Epaulette Shark

About

The epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is one of the more unusual sharks available to serious marine hobbyists. Native to the shallow coral reefs and tide pools of New Guinea and northern Australia, this small, slender species spends most of its time prowling the seafloor rather than actively swimming. It gets its name from the large, white-ringed black spot sitting just behind each pectoral fin, reminiscent of a military epaulette. What really sets this species apart is a remarkable physiological trick: it can essentially shut down non-essential brain activity to cope with the dangerously low oxygen levels that build up in isolated tide pools, allowing it to keep hunting where other animals would quickly suffocate. In the aquarium it behaves as you'd expect from a benthic predator. It moves slowly, hugs the bottom, and will make short work of any invertebrates or smaller fish sharing its space, so tank mates need to be chosen carefully. Despite that predatory nature and its impressive adult size, it tolerates aquarium life reasonably well given appropriate conditions. The setup required is serious, we're talking a very large, species-appropriate system, so this is really a fish for dedicated marine keepers with the space and commitment to do it right.