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 o ...

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 conti ...

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 ...

, chiefly around

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

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 Gui ...

, although one species (the Japanese wobbegong, ''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 n ...

. 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, ''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 sh ...

, ''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 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 28 records, none of them fatal. Wobbegongs have also bitten surfers. 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 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 ...

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 (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) **†'' 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 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. (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'' Regan, 1906 (Japanese wobbegong) ** '' Orectolobus leptolineatus'' Last, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 2010 (Indonesian wobbegong) ** '' Orectolobus maculatus'' ( Bonnaterre, 1788) (spotted wobbegong) ** '' Orectolobus ornatus'' ( De Vis, 1883) (ornate wobbegong) ** '' Orectolobus parvimaculatus''

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

, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 2008 (network wobbegong) ** '' Orectolobus wardi'' Whitley, 1939 (northern wobbegong) * Genus ''Sutorectus'' 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)

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