Minnesota Zoo - Animals - Leopard Shark

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The leopard shark is hunted by the great white shark.

Overview
Fun Facts
Behind the Scenes
Detailed Information
Conservation

Animal Bites
Length: 4-6 feet
Life Span: 30 years in human care
Average Weight: 40lbs

Where at the Zoo
Discovery Bay

Habitat
Ocean

Taxonomic Category
Fish
Carnivore

Where in the World
North America
Mexico

Leopard Shark
Triakis semifasciata

What They Eat
A leopard shark’s diet changes somewhat with its size, but it tends to eat a lot of invertebrates, including shrimp, crabs, clam siphons and octopi. Small bony fish, smaller sharks, rays and fish eggs are also consumed.

Where They Live
Leopard sharks are especially common off the California coast but can be found in the eastern Pacific as far north as Oregon and as far south as Baja, Mexico. They frequent shallow muddy waters including estuaries and occasionally kelp forests.

What They Do
Leopard sharks are active swimmers that move with an undulating motion side-to side. They often form large schools and swim together with gray smoothhounds, brown smoothhounds and spiny dogfish. These sharks are admired for their attractive oval-shaped “leopard” markings.

How They’re Doing
Leopard sharks are listed in the category of least concern for extinction. They inhabit a narrow range and are slow growing, which means they could experience problems if they are fished too heavily. California manages the fishing of this species in order to prevent that from happening.

Leopard Shark

Leopard sharks will often swim closer to shore. They enter the bays as the tide rises, and retreat as it lowers.
In Southeast Asia and Australia, the zebra shark is known as the leopard shark, and is often confused with this species.
Leopard sharks are known to selectively eat only the siphons (necks) of clams, and ignore the rest.
California fishermen catch the leopard shark for sport and human consumption.
As a leopard shark ages, the centers of its dark oval markings become lighter in color.

Leopard Shark

In Discovery Bay, leopard sharks are displayed in the estuary because they are relatively small as adults and have a calm swimming habit. It is the only exhibit in Discovery Bay with water cold enough for them. The estuary animals are fed daily each afternoon, but not at a scheduled time.

Leopard Shark

Description
Leopard sharks rarely exceed six feet in length and are covered in large, dark oval markings along their back and sides. The underlying color is gray to bronze. This shark’s smaller size, attractive appearance and nonaggressive temperament make it a popular exhibit animal at zoos and aquariums.

Habitat and Range
Leopard sharks are found in a narrow band of shallow water along the eastern Pacific from Oregon South to Baja, Mexico. They inhabit coastal areas in cool or temperate water that is usually less than 20 feet deep. Cruising along the muddy bottoms of estuaries and lagoons, leopard sharks search for their favorite invertebrate prey.

Diet
Smaller bony fish along with smaller sharks are eaten, but much of the leopard shark’s diet consists of invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, worms and octopi. Their diet changes seasonally and relative to the size of the shark.

Reproduction
Leopard sharks grow slowly and don’t reach sexual maturity until they are over three feet in length, which is roughly ten years old. Gestation lasts 10-12 months and 4 -33 pups may be born in one litter. The pups hatch from their eggs inside the mother’s body and emerge from her as free-swimming individuals, about eight inches long.

Things you can do

Some fish are caught using methods that reduce unintentional bycatch (including sharks, turtles and even marine mammals). Familiarize yourself with what these fish are and where they are caught. By purchasing seafood harvested in a responsible, sustainable way, you can make a difference! Visit the Fish Smart section of the Minnesota Zoo’s website for up-to-date information on best seafood choices.

Your visit to the Zoo helps support our conservation programs. You can also sponsor an animal at the Zoo.

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Leopard Shark

Leopard sharks are quite common off the coast of California, which probably has a lot to do the some of the fishing restrictions placed on them. They are popular for sport fishing and are fished often for human consumption. Their slow growth and narrow range would make them vulnerable sharks if they weren’t well managed. It is unclear just how well the leopard shark is doing in the Gulf of Mexico, but the health of the global population is strong enough to be listed by the World Conservation Union as a species of least concern.