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News: Conservationists have launched Thailand’s first rewilding project by releasing a young Indo-Pacific leopard shark into Maiton Island.
About Indo-Pacific Leopard Shark
- Indo-Pacific leopard sharks are slow-swimming reef sharks.
- Scientific name: Stegostoma tigrinum
- Habitat: They live in coastal waters and can be found from the intertidal zone to depths of about 62 metres.
- They prefer water temperatures that are warmer than 22 degrees Celsius.
- Distribution: Leopard sharks live in tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific region.
- Lifespan: 18 to 24 years in wild
- Diet: Leopard sharks mainly feed on molluscs, crustaceans, and small bony fish.
- Physical Characterstics:
- It grows up to 2.5 metres in length.
- Appearance: It has dark spots on a pale body, giving a “leopard” pattern and also features five raised ridges along its back.
- Juveniles are dark with white stripes, which is why they are sometimes called zebra sharks.
- They use their stripes as camouflage to avoid predators.
- The shark’s body pattern changes as it grows older.
- They have whisker-like sensory organs called barbels on their snout. Barbels help them locate and taste prey in the dark.
- They use strong teeth to crush the shells of mollusks and crustaceans.
- Nature: Indo-Pacific leopard sharks are nocturnal and are active mainly at night.
- Threat: Overfishing and habitat loss are the main causes of decline.
- Conservation: The species is listed as endangered by the IUCN.
