Triakis semifasciata
Leopard Shark
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Triakidae (Hound Sharks)
Triakis
Triakis semifasciata (Leopard Shark)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: elongated.
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Oregon, USA to the Gulf of California.
Habitat Associations
Brackish, marine. demersal. depth range 0-156 m. Found in: estuaries, coral reefs.
Biology
Found in shallow water from the intertidal to deeper waters, most commonly in enclosed muddy bays; including estuaries and lagoons (S. Wilson, pers. comm.). Prefer sandy areas, mud flats, and bottoms strewn with rocks near rocky reefs and kelp beds. Feed mainly on crabs, shrimps, bony fish, fish eggs, clam necks and innkeeper worms among a large variety of food in its diet. Form mixed schools. Ovoviviparous (aplacental), with 4 to 29 young in a litter. Utilized fresh or frozen for human consumption.
Max length: 198.0 cm TL; common length: 160.0 cm TL; max weight: 18420 g; max age: 30 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); bearers (internal live bearers). Females produce 6-24 young, which are 20-23 cm long at birth (Ref. 43439). Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2014-12-18. Resilience: Very low (K=0.07-0.09; tm=11-21; tmax=30; Fec=4-12).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Compagno, L.J.V. (1984) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO.
Talent, L.G. (1976) Food habits of the leopard shark, Triakis semifasciata, in Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, California. Calif. Fish Game 62(4):286-298.
Smith, S.W., D.W. Au and C. Show (1998) Intrinsic rebound potential of 26 species of Pacific sharks. Mar. Freshwat. Res. 49:663-678.
Cortés, E. (1999) Standardized diet compositions and trophic levels of sharks. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 56:707-717.
Love, M.S., C.W. Mecklenburg, T.A. Mecklenburg and L.K. Thorsteinson (2005) Resource inventory of marine and estuarine fishes of the West Coast and Alaska: A checklist of North Pacific and Arctic Ocean species from Baja California to the Alaska-Yukon border. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Seattle, Washington, 98104.
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