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Epaulette shark
 
 
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The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a bamboo shark in the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Hemiscylliidae
Hemiscylliidae

The Hemiscylliidae, also called longtail carpet sharks or bamboo sharks, are a family of sharks found only in shallow waters of the tropical western Pacific....
 found in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 off Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
 and northern Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, possibly occurring in Malaysia
Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
, Sumatra
Sumatra

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the list of islands by area in the world ....
 (Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
), and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands

For the group of islands rather than the nation, see Solomon Islands .The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands....
 between latitude
Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
s 1° S
1st parallel south

The 1st parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 1 degree south of the Earth equator.The parallel defines most of the border between Uganda and Tanzania, and a very short section of the border between Kenya and Tanzania....
 and 26° S
26th parallel south

The 26th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 26 degree south of the Earth equator. It crosses through Africa, Australia and South America....
, to depths of 50 m. Its length is up to 1.07 m.

The epaulette shark is commonly found in the shallow water of coral reefs, often in tide pools. When feeding, it will walk on the bottom of the tide pool or feeding area in search of prey.






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The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a bamboo shark in the family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Hemiscylliidae
Hemiscylliidae

The Hemiscylliidae, also called longtail carpet sharks or bamboo sharks, are a family of sharks found only in shallow waters of the tropical western Pacific....
 found in the western Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
 off Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands ....
 and northern Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, possibly occurring in Malaysia
Malaysia

Malaysia is a federation that consists of States of Malaysia in Southeast Asia with a total landmass of . The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government....
, Sumatra
Sumatra

Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the list of islands by area in the world ....
 (Indonesia
Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia , is a transcontinental country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Comprising Islands of Indonesia, it is the world's largest Archipelago state....
), and the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands

For the group of islands rather than the nation, see Solomon Islands .The Solomon Islands is a country in Melanesia, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands....
 between latitude
Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
s 1° S
1st parallel south

The 1st parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 1 degree south of the Earth equator.The parallel defines most of the border between Uganda and Tanzania, and a very short section of the border between Kenya and Tanzania....
 and 26° S
26th parallel south

The 26th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 26 degree south of the Earth equator. It crosses through Africa, Australia and South America....
, to depths of 50 m. Its length is up to 1.07 m.

The epaulette shark is commonly found in the shallow water of coral reefs, often in tide pools. When feeding, it will walk on the bottom of the tide pool or feeding area in search of prey. The caudal fin has a pronounced subterminal notch but is without a ventral lobe. It feeds mainly on benthic invertebrate
Invertebrate

An invertebrate is an animal lacking a vertebral column. The group includes 98% of all animal species ? all animals except those in the Chordate subphylum vertebrate ....
s.

Reproduction is oviparous. It has the ability to survive low oxygen conditions by switching off non-essential brain functions - apparently an adaptation for hunting in tide-pools with low oxygen.

Captivity

In an article for Aquarium Fish Magazine Scott W. Michael referred to the epaulette shark as "the best shark for the home aquarium." He also noted that epaulette sharks have been observed "walking" along the aquarium bottom with its fins.

Epaulettes will breed regularly in captivity, even in tanks as small as 135 gallons. Eggs are laid nocturnally two or three at a time in leathery cases. They will take approximately 130 days to hatch at 77F, until then they risk being cannibalized by their parents or being parasitized by fungi.

Full sized adult epaulette sharks are most succesfully housed in tanks at or exceeding 180 gallons.

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Footnotes