All fish / Hemiscylliidae

Epaulette Shark

Hemiscyllium ocellatum

Also known as epaulette shark, epaulette bamboo shark, epaulet shark, ocellated bamboo shark, walking shark, eyespot shark, ฉลามกบลายจุด, モンツキテンジクザメ, hiu berjalan, 肩章鲨, 斑点长尾须鲨

A slim, bottom dwelling bamboo shark with a pale brown body, scattered dark spots and a large black, white-ringed eyespot behind each pectoral fin. It uses its paired fins to walk across the substrate, and it is kept because it is one of the few sharks that stays small enough for very large home aquaria.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

80 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1500 litres

Keep as

Singly or as a pair in a very large system

Diet

Carnivore: shrimp, squid, clams, mussels and fish fillet with vitamin supplements

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

20 to 25 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Northern Australia and southern New Guinea, shallow reef flats

Breeding

Females lay egg cases that hatch after about four months, and the species has been bred in public aquaria and by some advanced hobbyists. Raising the pups needs separate tanks and frequent small meals of chopped seafood.

Good to know

It will eat crustaceans, molluscs and small fish, so it is not reef safe for inverts, and it needs a large open sand floor with secure rockwork and a tight lid. Adults reach around 80 to 100 cm, so avoid buying one without a suitably large tank planned.