What common name replaces the zebra shark designation in places like the UK?
Answer
Leopard shark
The visual transformation during maturation results in a significant shift in common nomenclature depending on the geographical location. When the zebra shark sheds its juvenile stripes and develops hundreds of small, dark spots scattered across a paler, sandy or yellow-brown background, it becomes widely known as the 'leopard shark' in specific regions, including Australia and the United Kingdom. This pronounced difference in appearance was historically so confusing that early scientific researchers, unaware that the spotted adult and striped juvenile were the same species, actually classified them as two separate species.
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