Shark Lab - Bamboos and Epaulettes

Feature Articles are for subscribing Members of CoralRealm.

Bamboos and Epaulettes -
"True" Reef-dwelling Sharks

The juvenile brownbanded bambooshark is very different in coloration to the adult. The function of this color transformation may have to do with the juvenile being more susceptible to predation. Photo by Roger Steene

When most lay people think of a shark their mind's eye conjures up a 10-foot, stiff-bodied, torpedo-shaped predator with large serrated teeth. But, this common selachian stereotype fits very few of the 395 described species of sharks. As you will see in the Coral Realm shark and ray database, members of the class Elasmobranchii come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and exhibit a variety of different ways of life.

One very unique group of reef-associated sharks is the family Hemiscylliidae. There are at least 13 species of what are commonly dubbed bamboo and epaulette sharks. Although they tend to inhabit, shallow coastal waters, the biology of many of these sharks is relatively poorly known.

In this Feature Article we will look at this interesting group of reef-dwelling sharks. This includes links to all the hemiscylliids in our database, which includes information on distribution, habitat, biology, where to see them, how to approach them, and how to tell the difference between species. There is also a photo gallery showing most of the members of this family.

Read
A New Species of Epaulette Shark

Read
Shark Sex: Bamboo and Epaulette Sharks