Bamboo Shark, Brown-spotted Cat Shark, Brown-banded Catshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum

This is one shark that is successfully kept, but needs a large aquarium for room to swim in and excellent filtration! These are among the smallest of sharks at about 40 inches. Adults of the Bamboo Shark, Brown-spotted Cat Shark, or Brown-banded Catshark can be kept reasonably well in a 150 gallon or larger aquarium.

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Geographic Distribution Chiloscyllium punctatum


Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Actiniform Class: Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Hemiscylliidae
Point data provided by FishBase.org

Maintenance difficulty:
The Bamboo Shark, Brown-spotted Cat Shark, or Brown-banded Catshark gets too large for most aquariums but is otherwise easy to keep.

Maintenance:
Feed all kinds of large meaty foods like small pieces of fish, squid, shrimp, and live goldfish. Best to feed small amounts several times a day.

Habitat: Natural geographic location:
Bamboo Shark, Brown-spotted Cat Shark, or Brown-banded Catshark are found in the Indo-Pacific region, specifically, the east coast of the Indian Peninsula to northern Australia and north as far as Japan..

Foods:
See 'maintenance' above.

Social Behaviors:
Gets along with other fish as long as they are large enough not to be thought of as food!

Sex: Sexual differences:
The medial edges of the male's pelvic fins are modified to form claspers. The claspers are tubelike organs designed to deliver sperm into the female's reproductive tract. As the males grow older the claspers become more pronounced. The females do not have these.

Light: Recommended light levels:
No special requirements.

Breeding/Reproduction:
Egglayer, sometimes shark eggs are available for sale. More information on breeding can be found here: Banded Cat Shark.

Temperature:
No special requirements.

Length/Diameter of fish:
Bamboo Shark, Brown-spotted Cat Shark, or Brown-banded Catshark adults can grow to 104 cm ( 40 inches).

Minimum Tank Length/Size:
A minimum 175 gallon aquarium is recommended.

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong
No special requirements.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom
Usually found resting on the bottom.

Availability:
This fish is available from time to time.

Latest Comments
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Hey, I'm trying to get my mom to let me get a brown banded catshark. So I wonder if you go to a petshop and ask the person that owns it if he/she could somehow order one, instead of it being shifted to me. Cause I wouldn't wanna take a risk of it being brought to me, cause something might happen! Leanna 2008-06-16
I just bought a bamboo shark egg Saturday and it hatched the next day. I was so surprised, unfortunately I wasn't supposed to get a bigger tank for a couple weeks because I wasn't expecting him to hatch that quick. So now I have to go get a new tank, but I'm not really complaining about it! I think I'm gonna get a 150 gallon tank. joe 2008-05-12
I've had a shark egg for 6 weeks and it did not hatch yet. I wonder if it is going to hatch. gerald felipe 2008-03-16
These sharks rock - they're like mini nurse sharks :) justin time 2008-02-18
I am only about 11 but my dad said I can get a bamboo shark so I am looking forward to it but i am scared that it will die. Justin bunch 2007-08-19
Some of the coolest comments:
I bought the egg and "Shamu" hatched Christmas Eve, 2006. She is doing very well (9" from snout to tail) & my water parameters are very good. She adores eating live ghost shrimp (once a week) and defrosted silversides. She lives with a white ribbon eel, an engineer goby, a clarki clown, a blue chromis, a blue velvet damsel, a percula clown, a pencil urchin and a coral banded shrimp. She sleeps all day, & cruises all night. Temp is currently at 72.5 degrees, specific gravity at .23, pH at 8.2. I have crushed coral substrate and multiple live rock with a wet/dry filter & protein skimmer. I will be adding a refugium shortly, because I would like to add soft corals to my live rock pat 2007-11-15
I have successfully hatched a banded cat shark and was the healthiest fish in my tank. After 2 months he died due to a lionfish sting. These fish are very fragil creatures and need soft sand and near to perfect water quality. I do think a 125gal could house it for some years. Watch what kind of fish you put in the tank with the shark, some may pick at the fins. My trigger never touched him. I recommend people to buy the shark in a egg. Ben compton 2006-09-05

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Brownbanded Bamboo Shark

The Bamboo Shark is also called the Brown-spotted Cat Shark or Brown-banded Catshark. Juveniles like the one pictured here have the bands and occasionlly spots. The adult Bamboo Shark are often plain gray or brownish in color.

Further information and more pictures have been provided by
Callie Mathews: Banded Cat Shark

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Brownbanded Bamboo Shark

The Bamboo Shark is also called the Brown-spotted Cat Shark or Brown-banded Catshark. Juveniles like the one pictured here have the bands and occasionlly spots. The adult Bamboo Shark are often plain gray or brownish in color.

Further information and more pictures have been provided by Callie Mathews: Banded Cat Shark

For more Information on keeping marine fish see: Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Further information and more pictures have been provided by
Callie Mathews: Banded Cat Shark

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium