''Orectolobus'' is a genus of

carpet shark Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order Orectolobiformes . Sometimes the common name "carpet shark" (named so because many species resemble ornately patterned carpets) is used interchangeably with "wobbegong", which is the common name o ...

s in the family Orectolobidae. They are commonly known as

wobbegong The wobbegong is the common name given to the 12 species of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, chiefly around Australia and I ...

s, although this name also applies to the other members of the family. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

and eastern

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

, chiefly around

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, although one species (the

Japanese wobbegong The Japanese wobbegong (''Orectolobus japonicus'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae of the wobbegong family, found in the tropical western Pacific Ocean from Japan and Korea to Viet Nam and the Philippines, between latitudes 43 and ...

, ''O. japonicus'') occurs as far north as

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. They have a mottled or spotted

cryptic Cryptic may refer to: In science: * Cryptic species complex, a group of species that are very difficult to distinguish from one another * Crypsis, the ability of animals to blend in to avoid observation * Cryptic era, earliest period of the Earth ...

pattern, and have elongated dermal lobes in the region near the mouth. Most have a maximum length of or less, but two species, '' O. halei'' and '' O. maculatus'', reach about (earlier reports of similar-sized '' O. ornatus'' is due to confusion with ''O. halei''). These sluggish

ambush predator Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture or trap prey via stealth, luring or by (typically instinctive) strategies utilizing an element of surprise. Unlike pursuit predators, who chase to capture prey us ...

s are typically seen resting on the seafloor, and at least some species are

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

. While usually harmless to humans, they have been known to bite, but generally only if stepped on, approached too closely, or provoked.

Species

The species-level

taxonomy Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

in this genus has changed significantly in recent years, with one species described in 2006, three species described in 2008, and one in 2010, while ''O. halei'' generally was considered a

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of ''O. ornatus'' until 2006. The tasselled and

cobbler wobbegong 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° ...

s have been included in this genus, but today they are placed in ''

Eucrossorhinus The tasselled wobbegong (''Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'') is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae and the only member of its genus. It inhabits shallow coral reefs off northern Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent islands. Reachin ...

'' and '' Sutorectus'', respectively. * ''

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 The Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong (''Orectolobus halei'') is a species of carpet shark in the family (biology), family Orectolobidae, found in southern Australia between Southport, Queensland and Norwegian Bay (Australia), Norwegian Bay, West ...

'' Whitley, 1940 (Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong) * ''

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 The Japanese wobbegong (''Orectolobus japonicus'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae of the wobbegong family, found in the tropical western Pacific Ocean from Japan and Korea to Viet Nam and the Philippines, between latitudes 43 and ...

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'' ...

, 1906 (Japanese wobbegong) * '' Orectolobus leptolineatus''

, 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 The spotted wobbegong (''Orectolobus maculatus'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, endemic to Australia. It is a large, robust species, typically reaching in length. Coloured green, yellow, or brown, it has distinctive O-shaped ...

'' ( Bonnaterre, 1788) (spotted wobbegong) * ''

Orectolobus ornatus The ornate wobbegong (''Orectolobus ornatus'') is a species of carpet shark that lives in Australia and possibly other countries in the Western Pacific Ocean. It is coloured golden brown, yellow-green and blueish-grey, and it grows to maximum . ...

'' (

De Vis Charles Walter de Vis (Birmingham, England, 9 May 1829 – Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 30 April 1915),

, 1883) (ornate wobbegong) * '' Orectolobus parvimaculatus''

& Chidlow, 2008 (dwarf spotted wobbegong) * ''

Orectolobus reticulatus ''Orectolobus reticulatus'', the network wobbegong, is a recently described species of carpet shark found in relatively shallow waters off Kimberley and Darwin in north-western Australia.Last, P.R., J.J. Pogonoski, & W. T. White. (2008). ''Ore ...

, Pogonoski &

, 2008 (network wobbegong) * ''

Orectolobus wardi The northern wobbegong (''Orectolobus wardi'') is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean around Australia, between latitudes 9° S to 26° S. It reaches a length of 63 cm. Captivity Northern wobbe ...

'' Whitley, 1939 (northern wobbegong)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q301557 Shark genera Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte