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 contrast ...

"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 ...

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 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 (geology), Epoch (in chronostratigraphy corresponding to the Lower Jurassic series (stratigraphy), Series) is the earliest of three epochs of the Jurassic Period. The Early Jurassic starts immediately after the Triassic-J ...

; 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 Toar ...

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, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

), '' 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 preceded ...

) and '' Annea'' (Toarcian to

Bajocian In the geologic timescale, the Bajocian is an age and stage in the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 170.3 Ma to around 168.3 Ma (million years ago). The Bajocian Age succeeds the Aalenian Age and precedes the Bathonian Age. Stra ...

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, 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 feeder, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known Extant taxon, extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Bran ...

(''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 cruc ...

. 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

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 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 ...

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 ...

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), and m ...

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 and the fertilised eggs are retained in the mother's oviduct. There, the developing embryos, which are usually few in number, feed on their

yolk sac The yolk sac is a membranous wikt:sac, 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' ...

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 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 nomenclat ...

and with a total of around 43

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of 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 the appropriat ...

: Order Orectolobiformes * Family

Brachaeluridae ''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 ...

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 Brachaelurida ...

'' (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, bot ...

'' (

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 journa ...

& 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 ...

'' J. P. Müller &

Henle Henle can refer to: *Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, a German physician, pathologist and anatomist (1809–1885) ** Loop of Henle In the kidney, the loop of Henle () (or Henle's loop, Henle loop, nephron loop or its Latin counterpart ''ansa nephroni ...

, 1837 *** ''

Ginglymostoma cirratum The nurse shark (''Ginglymostoma cirratum'') is an elasmobranch fish in the family Ginglymostomatidae. The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as Vulnerable in the IUCN List of Threatened Species. They are considered t ...

'' Bonnaterre, 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, 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 between latitudes 0� ...

'' 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'' 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, 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 ** Ben ...

, 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 ''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 speci ...

'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Hemiscyllium freycineti'' ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Indonesian speckled carpetshark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium galei ''Hemiscyllium galei'', the Cenderawasih epaulette shark, is a species of bamboo shark in the family (biology), family Hemiscylliidae. Together with ''Hemiscyllium henryi, H. henryi'', it was only Binomial nomenclature, scientifically described in ...

'' G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Cenderwasih epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium hallstromi'' Whitley, 1967 (Papuan epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium halmahera'' 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'' G. R. Allen & Erdmann, 2008 (Henry's epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium michaeli'' G. R. Allen & Dudgeon, 2010 (Milne Bay epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium ocellatum'' ( Bonnaterre, 1788) (epaulette shark) *** '' Hemiscyllium strahani'' Whitley, 1967 (hooded carpetshark) *** ''

Hemiscyllium trispeculare The speckled carpetshark, ''Hemiscyllium trispeculare'', is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around north and west Australia between latitudes 8° S and 22° S, and longitude 114° E and 152° E. Its length is up to 79 c ...

'' 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 (biology), family Orectolobidae and the only member of its genus. It inhabits shallow coral reefs off northern Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent ...

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. Reachi ...

'' (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 th ...

'' 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 wobbegong The wobbegong is ...

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 ...

& Chidlow, 2008 (floral banded wobbegong) *** ''

Orectolobus halei 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 sh ...

'' 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 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 ...

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

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

& 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'' H. M. Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 (barbelthroat carpetshark) *** '' Cirrhoscyllium formosanum'' Teng, 1959 (Taiwan saddled carpetshark) *** '' Cirrhoscyllium japonicum'' 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 The collared carpetshark (''Parascyllium collare'') is a poorly ...

'' Gill, 1862 *** ''

Parascyllium collare The collared carpetshark (''Parascyllium collare'') is a poorly understood species of carpetshark of the family (biology), family Parascylliidae endemic to the waters of eastern Australia between latitudes 26th parallel south, 26°S and 38th par ...

'' 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 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, ...

(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, ...

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

, 1862 (zebra sharks) ** Genus '' Stegostoma'' J. P. Müller &

, 1837 *** '' Stegostoma fasciatum'' ( 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