Description
This stunning Zebra/Leopard Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) image was captured whilst scuba diving in the Andaman Sea, Krabi, Thailand. Leopard sharks are a type of Elasmobranch and are more commonly known as Zebra sharks. They are gentle, mainly nocturnal creatures, who actively hunt at night for molluscs, crustaceans, small bony fishes, and sea snakes. They have recently been re-classified from 'Vulnerable to Extinction' to 'Endangered Species’ on the IUCN red list, due to being hunted for their meat and liver oil. Although their numbers are declining at a rapid rate, they are not yet a protected species. This footage shows their natural behaviour in the wild, as they search the coral reef in search of food. This particular male shark has a Remora (Echeneidae), also known as 'suckerfish' attached to it.