Photo/Illutration Zebra shark (photo: Toshiyuki Takeya)

Editor's note: This is part of a series of videos offering an up-close perspective on the animal kingdom. A special 360-degree video camera system was set up in zoos and other facilities to show how the animals view their world as they interact.

Also visit our special 360-DEGREE LIVES page (http://t.asahi.com/360lives), where you can watch all the previous videos.

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Schools of fish in vibrant colors swim gracefully around the tank while larger objects cut through the shoals below.

The fish at the bottom of the 2-meter-deep tank include a number of shark species, including scalloped hammerhead and blacktip reef.

But perhaps the most popular fish in the 20-meter-wide tank at Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa in Tokyo’s Minato Ward is the cylindrical bodied, stout-looking zebra shark.

The tanks contains about 7,700 fish from 53 species, and they can create quite a festive and even dramatic sight.

When zoo attendant Atsushi Sakaguchi entered the tank in a wet suit to plant the camera, green chromis, sea goldies and other small species seemed excited as though he was feeding them.

According to Sakaguchi, juvenile zebra sharks have white stripes on a blackish background, while adults sport a leopard pattern. Essentially, they have completely different body colors depending on their growth stage.

The zebra shark lives in tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific region. The nocturnal shark remains motionless on the sea floor during the day. Adults can grow more than 2 meters long, and they feed mainly on shellfish.

The docile shark rarely harms people and is popular among divers, Sakaguchi added.