All fish / Triakidae

Leopard shark

Triakis semifasciata

Also known as leopard shark, california leopard shark, pacific leopard shark, leopard houndshark, cat shark, カリフォルニアドチザメ, 豹纹鲨, 半带皱唇鲨

This is a slim grey to bronze shark marked with dark saddles and spots along the back and sides. It is calm, hardy and attractive, so it is a common display species in public aquariums with cool-water exhibits.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

120 cm

Temperature

10 to 20 °C

pH

8 to 8.4

Smallest tank

20000 litres

Keep as

Alone or in small groups in very large systems

Diet

Carnivore: crabs, clams, shrimp, squid and whole fish

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

20 to 30 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Eastern Pacific coast from Oregon, USA, to the Gulf of California, Mexico

Breeding

The female gives birth to live pups, usually somewhere between 4 and 30 or more per litter, after a pregnancy of about a year. Public aquariums have bred it, but this is not realistic in a home setting.

Good to know

Adults pass 1.2 m and need a very large chilled tank with plenty of open swimming room, so it is unsuitable for almost all home aquariums. California has catch limits and size rules that apply to this species.