Brown Banded Bamboo Shark - (Chiloscyllium punctatum)

🦈 Brown Banded Bamboo Shark

The Brown Banded Bamboo Shark is a striking, bottom-dwelling carpet shark known for its bold juvenile banding, which fades into a beautifully patterned adult coloration. Native to shallow coastal waters, coral reefs, and sandy lagoons of the Indo-Pacific, this species spends most of its time resting on the substrate, weaving through rockwork, and hunting at night.

Calm, hardy, and surprisingly tolerant for a shark species, the Banded Bamboo Shark is one of the most commonly kept sharks in large home aquariums—but only for aquarists prepared to meet its extreme space and filtration demands.

🌊 Tank Setup

• 🏠 Tank Size: 300 gallons minimum (500+ gallons strongly recommended for adults)
• 📐 Footprint matters more than height — long, wide tanks are essential
• 🪨 Aquascape: Open sandy bottom with smooth rockwork and caves
• 💨 Filtration: Oversized protein skimmer + heavy mechanical & biological filtration
• 💡 Lighting: Moderate to dim; not reef-light dependent
• ⚠️ Avoid sharp rocks or abrasive substrates that can damage skin

🍽️ Diet

• 🥩 Obligate carnivore
• In the wild: Crustaceans, mollusks, small fish
• In captivity:
  Shrimp, squid, scallops, clams, silversides, marine fish flesh, and shark-specific frozen foods
• 🧂 Soak foods in vitamin and iodine supplements to prevent deficiencies
• 🕒 Typically fed 2–3 times per week as adults

🐟 Recommended Foods We Trust

At Jason’s Plecos & Cichlids, we rely on high-quality foods that support proper growth and long-term health for large predators:

• Frozen shrimp & seafood blends
• Hikari Frozen Marine Foods
• High-quality shark and ray diet preparations

Purchasing through our links helps support our mission to provide hobbyists with reliable, experience-based fish care advice. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you—thank you! ✨

⚖️ Temperament

• 🐾 Peaceful and non-aggressive
• 🐟 Safe with larger, non-aggressive tankmates
• ⚠️ Will eat small fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates
• 🚫 Not compatible with reef setups or delicate bottom dwellers

🧠 Behavior & Care

• 🌙 Nocturnal — most active during evening and night
• 🛑 Spends much of the day resting on the bottom
• 🧹 Extremely messy eater — pristine water quality is critical
• 🦴 Sensitive to copper-based medications
• ⏳ Lifespan: 20–25 years with proper care

📋 At a Glance

💡 Final Thought

Graceful, hardy, and unmistakable, the Banded Bamboo Shark can thrive in captivity only when given massive space, excellent filtration, and a long-term commitment. This is not a starter marine fish—but for prepared aquarists, it’s one of the most rewarding shark species available.