Carpet sharks are

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...

s classified in the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

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 con ...

"carpet shark" (given because many species resemble ornately patterned

carpet A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of Pile (textile), pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fiber, synthetic fibres such as polyprop ...

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 c ...

s, two spineless

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates. Dorsal fins have evolved independently several times through convergent evolution adapting to marine environments, so the fins are not all homologous. They are found ...

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 cyprini ...

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 preserve ...

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� ...

; the oldest known orectolobiform genera are '' Folipistrix'' (known from

Toarcian The Toarcian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy, ICS' geologic timescale, an age (geology), age and stage (stratigraphy), stage in the Early Jurassic, Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 184.2 Megaannum, Ma (million ...

to Aalenian of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

), '' Palaeobrachaelurus'' (Aalenian to

Barremian The Barremian is an age in the geologic timescale (or a chronostratigraphic stage) between 125.77 Ma (million years ago) and 121.4 ± 1.0 Ma (Historically, this stage was placed at 129.4 million to approximately 125 million years ago) It is a ...

) and '' Annea'' (Toarcian to

Bajocian In the geologic timescale, the Bajocian is an age and stage in the Middle Jurassic. It lasted from approximately 170.9 ±0.8 Ma to around 168.2 ±1.2 Ma (million years ago). The Bajocian Age succeeds the Aalenian Age and precedes the Bathonia ...

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, whisker like sensory organ near the mouth (sometimes called whiskers or tendrils). Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, the hagfish, the sturgeon, the z ...

, 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 . The whale shark holds many records for ...

(''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 aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a s ...

, drawing in water through its wide mouth and sifting out the

plankton Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms that drift in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) but are unable to actively propel themselves against ocean current, currents (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are ca ...

. 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''), the

Epaulette shark The epaulette shark ('', Hemiscyllium ocellatum'') is a species of longtailed carpet shark of the family (biology), family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea (and possibly elsewhere). The common name o ...

(''Hemiscyllium ocellatum''), 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 wobbegongs tend to be

ambush predator Ambush predators or sit-and-wait predators are carnivorous animals that capture their 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 in which 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 ki ...

approaches. One has been observed swallowing a

bamboo shark The Hemiscylliidae are a family (biology), 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 relativ ...

whole. The methods of reproduction of carpet sharks varies. Some species are

oviparous Oviparous animals are animals that reproduce by depositing fertilized zygotes outside the body (i.e., by laying or spawning) in metabolically independent incubation organs known as eggs, which nurture the embryo into moving offsprings kno ...

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 "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparity, oviparous and live-bearing viviparity, viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develo ...

and the fertilised eggs are retained in the mother's

oviduct The oviduct in vertebrates is the passageway from an ovary. In human females, this is more usually known as the fallopian tube. The eggs travel along the oviduct. These eggs will either be fertilized by spermatozoa to become a zygote, or will dege ...

. 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 Family (from ) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictability, structure, and safety as ...

in 13

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

and with a total of around 43

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

Extant species

Order Orectolobiformes * Family Brachaeluridae Applegate (blind sharks) ** Genus '' Brachaelurus'' Ogilby, 1908 *** '' Brachaelurus colcloughi'' (Ogilby, 1908) (bluegrey carpetshark) *** '' Brachaelurus waddi'' (

Bloch Bloch is a surname of German origin. Notable people with this surname include: A *Adele Bloch-Bauer (1881–1925), Austrian entrepreneur *Albert Bloch (1882–1961), American painter *Alexandre Bloch (1857–1919), French painter *Alfred Bloch ( ...

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

Gill A gill () is a respiration organ, respiratory organ that many aquatic ecosystem, 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 r ...

, 1862 (nurse sharks) ** Genus '' Ginglymostoma'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Ginglymostoma cirratum'' Bonnaterre, 1788 (nurse shark) *** '' Ginglymostoma unami'' Del-Moral-Flores, Ramírez-Antonio, Angulo & Pérez-Ponce de León, 2015 ** Genus '' Nebrius'' Rüppell, 1837 *** '' Nebrius ferrugineus'' ( Lesson, 1831) (tawny nurse shark) ** Genus '' Pseudoginglymostoma'' Dingerkus, 1986 *** '' Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum'' ( Günther, 1867) (short-tail nurse shark) * Family Hemiscylliidae Gill, 1862 (bamboo sharks) ** Genus '' Chiloscyllium'' 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'' (Anonymous, referred to Bennett, 1830) (white-spotted bamboo shark) *** '' Chiloscyllium punctatum'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1838 (brownbanded bamboo shark) ** Genus '' Hemiscyllium'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Hemiscyllium freycineti'' ( Quoy &

Gaimard Joseph Paul Gaimard (31 January 1793 – 10 December 1858) was a French naval surgeon and naturalist. Biography Gaimard was born at Saint-Zacharie on January 31, 1793. He studied medicine at the naval medical school in Toulon, subsequent ...

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

Hemiscyllium hallstromi The Papuan epaulette shark, ''Hemiscyllium hallstromi'', is a bamboo shark in the family (biology), family Hemiscylliidae found around southern Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 7th parallel south, 7° S and 10th parallel south, 10° S, and lo ...

'' 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 Angus Boyd "Gus" Dudgeon (30 September 1942 – 21 July 2002) was an English record producer, who oversaw many of Elton John's most accla ...

, 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'' J. Richardson, 1843 (speckled carpetshark) * Family Orectolobidae Gill, 1896 (wobbegong sharks) ** Genus '' Eucrossorhinus'' Regan, 1908 *** '' Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' (Bleeker, 1867) (tasselled wobbegong) ** Genus '' Orectolobus'' 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 come in many styles and sizes, depending on the exact job they are designed for. Common variations ...

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

, Chidlow & Compagno, 2006. (western wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus japonicus'' Regan, 1906 (Japanese wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus leptolineatus''

, 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'' Last, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 2008 (network wobbegong) *** '' Orectolobus wardi'' Whitley, 1939 (northern wobbegong) ** Genus '' Sutorectus'' Whitley, 1939 *** '' Sutorectus tentaculatus'' ( W. K. H. Peters, 1864) (cobbler wobbegong) * Family

Parascylliidae Parascylliidae, or the collared carpet sharks, is a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, which are only found in shallow waters of the western Pacific. The family Parascylliidae contains two genera, '' Cirrhoscyllium'' and '' Parascyl ...

Gill, 1862 (collared carpet sharks) ** Genus ''

Cirrhoscyllium ''Cirrhoscyllium'' is a genus of carpetsharks in the family Parascylliidae. Species in the genus Cirrhoscyllium have throat barbels which are believed to act as tactile sensory organ A sense is a biological system used by an organism for ...

'' 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'' E. P. Ramsay & Ogilby, 1888 (collared carpetshark) * '' Parascyll ...

'' Gill, 1862 *** '' Parascyllium collare'' 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 (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839) (whale sharks) ** Genus '' Rhincodon'' A. Smith, 1828 *** '' Rhincodon typus'' A. Smith, 1828 (whale shark) * Family Stegostomatidae

, 1862 (zebra sharks) ** Genus '' Stegostoma'' J. P. Müller & Henle, 1837 *** '' Stegostoma fasciatum'' ( Hermann, 1783) (zebra shark)

Fossil genera

The following fossil genera are recognized: * Order Orectolobiformes ** Genus †'' Akaimia'' Rees, 2010 ** Genus †'' Annea'' Thies, 1982 ** Genus †'' Dorsetoscyllium'' Underwood & Ward, 2004 ** Genus †'' Galagadon'' Gates, Gorscak & Makovicky, 2019 ** Genus †'' Heterophorcynus'' Underwood & Ward, 2004 ** Genus †'' Folipistrix'' Kriwet, 2003 ** Genus †'' Palaeorectolobus'' Kriwet, 2008 ** Genus †'' Parasquatina'' Herman, 1982 ** Genus †'' Phorcynis'' Thiollière, 1854 ** Genus †'' Similiteroscyllium'' Fuchs, Engelbrecht, Lukeneder & Kriwet, 2017 ** Family Brachaeluridae *** Genus †'' Eostegostoma'' Herman & Crochard, 1977 *** Genus †'' Garrigascyllium'' Guinot ''et al''., 2014 *** Genus †'' Magistrauia'' Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014 *** Genus †'' Palaeobrachaelurus'' Thies, 1983 *** Genus †'' Paraginglymostoma'' Thies, 1982 *** Genus †'' Parahemiscyllium'' Guinot, Cappetta & Adnet, 2014 ** Family Ginglymostomatidae *** Genus †'' Cantioscyllium'' Woodward, 1889 *** Genus †'' Delpitoscyllium'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 *** Genus †'' Ganntouria'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 *** Genus †'' Hologinglymostoma'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997 *** Genus †'' Plicatoscyllium'' Case & Cappetta, 1997 *** Genus †'' Protoginglymostoma'' Herman & Crochard, 1977 ** Family Hemiscyllidae *** Genus †'' Acanthoscyllium'' (Pictet & Humbert, 1966) *** Genus †'' Adnetoscyllium'' Guinot, Underwood, Cappetta & Ward, 2013 *** Genus †'' Almascyllium'' Cappetta, 1980 *** Genus †'' Notaramphoscyllium'' Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017 *** Genus †'' Pseudospinax'' Müller & Diedrich, 1991 ** Family † Mesiteiidae Pfeil, 2021 *** Genus †'' Mesiteia'' Gorjanovic''-''Kramberger, 1885 ** Family Orectolobidae *** Genus †'' Cederstroemia'' Siverson, 1995 *** Genus †'' Coelometlaouia'' Engelbrecht, Mörs, Reguero & Kriwet, 2017 *** Genus †'' Cretorectolobus'' Case, 1978 *** Genus †'' Eometlaouia'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 2002 *** Genus †'' Gryphodobatis'' Leidy, 1877 *** Genus †'' Orectoloboides'' Cappetta, 1977 *** Genus †'' Restesia'' Cook ''et al''., 2014 *** Genus †'' Squatiscyllium'' Cappetta, 1980 ** Family Parascyllidae *** Genus †'' Pararhincodon'' Herman ''in'' Cappetta, 1976 ** Family Rhincodontidae *** Genus †'' Palaeorhincodon'' Herman, 1974

References

External links

FishBase page on Orectolobiformes
* http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/topics/d_checklist.htm {{Authority control Extant Early Jurassic first appearances