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utilization:<\/strong> The leopard shark\u2019s meat is used for human consumption,\nand it is usually commercially fished and by recreational anglers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threats and\nconservation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Threats: <\/strong>Because of their slow growth rate and their late maturity (about\n10 years) as well as their few progeny,this species has been believed\nto be vulnerable to overfishing. However, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species criteria, the\nspecies have been listed as Least Concern.Conservation initiatives:<\/strong> In order to protect the\ncore population of leopard shark in the light of the increase of spearfishing,\nthe state of California (USA) implemented fishery management regulations in\n1992 to protect the core population of the species in California and Oregon\nwaters from overfishing and reduce its harvesting to sustainable levels.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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