G’day mates! On this episode we clean a river in South Florida on our Hoodoo Hero 130 skiffs and learn all about the Zebra Shark! Grab your crocs and watch the full episode below featuring Trash Talkin’ Tammy, Learnin’ Leslie and Zander the Zebra Shark.
Feeling inspired? Learn How to Safely and Effectively Do Trash Clean Ups in Your Community
Zebra Shark Facts
What is it?
A species of carpet shark so unique that it is the sole member of the Stegostoma family. They get their names from their stripes that they have on their bodies as babies. As the grow up, the stripes disappear and only spots remain.
Where do they come from?
The Zebra Shark can be found throughout the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific ocean in coral reefs.
What do they eat?
Small fish and small invertebrates like sea urchins, snails, crabs and mollusks. They are also known to eat squid and sea snakes.
How long do they live?
The average lifespan is from 25 to 30 years.
Are they endangered?
As of February of 2015, the Zebra Shark is listed by the IUCN Red List as Endangered with the species wild populations in decline. There is good news though.
What is being done in order to preserve them?
An organization by the name of ReShark is working with 69 partners and 3 breeding institutions across 12 countries in order to recover the species back to a thriving state. Here’s how this incredible effort works:
Eggs are collected from multiple facilities worldwide and flown to the hatcheries in Indonesia. From there, a local team cares for the eggs and pups after they hatch. Once they are ready, the juveniles are then tagged and released into protected areas.
How big do they get?
On average they get to be a minimum of 7.5 feet in length and can get up to about 12 feet.
And that’s our species spotlight on the Zebra Shark.