Carpet sharks are

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

s classified in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...

Orectolobiformes . Sometimes the

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contra ...

"carpet shark" (named so because many species resemble ornately patterned

carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester hav ...

s) is used interchangeably with "wobbegong", which is the common name of sharks in the family Orectolobidae. Carpet sharks have five gill slits, two spineless

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

s, and a small mouth that does not extend past the eyes. Many species have barbels.

Characteristics

The carpet sharks are a diverse group of sharks with differing sizes, appearances, diets, and habits. They first appeared in the

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

record in the

Early Jurassic The Early Jurassic Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event, 201.3 Ma ...

; the oldest known orectolobiform genera are '' Folipistrix'' (known from

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma (million years ago) and 174.1 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian. The Toarc ...

to Aalenian of

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

), '' Palaeobrachaelurus'' (Aalenian to

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma ( million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma). It is a subdivision of the Early Cretaceous Epoch (or Lower Cretaceous Series). It is pre ...

) and '' Annea'' (Toarcian to

Bajocian In the geologic timescale The geologic time scale, or geological time scale, (GTS) is a representation of time based on the rock record of Earth. It is a system of chronological dating that uses chronostratigraphy (the process of relatin ...

of Europe). All species have two dorsal fins and a relatively short, transverse mouth that does not extend behind the eyes. Besides the nostrils are

barbels In fish anatomy and turtle anatomy, a barbel is a slender, whiskerlike sensory organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the zebrafish, the black dragonfish and s ...

, tactile sensory organs, and grooves known as nasoral grooves connect the nostrils to the mouth. Five short gill slits are just in front of the origin of the pectoral fin and the fifth slit tends to overlap the fourth one. A spiracle occurs beneath each eye which is used in respiration. The only exception to this rule is the whale shark, the spiracles of which are situated just behind the eyes. Carpet sharks derive their common name from the fact that many species have a mottled appearance with intricate patterns reminiscent of carpet designs. The patterning provides camouflage when the fish is lying on the seabed. The largest carpet shark is the

whale shark The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, ...

(''Rhincodon typus'') which can grow to a length of . It is the largest species of fish, but despite its size, is not dangerous, as it is a

filter feeder Filter feeders are a sub-group of suspension feeding animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feedin ...

, drawing in water through its wide mouth and sifting out the

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a cr ...

. The smallest carpet shark, at up to about long, is the barbelthroat carpet shark, (''Cirrhoscyllium expolitum''). Some of the most spectacularly coloured members of the order are the necklace carpet shark (''Parascyllium variolatum''), the zebra shark (''Stegostoma fasciatum''), and the ornate wobbegong (''Orectolobus ornatus''). Nurse sharks and whale sharks have a fringe of barbels on their snouts, and barbelthroat carpet sharks (''Cirrhoscyllium expolitum'') have barbels dangling from their throat regions.

Behaviour

Most carpet sharks feed on the seabed in shallow to medium-depth waters, detecting and picking up molluscs, crustaceans, and other small creatures. The wobbegongs tend to be ambush predators, lying hidden on the seabed until

prey Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...

approaches. One has been observed swallowing a bamboo shark whole. The methods of reproduction of carpet sharks varies. Some species are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive method of most fish, amphibians, most reptiles, and all pterosaurs, dinosaurs (including birds), a ...

and lay eggs which may be liberated directly into the water or may be enclosed in horny egg cases. Some female sharks have been observed to push egg cases into crevices and this would be an added protection for the developing embryos. Other species are

ovoviviparous Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop insi ...

and the fertilised eggs are retained in the mother's

oviduct The oviduct in mammals, is the passageway from an ovary. In human females this is more usually known as the Fallopian tube or uterine tube. The eggs travel along the oviduct. These eggs will either be fertilized by spermatozoa to become a zygote, ...

. There, the developing embryos, which are usually few in number, feed on their yolk sacs at first and later hatch out and feed on nutrients secreted by the walls of the oviduct. The young are born in an advanced state, ready to live independent lives.

Distribution

Carpet sharks are found in all the oceans of the world but predominantly in tropical and temperate waters. They are most common in the western

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

region and are usually found in relatively deep water.

Classification

The order is small, with seven families in 13

genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial ...

and with a total of around 43

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

: Order Orectolobiformes * Family Brachaeluridae

Applegate Applegate may refer to: Places * Applegate, California, United States * Applegate, Michigan, United States * Applegate, Oregon, United States * Applegate Peak in Oregon * The Applegate River in Oregon ** Applegate Lake, on the Applegate River * ...

(blind sharks) ** Genus ''

Brachaelurus ''Brachaelurus'' (blind sharks) is the sole genus of sharks in the family Brachaeluridae in the order Orectolobiformes. Only two species of blind sharks occur, both of which are native to shallow coastal waters up to deep, off the eastern coast ...

'' Ogilby, 1908 *** ''

Brachaelurus colcloughi The bluegrey carpetshark (''Brachaelurus colcloughi'') or Colclough's shark, is an uncommon species of carpet shark endemic to shallow inshore waters off northeastern Australia. It is one of the two extant members of the family Brachaeluridae. ...

'' (Ogilby, 1908) (bluegrey carpetshark) *** ''

Brachaelurus waddi The blind shark (''Brachaelurus waddi'') is one of two species of carpet sharks in the family Brachaeluridae, along with the bluegrey carpetshark (''Brachaelurus colcloughi''). Found along the coast of eastern Australia, this nocturnal, botto ...

'' ( Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801) (blind shark) * Family Ginglymostomatidae

Gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they ar ...

, 1862 (nurse sharks) ** Genus '' Ginglymostoma'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Ginglymostoma cirratum''

Bonnaterre Abbé Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre (1752, Aveyron – 20 September 1804, Saint-Geniez-d'Olt) was a French zoologist who contributed sections on cetaceans, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic ...

, 1788 (nurse shark) *** ''

Ginglymostoma unami ''Ginglymostoma unami'', also known as the Pacific nurse shark is a nurse shark of the family Ginglymostomatidae. It is found in southeastern coast of Baja California, Mexico to Costa Rica including Gulf of California. It is 2.8 meters long. This ...

'' Del-Moral-Flores, Ramírez-Antonio, Angulo & Pérez-Ponce de León, 2015 ** Genus '' Nebrius'' Rüppell, 1837 *** '' Nebrius ferrugineus'' ( Lesson, 1831) (tawny nurse shark) ** Genus '' Pseudoginglymostoma'' Dingerkus, 1986 *** ''

Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum The short-tail nurse shark (''Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum'') is a nurse shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae, the only member of the genus ''Pseudoginglymostoma''. It is found in the tropical western Indian Ocean between latitudes 0° a ...

'' ( Günther, 1867) (short-tail nurse shark) * Family Hemiscylliidae Gill, 1862 (bamboo sharks) ** Genus ''

Chiloscyllium ''Chiloscyllium'' is a genus of sharks in the family Hemiscylliidae. This genus is distinguished by a relatively long snout with subterminal nostrils. The eyes and supraorbital ridges are hardly elevated. The mouth is closer to the eyes than to ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Chiloscyllium arabicum'' Gubanov, 1980 (Arabian carpetshark) *** '' Chiloscyllium burmensis'' Dingerkus & DeFino, 1983 (Burmese bamboo shark) *** '' Chiloscyllium griseum'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (grey bamboo shark) *** '' Chiloscyllium hasselti'' Bleeker, 1852 (Hasselt's bamboo shark) *** '' Chiloscyllium indicum'' (

J. F. Gmelin , fields = , workplaces = University of GöttingenUniversity of Tübingen , alma_mater = University of Tübingen , doctoral_advisor = Philipp Friedrich GmelinFerdinand Christoph Oetinger , academic_advisors = , doctora ...

, 1789) (slender bamboo shark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium plagiosum The whitespotted bamboo shark (''Chiloscyllium plagiosum'') is a carpet shark with an adult size that approaches one metre in length. This small, mostly nocturnal species is harmless to humans. The whitespotted bamboo shark is occasionally kept ...

'' (Anonymous, referred to Bennett, 1830) (white-spotted bamboo shark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium punctatum The brownbanded bamboo shark (''Chiloscyllium punctatum''), is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae that can be found in the Indo-West Pacific from Japan to northern Australia, between latitudes 34° N and 26° S. It is regularly bred in ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (brownbanded bamboo shark) ** Genus '' Hemiscyllium'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** ''

Hemiscyllium freycineti The Indonesian speckled carpetshark, ''Hemiscyllium freycineti'', is a species of bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae. It is found in the shallow ocean around the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua, Indonesia, but was formerly believed to be ...

'' ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Indonesian speckled carpetshark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium galei ''Hemiscyllium galei'', the Cenderawasih epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae. Together with '' H. henryi'', it was only scientifically described in 2008 by Gerald R. Allen and Mark V. Erdmann. At present, ''H ...

'' G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Cenderwasih epaulette shark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium hallstromi The Papuan epaulette shark, ''Hemiscyllium hallstromi'', is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around southern Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 7° S and 10° S, and longitude 144° E and 146° E. Its length is up to 75&nb ...

'' Whitley, 1967 (Papuan epaulette shark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium halmahera ''Hemiscyllium halmahera'', or the Halmahera epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark from Indonesia. This species is described from two specimens collected near Ternate island in 2013, off the coast of larger Halmahera island. This species ...

'' G. R. Allen, Erdmann & Dudgeon, 2013Allen, G.R., Erdmann, M.V. & Dudgeon, C.L. (2013): ''Hemiscyllium halmahera'', a new species of Bamboo Shark (Hemiscylliidae) from Indonesia. ''aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology, 19 (3): 123-136.'' (Halmahera epaulette shark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium henryi The Triton epaulette shark (''Hemiscyllium henryi'') is a species of bamboo shark in the genus ''Hemiscyllium'', that is composed of nine morphologically similar, yet distinct sharks that are geographically restricted to New Guinea and northern A ...

'' G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Henry's epaulette shark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium michaeli ''Hemiscyllium michaeli'', the leopard epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the genus ''Hemiscyllium''.

'' G. R. Allen & Dudgeon, 2010 (Milne Bay epaulette shark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium ocellatum The epaulette shark (''Hemiscyllium ocellatum'') is a species of longtailed carpet shark, family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea (and possibly elsewhere). The common name of this shark comes from t ...

'' (

, 1788) (epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium strahani'' Whitley, 1967 (hooded carpetshark) *** '' Hemiscyllium trispeculare'' J. Richardson, 1843 (speckled carpetshark) * Family Orectolobidae Gill, 1896 (wobbegong sharks) ** Genus '' Eucrossorhinus''

Regan The family name Regan, along with its cognates O'Regan, O Regan, Reagan, and O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to have originated in ancient Gaelic ''ri' ...

, 1908 *** '' Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' (Bleeker, 1867) (tasselled wobbegong) ** Genus '' Orectolobus'' Bonaparte, 1834 *** ''

Orectolobus floridus The floral banded wobbegong (''Orectolobus floridus'') is a recently described species of carpet shark found in the Indian Ocean off southwestern Australia. With a maximum length of up to , it is among the smallest wobbegongs. References fl ...

Last A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...

& Chidlow, 2008 (floral banded wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus halei'' Whitley, 1940. *** ''

Orectolobus hutchinsi ''Orectolobus hutchinsi'', the western wobbegong, is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae. The western wobbegong shark is a moderate sized marine shark found off the coast of Western Australia. Its scientific name is ''Orectol ...

, Chidlow & Compagno, 2006. (western wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus japonicus''

, 1906 (Japanese wobbegong) *** ''

Orectolobus leptolineatus The Indonesian wobbegong (''Orectolobus leptolineatus'') is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, that can grow up to 120 cm in length. It lives in the Western Pacific on the ocean floor, and is harmless to humans. Naming It ...

, Pogonoski &

W. T. White W. may refer to: * SoHo (Australian TV channel) (previously W.), an Australian pay television channel * ''W.'' (film), a 2008 American biographical drama film based on the life of George W. Bush * "W.", the fifth track from Codeine's 1992 EP ''Bar ...

, 2010 (Indonesian wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus maculatus'' (

, 1788) (spotted wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus ornatus'' ( De Vis, 1883) (ornate wobbegong) *** ''

Orectolobus parvimaculatus The dwarf spotted wobbegong (''Orectolobus parvimaculatus'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, described in 2008. It is found at depths of off south-western Australia. It reaches a total length of . See also * List of sharks R ...

& Chidlow, 2008 (dwarf spotted wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus reticulatus'' Last, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 2008 (network wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus wardi'' Whitley, 1939 (northern wobbegong) ** Genus ''

Sutorectus The cobbler wobbegong, ''Sutorectus tentaculatus'', is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, the only member of the genus ''Sutorectus''. It is found in the subtropical eastern Indian Ocean around Western Australia between latitudes 26° ...

'' Whitley, 1939 *** ''

Sutorectus tentaculatus The cobbler wobbegong, ''Sutorectus tentaculatus'', is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, the only member of the genus ''Sutorectus''. It is found in the subtropical eastern Indian Ocean around Western Australia between latitudes 26° ...

'' ( W. K. H. Peters, 1864) (cobbler wobbegong) * Family

Parascylliidae The Parascylliidae, or collared carpet sharks, are a family of sharks only found in shallow waters of the western Pacific. They are relatively small sharks, with the largest species reaching no more than 91.0 cm in adult length. They have elon ...

Gill, 1862 (collared carpet sharks) ** Genus '' Cirrhoscyllium'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 *** ''

Cirrhoscyllium expolitum The barbelthroat carpetshark (''Cirrhoscyllium expolitum'') is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found in the South China Sea between Luzon in the Philippines and China, between latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that s ...

'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 (barbelthroat carpetshark) *** ''

Cirrhoscyllium formosanum The Taiwan saddled carpetshark (''Cirrhoscyllium formosanum'') is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found around Taiwan, between latitudes 28°N and 21°N, at depths to 110 m. Its length is up to 39 cm. Reproduction is oviparou ...

'' Teng, 1959 (Taiwan saddled carpetshark) *** ''

Cirrhoscyllium japonicum The saddle carpetshark (''Cirrhoscyllium japonicum'') is a carpet shark of the family Parascylliidae found around Japan, between latitudes 35°N and 24°N, at depths between . The saddle carpetshark is known to grow up to in length, and it is ...

'' Kamohara, 1943 (saddle carpetshark) ** Genus '' Parascyllium'' Gill, 1862 *** '' Parascyllium collare'' E. P. Ramsay & Ogilby, 1888 (collared carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium elongatum''

& Stevens, 2008 (elongate carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium ferrugineum'' McCulloch, 1911 (rusty carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium sparsimaculatum'' T. Goto & Last, 2002 (ginger carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium variolatum'' ( A. H. A. Duméril, 1853) (necklace carpetshark) * Family Rhincodontidae (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) (whale sharks) ** Genus '' Rhincodon'' A. Smith, 1828 *** '' Rhincodon typus'' A. Smith, 1828 (whale shark) * Family Stegostomatidae

, 1862 (zebra sharks) ** Genus ''

Stegostoma The zebra shark (''Stegostoma tigrinum'') is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of . Adult zebra shar ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** ''

Stegostoma fasciatum The zebra shark (''Stegostoma tigrinum'') is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of . Adult zebra shar ...

'' ( Hermann, 1783) (zebra shark)

References

External links

FishBase page on Orectolobiformes
* http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/d_checklist.htm {{Authority control Extant Early Jurassic first appearances