The wobbegong is the common name given to the 12 species 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 of ...
s in the family Orectolobidae. 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 ...
, ''Orectolobus 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 ...
. The word ''wobbegong'' is believed to come from an
Australian Aboriginal language
The Indigenous languages of Australia number in the hundreds, the precise number being quite uncertain, although there is a range of estimates from a minimum of around 250 (using the technical definition of 'language' as non-mutually intellig ...
, meaning "shaggy beard", referring to the growths around the mouth of the shark of the western Pacific.
Description
Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling sharks, spending much of their time resting on the sea floor. Most species have a maximum length of , but the largest, the
spotted wobbegong
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 ...
, ''Orectolobus maculatus'', and
banded wobbegong
The Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong (''Orectolobus halei'') is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in southern Australia between Southport, Queensland and Norwegian Bay, Western Australia.Clark, M. (2006). Wobbegong ...
, ''O. halei'', reach about in length.
Wobbegongs are well
camouflage
Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the ...
d with a
symmetrical
Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definiti ...
pattern of bold markings which resembles a carpet. Because of this striking pattern, wobbegongs and their close relatives are often referred to as
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 of ...
s. The camouflage is improved by the presence of small weed-like whisker lobes surrounding the wobbegong's jaw, which help to camouflage it and act as sensory barbs. Wobbegongs make use of their camouflage to hide among rocks and catch smaller fish which swim too close, typical of
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. Wobbegongs also have a powerful jaw with needle-like teeth that assist in catching reef fish and other sharks for food. The blood cells of several species of wobbegong have also been described
Interaction with humans
Wobbegongs are generally not considered dangerous to humans,
but have attacked swimmers, snorkellers and scuba divers who inadvertently come close to them.
The
Australian Shark Attack File contains more than 50 records of unprovoked attacks by wobbegongs,
and the
International Shark Attack File
The International Shark Attack File' is a global database of shark attacks. It began as an attempt to catalogue shark attacks on servicemen during World War II. The Office of Naval Research funded it from 1958 until 1968. During that time, a p ...
28 records,
none of them fatal. Wobbegongs have also bitten
surfers
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...
. Wobbegongs are very flexible and can easily bite a hand holding onto their tail. They have many small but sharp teeth and their bite can be severe, even through a wetsuit; having once bitten, they have been known to hang on and can be very difficult to remove.
There are many more attacks by humans on wobbegongs: in Australia, the flesh of wobbegongs and other Wobbegong skin is used to make
leather
Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...
.
Captivity
Although most wobbegong species are unsuitable for home aquaria due to their large adult size, this has not stopped some of the larger species from being sold in the aquarium trade.
Small wobbegong species, such as the
tasselled wobbegong
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. Reaching ...
and
Ward's wobbegong
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 wobb ...
, are "ideal" sharks for home aquarists to
keep
A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
because they are an appropriate size and are lethargic, enabling them to be accommodated within the limited space of a home tank, although they will consume tankmates, even quite large ones.
Some aquarists, by contrast, see the lack of activity to be a drawback to keeping wobbegongs, and prefer more active sharks.
Wobbegongs are largely nocturnal and, due to their slow metabolism, do not have to be fed as often as other sharks. Most do well on two feedings weekly. Underfed wobbegongs can be recognised by visibly atrophied dorsal musculature.
Genera and species
The 12 living species of wobbegong, in three genera, are:
* Genus ''
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 ...
''
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
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 ...
''
(Bleeker Bleeker is a Dutch occupational surname. Bleeker is an old spelling of ''(linnen)bleker'' ("linen bleacher").Eucrossorhinus microcuspidatus
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 ...
'' Case 1978
* Genus ''Orectolobus
''Orectolobus'' is a genus of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae. They are commonly known as wobbegongs, although this name also applies to the other members of the family. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of th ...
'' Bonaparte, 1834
**'' Orectolobus floridus'' 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'' 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 & 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 an ...
'' Regan, 1906 (Japanese wobbegong)
** '' Orectolobus leptolineatus'' Last, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 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'' 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 (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 ...
'' 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 ...
, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 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)
* Genus ''Sutorectus'' Whitley, 1939
** '' Sutorectus tentaculatus'' ( W. K. H. Peters, 1864) (cobbler wobbegong)
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 ...
genera include:
* '' Eometlaouia'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 2002
Conservation status
See also
*
List of sharks
Shark is the naming term of all members of Selachimorpha suborder in the subclass Elasmobranchii, in the class Chondrichthyes. The Elasmobranchii also include rays and skates; the Chondrichthyes also include Chimaeras. The first shark-like chond ...
References
Tasselled wobbegong. Oceana. (n.d.). Retrieved October 10, 2021, from https://oceana.org/marine-life/sharks-rays/tasselled-wobbegong.
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Australian Aboriginal words and phrases
Extant Late Jurassic first appearances