Ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus)

General data

Main name: Ornate wobbegong
Climates: Tropical, Subtropical
Habitat: Saltwater
Native: Australia & Oceania
Distribution: Pacific Ocean

Classification

Genus: Orectolobus - Wobbegongs
Family: Orectolobidae - Wobbegongs
Order: Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark
Class: Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays
Superclass: Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes

Description

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 120 centimetres (3.9 ft). Described by Charles Walter De Vis in 1883, it is similar in appearance to other Australian wobbegongs and has previously been classified as the same species as the Gulf wobbegong. It is a nocturnal species, hunting at night, and it can bite humans when disturbed. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it as a least-concern species. The upperside is golden brown in colour with blueish-grey areas, and it is yellow-green on its underside. It has two dorsal fins, a large flat head, and small eyes. Its mouth and lower head are covered with flaps of skin. Juveniles are 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in total length and sexual maturity is reached at 79 centimetres (2.6 ft). For adults, the maximum reported size is 120 centimetres (3.9 ft). The ornate wobbegong is similar in appearance to the gulf wobbegong and the spotted wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus). However, it is smaller than the former and it does not have the distinctive O-shaped spots of the latter. The ornate wobbegong also has markings with black edges, further differentiating it from the spotted wobbegong. Its distinct colour pattern provides good camouflage: it is barely discernible when amidst plants on the sea floor. As specimens grow older, however, this pattern becomes less prominent.

Ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus)

General data

Classification

Description

Taxonomy of Fishes