The Wobbegong shark’s unusual name is derived from an Australian Aboriginal word that means “shaggy beard.” Wobbegongs are also known as carpet sharks because of their propensity for lying motionless on the ocean floor. The shark’s body is often covered with an ornate pattern. Generally, this species of shark are harmless and not as fearsome as the Great White shark. The wobbegong include 12 different species belonging to the Orectolobidae family. The largest is the spotted wobbegong which can exceed 10 feet in length. The smallest is the floral banded wobbegong that attain a maximum length of 2.5 feet.
This shark is a nocturnal hunter due to its poor eyesight and extremely slow movement. Unlike most sharks which require constant movement to breathe, the wobbegong takes water into their mouths and pumping it to their gills in stationary position.
Some small species of wobbegong sharks are popular as aquarium fare and have been kept as pets. Despite their tasty meats and beautiful skins used for making leather, the wobbegong sharks are believed to have limited commercial values and are not widely hunted. According to the IUCN, the four wobbegong sharks are classified as “Near Threatened” indicating they have a stable population at the moment but may be susceptible to further population collapse.
Morphology
On average, the wobbegong sharks range in length between 59 to 71 inches. The maturity stage of the male wobbegong is around 24.6 inches in body length. They have whisker-like structure known as barbels around their noses. Also, they have flaps of skin around their mouth and eyes on the sides of their heads. They have two dorsal fins. They have a short caudal tail and broad pectoral and pelvic fins. The wobbegong has a distinctive coloration pattern often spotted or a floral.
Adaptation
This species of shark exhibits a camouflage behavioral adaptation, which enable it to ambush and catch unsuspecting prey. Although a sluggish swimmer, wobbegong sharks have well developed sharp teeth that enable them to hold fast on prey and never let go. Since they have poor sight, they conduct their hunting at night. They have electrosensors known as ampullae of Lorenzini located in clusters around the head, which help them to sense the environment.
This species of shark primarily feed on invertebrates residing on the ocean floor, including crabs, lobsters and octopus. While some species of wobbegong shark such as spotted wobbegong also feed upon some bony fishes, and smaller species of sharks, including their own species. Actually, wobbegong sharks can open their mouths wide enough to swallow prey of almost similar size.
Habitat
The wobbegong sharks are found in the Pacific and Indian oceans, especially around Indonesia and Australia. They are usually found in a relatively shallow water. This species of shark tend to be seen throughout the year, although they are most often seen in the warmer months. They are bottom dwellers of the ocean and are inactive during the day where they appear solitary and unmoving on the water bed. Wobbegong sharks major habitat includes inshore areas close to the continental shelves, from the intertidal zone down to depths of 360 feet. Since they are nocturnal species, they are found in caves beneath overhangs of rocks and coral reef, as well as wreckage of ships in daytime. The juveniles are frequently found in estuaries and seagrass beds.
Reproduction
In the wild, the natural season of breeding is not really known, however, in captivity, it has been discovered that the wobbegong breed in July. What is known about courtship behavior and reproduction pattern of wobbegong shark is mostly observed during captivity and could vary in the wild. The males are known to have intense competition over the chance of courting females, who engage in an ovoviviparous mode of reproduction. The wobbegong litter size is often large having on average more than twenty pups per birth. The young pups leave their mother almost instantly after they are born to avoid being eaten by the mother.
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References
Animal Diversity Web (2019). Orectolobus maculatus. Common carpet shark. Retrieved from https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Orectolobus_maculatus/
Factly I.P (2016). Top 10 Facts About Wobbegong Sharks! Retrieved from http://ipfactly.com/wobbegong-sharks/.
MARINEBIO (2019). Spotted Wobbegong Sharks, Orectolobus maculatus. Retrieved from https://marinebio.org/species/spotted-wobbegong-sharks/orectolobus-maculatus/
OCEAN Find your blue (2019). Wobbegong Shark. Retrieved from https://ocean.si.edu/human-connections
Senger, T.D (2019). Shark Series: Wobbegong Shark. Retrieved from https://www.divein.com/articles/wobbegong-shark/