this odd little goober^^ is called a tasselled wobbegong and is 1 of 12 species of carpet shark in the orectolobidae family (wobbegong being the common name). orectolobidae are found in shallow, temperate and tropical waters of the western pacific ocean and eastern indian ocean, mainly around australia and indonesia. however, one, the japanese wobbegong, strays from this pattern by going as far as japan!
the 12 types of wobbegong are: tasselled, floral banded, gulf/banded, western, japanese, indonesian, spotted, ornate, dwarf spotted, network, northern and the cobbler wobbegong.
the reason for their classification as "carpet sharks" is of course related to their resemblance of ornately patterned carpets but also because they all have 5 gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins and a small mouth that doesn't extend past the eyes, as most of the species have barbels- small whiskerlike organs near the mouth which house taste buds and search for food in murky waters.
the tasselled wobbegong's arguably most distinctive trait is its fringe of branching dermal flaps around the head, which dribble onto its chin. the fringe enables the tasselled wobbegong to camouflage itself against the reef environment. this is done by the complex colour pattern of small blotches and reticulations (a pattern of interlacing lines resembling a net). their colour can actually change colour slowly over the course of several days to blend in with it's environment.
also, they're a nocturnal species and are only active at night. they're solitary snd spends most of the day resting in caves, under ledges, with their tail curled up around them. think of a really odd, kind of distorted and funny looking cat! similar, right? individual tasselled wobbegongs will have what's referred to as a small "home range". these areas contain several preferred resting spots which are used repeatedly.
wobbegongs primary diet is bottom-dwelling fish (mainly the bony type) and invertebrates such as small octopi, crabs or lobsters. when it hunts, they perch on reef and lunge up to suck in its prey. it then clamps down with its large jaw and fang-like teeth, not letting go until it's successfully killed its prey. the tasselled wobbegong is very opportunistic as it tends to remain in its favoured resting spot and whilst it's lounging, it'll ambush its prey. however, the little carpet also has its predators! this includes sharks- like the blacktip reef, horn, nurse, sand tiger and sand shark-, larger fishes and marine mammals.
these guys tend to reside in shallow habitats (ranging from 5 to 50 metres, 160 feet) near coral reefs! they're found in the tropical waters of the indo pacific ocean off of indonesia, australia and new guinea.
the maximum size of this species has been found to be 1 metre (4 feet) and it's complete lifespan is actually unknown but estimated to be about 26 years, between the average shark lifespan. this species has a very broad and flattened body and head, hence the carpet nickname.
we don't actually know much about the biological structure of the tasselled wobbegong but it's assumed to be a viviparous species (give birth to live young) based off of the reproductive habits of similar and related species. the pups are kept inside the womb of the female wobbegong in the form of eggs until they hatch and the young get their nourishment from the egg yolk. in a litter, there's typically 20 or more pups at a time. all measuring to about 20cm long (8 inches). their size at sexual maturity, however, is uncertain. their mating has been reported to have been observed in a cave at night, but not much else is known. one male, adult, was found to be adult at 1 metre - the average tasselled wobbegong size.
compared to other wobbegongs, the tasselled wobbegong is notorious for its "unprovoked attacks" on humans. whilst the species has certainly proved that it's capable of inflicting severe wounds, divers have also been able to approach the species without incident. given the sharks camouflaged appearance and poor vision, it's recommended people avoid accidentally harassing the shark as it will mistake a foot or hand as prey.
this carpet shark doesn't actually have a great economic value. although it's peculiar skin may occasionally be used for leather, it's not fished in australian waters and faces minimal threats. however, elsewhere, it may very well be affected by excessive fishery activity and habitat degradation (loss) from pollution, blast fishing (an illegal method involving explosives to stun/kill schools of fish) and coral removal. regarding this, the ICUN has declared this species of shark as least concern. meaning that it's still plentiful in the wild and isn't considered threatened or,pre 2001, conservation dependant.
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