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 contin ...

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 t ...

, chiefly around Australia 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. The word ''wobbegong'' is believed to come from an Australian Aboriginal language, 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, ''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 b ...

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

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 ...

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 hog ...

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 and Ward's wobbegong, are "ideal" sharks for home aquarists to keep 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'' Regan, 1908 **'' Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' ( Bleeker, 1867) (tasselled wobbegong) **†'' Eucrossorhinus microcuspidatus'' 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, an ...

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

, 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''

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

, 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

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