Brownbanded Bambooshark

Shark

Chiloscyllium punctatum

Max Size

1.3 meters

Detail Information

Brown sharks in the seafloor

Small shark, striking bands

Living up to their name, brownbanded bamboo sharks have a slender, brownish body. Young sharks have medium-brown bodies with distinctive darker bands running across them. As they mature, these bands gradually fade, and adults are usually plain light brown.

These small sharks have lobed fins and rounded snouts. Their mouth is located closer to their eyes than to the tip of their snout, and their spiracles are located slightly under their eyes.

Close to the bottom

As a nocturnal shark, brownbanded bamboo sharks become active at night to hunt for prey. They feed on benthic organisms and small fish.

Brownbanded bamboo sharks commonly inhabit tropical coastal waters, particularly around coral reefs and sandy or muddy bottoms. Their brown coloration helps them blend into this seafloor environment.

Their reproduction also takes place close to the seafloor. As an oviparous species, brownbanded bamboo sharks lay paired egg cases in the benthic environment. These elongated egg cases can measure around 15 centimeters long and may take up to four months to hatch.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes (carpet sharks)
Family: Hemiscylliidae (bamboo and epaulette sharks)
Species: Chiloscyllium punctatum