Port Jackson Shark

Chattanooga, TN — There are thousands of species of sharks and four different kinds live in the touch tank at the Tennessee Aquarium. Kyle McPheeters, an aquarist at the Tennessee Aquarium explained that two of these sharks are very similar--the Port Jackson shark and the Horned Shark.

The Port Jackson has a tall bull head. This type of shark lives in the shallow water around the reefs near Port Jackson, Australia.

"The Port Jackson tends to be more gray and have some distinct black stripes down the side," said McPheeters. The Port Jackson shark (as with the Horned shark) has an unusual died for a shark. They do not eat a lot of fish. Instead they like to eat urchins and snails. These sharks do not grow very large -- in comparison -- they only grow to be about four feet long.