Shark Tank at the Living Planet Aquarium

Black-tip Reef Shark

• Size: Up to 6 feet in length
• Habitat: Shallow offshore waters, intertidal zone and coral reefs
• Diet: Reef fishes, crabs, squids and octopuses

These are curious sharks and have been known to approach  divers among the reefs. Because they live in such shallow waters, these sharks are encountered by humans more than any other shark in the Indo-Pacific region.

White-tip Reef Shark

• Size: Up to 7 feet in length
• Habitat: Tropical inshore waters off continental shelves and near coral reefs
• Diet: Mostly bony fishes but will also eat spiny lobsters, crabs, and octopuses

Although it looks like an open ocean shark, this species is actually more of a bottom dwelling shark.  They specialize in capturing prey that lives on the bottom of the ocean in caves and crevices and are one of the few types of shark that hunt in packs.

Leopard Shark

• Size: Up to 6 feet in length
• Habitat: Shallow offshore waters in bays and kelp forests, intertidal zone
• Diet: Small fishes, a variety of crabs and lobsters, sea urchins, shellfish

The leopard sharks unique patterned skin helps them to blend into their surroundings by breaking up their shape. This camouflage allows the shark to hide from predators as well as sneak up on prey.

Nurse Shark

• Size: Up to 14 feet in length
• Habitat: Shallow offshore waters, intertidal zone, caves and coral reefs
• Diet: Bony fishes, a variety of crabs, sea urchins and octopuses

Why is it called a Nurse shark? In the 1550’s the term “nusse” or “nurse” was used to describe any  large fish, especially a shark. Thus, the “nurse” may be a holdover from an Old English word first applied to this New World species hundreds of years ago.