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 ...

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 slit Gill slits are individual openings to gills, i.e., multiple gill arches, which lack a single outer cover. Such gills are characteristic of cartilaginous fish such as sharks and rays, as well as deep-branching vertebrates such as lampreys. In co ...

s, 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

barbel Barbel may refer to: *Barbel (anatomy), a whisker-like organ near the mouth found in some fish (notably catfish, loaches and cyprinids) and turtles *Barbel (fish), a common name for certain species of fish **''Barbus barbus'', a species of cyprinid ...

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 ...

Aalenian The Aalenian () is a subdivision of the Middle Jurassic Epoch/ Series of the geologic timescale that extends from about 174.1 Ma to about 170.3 Ma (million years ago). It was preceded by the Toarcian and succeeded by the Bajocian. Stratigraphic ...

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 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 sharks ...

(''Stegostoma fasciatum''), and the

ornate wobbegong 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 . ...

(''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

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 ...

s tend to be

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 u ...

s, 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 The Hemiscylliidae are a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, commonly known as longtail carpet sharks and sometimes as bamboo sharks. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific. They are relatively small sharks, ...

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 sac The yolk sac is a membranous sac attached to an embryo, formed by cells of the hypoblast layer of the bilaminar embryonic disc. This is alternatively called the umbilical vesicle by the Terminologia Embryologica (TE), though ''yolk sac'' is fa ...

s 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 Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 (blind sharks) ** Genus '' Brachaelurus'' Ogilby, 1908 *** '' Brachaelurus colcloughi'' (Ogilby, 1908) (bluegrey carpetshark) *** ''

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

'' (

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A–F * (1859-1914), French rabbi * Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881-1925), Austrian entrepreneur * Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter * (born 1972), German motor jour ...

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

Ginglymostomatidae The Ginglymostomatidae are a cosmopolitan family of carpet sharks known as nurse sharks, containing four species in three genera. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters, these sharks are sluggish and docile bottom-dwellers. ...

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 ''Ginglymostoma'' is a genus of shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae. There are two members in the genus. Members of this genus eat small fish and crustaceans, and are commonly quite lethargic unless provoked. Members of this genus have the abi ...

'' 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'' Del-Moral-Flores, Ramírez-Antonio, Angulo & Pérez-Ponce de León, 2015 ** Genus ''

Nebrius ''Nebrius'' is a genus of carpet sharks in the family Ginglymostomatidae. It contains a single extant species, the tawny nurse shark (''Nebrius ferrugineus''), as well as a number of extinct species dating back to the Early Paleocene.Bourdon, ...

'' Rüppell, 1837 *** '' Nebrius ferrugineus'' (

Lesson A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...

, 1831) (tawny nurse shark) ** Genus ''

Pseudoginglymostoma 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 The Indian Ocean is ...

'' Dingerkus, 1986 *** '' Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum'' ( Günther, 1867) (short-tail nurse shark) * Family

Hemiscylliidae The Hemiscylliidae are a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, commonly known as longtail carpet sharks and sometimes as bamboo sharks. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific. They are relatively small sharks, ...

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 The Arabian carpetshark (''Chiloscyllium arabicum'') is a species of carpet shark in the family Hemiscylliidae, inhabiting coral reefs and other shallow coastal habitats from the Persian Gulf to India. Reaching long, this shark is characterized ...

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, 1980 (Arabian carpetshark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium burmensis The Burmese bamboo shark, ''Chiloscyllium burmensis'', is an extremely rare bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae. The first specimen was caught 1963 off the coast from Rangoon in Burma in a depth of 29 – 33 m. This holotype is an adu ...

'' Dingerkus & DeFino, 1983 (Burmese bamboo shark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium griseum The grey bamboo shark, ''Chiloscyllium griseum'', is a species of carpet shark in the family Hemiscylliidae, found in the Indo-West Pacific Oceans from the Arabian Sea to Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, the Philip ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (grey bamboo shark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium hasselti Hasselt's bamboo shark (''Chiloscyllium hasseltii'') is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, between latitudes 23° N and 10° S, and longitude 91° E and 133° E; residing inshore. Its l ...

'' Bleeker, 1852 (Hasselt's bamboo shark) *** ''

Chiloscyllium indicum The slender bamboo shark, ''Chiloscyllium indicum'', is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the Indo-West Pacific Oceans between latitudes 40° N and 10° S, and longitude 65° E and 160° E. It is harmless to humans. Desc ...

'' ( J. F. Gmelin, 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 Bennett may refer to: People *Bennett (name), including a list of people with the surname and given name Places Canada *Bennett, Alberta *Bennett, British Columbia *Bennett Lake, in the British Columbia and Yukon Territory **Bennett Range **Bennet ...

, 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 i ...

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

Hemiscyllium ''Hemiscyllium'' is a genus of sharks in the family Hemiscylliidae. Overview This genus is confined to tropical waters off Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia, but an individual from this genus, possibly representing an undescribed spe ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** ''

Hemiscyllium freycineti The Indonesian speckled carpetshark, ''Hemiscyllium freycineti'', is a species of bamboo shark in the family (biology), family Hemiscylliidae. It is found in the shallow ocean around the Raja Ampat Islands in West Papua (province), West Papua, Ind ...

'' ( Quoy &

Gaimard Joseph Paul Gaimard (31 January 1793 – 10 December 1858) was a French naval surgeon A naval surgeon, or less commonly ship's doctor, is the person responsible for the health of the ship's company aboard a warship. The term appears often ...

, 1824) (Indonesian speckled carpetshark) *** '' Hemiscyllium galei'' G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Cenderwasih epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium hallstromi'' Whitley, 1967 (Papuan epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium halmahera'' G. R. Allen, Erdmann &

Dudgeon Dudgeon is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Cecil Dudgeon, politician * Gus Dudgeon, record producer * James Dudgeon, footballer * Joe Dudgeon, English footballer * John Dudgeon, physician * Neil Dudgeon, actor * Patrick D ...

, 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'' 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'' (

, 1788) (epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium strahani'' Whitley, 1967 (hooded carpetshark) *** '' Hemiscyllium trispeculare'' J. Richardson, 1843 (speckled carpetshark) * Family Orectolobidae Gill, 1896 (wobbegong sharks) ** 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, 1867) (tasselled wobbegong) ** 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 the ...

'' 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'' Whitley, 1940. *** '' Orectolobus hutchinsi''

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

, 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, 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 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 ...

'' 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 ''Cirrhoscyllium'' is a genus of carpetsharks in the family Parascylliidae. Species * ''Cirrhoscyllium expolitum'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 (barbelthroat carpetshark) * ''Cirrhoscyllium formosanum'' Teng, 1959 (Taiwan saddled carpetshark) ...

'' 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 Teng may refer to: * Teng (surname) (滕), a Chinese surname * Teng (state), an ancient Chinese state * Teng (mythology), a flying dragon in Chinese mythology *Teng County Teng County or Tengxian (; za, Dwngz Yen) is a county of eastern Guangx ...

, 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 ''Parascyllium'' is a genus of carpetsharks in the family Parascylliidae. Species in this genus are distributed in waters around Australia. Species * '' Parascyllium collare'' E. P. Ramsay & Ogilby, 1888 (collared carpetshark) * '' Parascyl ...

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

& Stevens, 2008 (elongate carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium ferrugineum''

McCulloch McCulloch is a Scottish surname. It's a variation of the Northern Irish surname McCullough. It's commonly found in Galloway. Notable people with the surname include: *Alan McCulloch (politician), New Zealand politician *Alan McLeod McCulloch (1 ...

, 1911 (rusty carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium sparsimaculatum'' T. Goto & Last, 2002 (ginger carpetshark) *** '' Parascyllium variolatum'' ( A. H. A. Duméril, 1853) (necklace carpetshark) * Family

Rhincodontidae 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, Do ...

(J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) (whale sharks) ** Genus '' Rhincodon'' A. Smith, 1828 *** ''

Rhincodon typus 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, Do ...

'' A. Smith, 1828 (whale shark) * Family

Stegostomatidae 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 sharks ...

, 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

Characteristics

Behaviour

Distribution

Classification

See also

References

Further reading

External links