Sharks
These sharks feed at night, preying on small fish and invertebrates. They have small teeth that can be used for grasping or crushing prey. Soft prey is grasped when the tips of the teeth sink into the flesh, but the teeth pivot backwards when biting hard prey. This protects the tooth tip and allows the flattened front surface of the teeth to form a continuous plate for crushing crabs.
Because of their small size and bottom-dwelling lifestyle, these are one of the more common species of sharks to be kept in home aquariums. They feed and breed readily in captivity. Because of this, they can be purchased from many sources. Adult specimens will require tanks of at least 120 gallons, and preferably more. Captive specimens may be fed chunks of squid, shrimp, clams, scallops and marine fish, as well as live ghost shrimp.
The coral catshark, Atelomycterus marmoratus, is a catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae found in the Indo-West Pacific oceans from Pakistan and India to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Viet Nam, the Philippines, southern China, and Taiwan. Its length is up to 70 cm.
The coral catshark is a common but little-known inshore shark found on coral reefs, inhabiting crevices and holes. It is utilized fresh and dried-salted for food or processed for fishmeal and oil.
Coloration is a pattern of saddle markings, and light grey and white spots outlined by large black spots, bars and lines.
The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the western Pacific Ocean off Papua New Guinea and northern Australia, possibly occurring in Malaysia, Sumatra (Indonesia), and the Solomon Islands between latitudes 1° S and 26° S, 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 invertebrates.
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.
The brownbanded bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium punctatum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the Indo-West Pacific from India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Viet Nam, China, Taiwan, Japan, Philippines, and northern Australia, between latitudes 34° N and 26° S, to depths of 85 m. Its length is up to 1.04 m.
The brownbanded bamboo shark has its mouth closer to its eyes than the snout tip. The caudal fin has a pronounced subterminal notch but without a ventral lobe. The dorsal fins are larger than the pelvic fins, with projecting free rear tips. It is a common inshore bottom shark found on coral reefs, often in tide pools. Probably feeds on bottom invertebrates and small fish, and the gills are sometimes infested by larval isopods (Praniza—larva of isopod Gnathia). It is utilized as food.
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, and it can survive up to 12 hours out of water.
Coloration of young dark transverse bands and usually a scattering of a few dark spots, bars not prominently edged with black. Adults are light-brown, usually without a color pattern.
The whitespotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum, is a carpet shark with an adult size that approaches one metre in length This small, mostly nocturnal species is harmless to humans. The whitespotted bamboo shark is occasionally kept as a pet in larger home aquariums. It can grow up to 93 cm (37 in) long.