World’s Most Beautifully Patterned and Unique Sharks

Sharks are among the most feared sea creatures. Well, with this compilation of beautifully patterned and unique

sharks- your fear will somehow subside if not totally eradicated. Let’s explore the waterworld and see these

awesome-looking sharks.

Zebra Shark (Stegostoma fasciatum)

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Zebras just don’t exist on land, there are also zebras in the waterworld and they’re beautiful too like the Zebra

Shark. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, mostly on coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of 62

meters or 210 feet.

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This shark swims with an eel-like motion and can reach a length of 2.5 m or 8.2 feet.

Spotted Wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus)

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Species of carpet sharks are unique like the Spotted Wobbegong. It is found in the eastern Indian Ocean

from Western Australia to southern Queensland. This awesome-looking shark reaches a length of 3 meters

or equivalent to 10 feet.

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Tasseled Wobbegong (Orectolobus dasypogon)

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Another unique and odd-looking carpet shark is the Tasseled Wobbegong. It can also be found in the western

Pacific Ocean. It can grow up to a length of 1.25 meters. Despite growing nearly 6 feet in length it is possible to

keep a Tasseled Wobbegong in a 360 gallon home aquarium for its whole life.

Swellshark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)

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The Swellshark is found in the subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean from the surface to 460 meters. It grows to about

1 m or 3.25 ft in length and can expand its body by taking in air or water to make it appear larger to predators.

The Swellshark is nocturnal and feeds on bony fishes. It can live in aquaria for several years and females can lay

eggs in captivity.

Blind Shark (Brachaelurus waddi)

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The Blind Shark is found in the subtropical southwest Pacific Ocean. It reaches a length of 1.22 m. A Blind Sharks

is not actually blind, despite the name; its eyesight is ‘perfectly adequate’. In captivity they can live to be 20 years

old. It is one of the few shark species that are considered suitable for keeping in personal saltwater aquaria.

Chain Catshark (Scyliorhinus retifer)

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The harmless and pretty Chain Catshark is also called the Chain Dogfish. It is a small and spotted shark that has

a characteristic fluorescent activity.  The species is considered harmless and rarely encountered by humans.

Nursehound (Scyliorhinus stellaris)

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This attractive shark species is also commonly called Greater Spotted Dogfish or Bull Huss. It is a catshark that

is found from the northeast Atlantic at depths down to 400 meters. This species can reach a length of up to 1.7

meters.

Small Spotted (Scyliorhinus canicula)

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This fish is also known as Lesser Spotted Dogfish is found on the continental shelves and uppermost slopes off

Norway and the British Isles south to Senegal, including the Mediterranean. This peculiar-looking shark can attain

a length of up to 1 meter or 3.3 feet and it can weigh more than 6.5 lb or 2 kg.

Epaulette Shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)

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The small Epaulette Shark can be found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea. Its informal

name is from the very large, white-margined black spot behind each pectoral fin, which are reminiscent of

military epaulettes. It only grows to a length of less than 1 m or about 3.3 feet long,

Leopard Shark (Triakis semifasciata)

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Leopards are not restricted to land only but they can also be found in the oceans of the world. The bottom feeder

Leopard Shark is a hound shark found in the coastal waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean. It can grow up to

71 inches or 180 cm in length, with a long, slender body and head. The distinctive markings that give the species

its common name provide camouflage against dappled ground.

Cloudy Catshark (Scyliorhinus torazame)

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The Cloudy Catshark is common in the northwestern Pacific Ocean off Japan, Korea, China, and the Philippines.

It is found in benthic habitats from near the coast to a maximum depth of 320 meters or 1,050 feet. It is known to

attain a maximum length of 50 cm or 20 inches

Horn Shark (Heterodontus francisci)

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The bizarre-looking Horn Shark reminded me of the Redlipped Batfish because they have a striking similarity.

This shark is known to attain size of 121 cm or 4 feet and weigh of 10 kg or 22 pounds. Like the Brownbanded

Bamboo Shark it is brown but with black spots. This nocturnal creature ranges from central California to the

Gulf of California, Mexico and probably also in Ecuador and Peru. It can bite if it is harassed and has poisonous

spines on its back, hence its name.

Dark Shyshark (Haploblepharus pictus)

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The Dark Shyshark is also colloquially named as Puffadder Shyshark. It is a catshark species that can be found

from Namibia to southwestern Cape Province of South Africa.

White Spotted Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium plagiosum)

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The slender and elongated Whitespotted Bamboo Shark. It grows approximately one meter in length. This

nocturnal species is harmless to humans and is occasionally kept as a pet in larger home aquariums. This

shark is commonly found on coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean particularly in the coastal areas of Indonesia

and surrounding waters.

Ornate Wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus)

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The third carpet shark on the list is the unique-looking Ornate Wobbegong. This shark can be found in the

western Pacific Ocean around eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia.  It is known to reach a

length of 2.9 meters.

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)

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Well, the list will not be complete if the Whale Shark, the largest living fish, is not included. This handsomely

marked shark can grow huge up to 12.2 meter or 40 feet in length and can weigh up to 15 short tons. This

distinctively-marked can be found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea and can live for about

70 years.

Hope you enjoyed this. Thank you!

See also

Fascinating and Unique Waterworld Creatures