Wobbegong

{{Short description|Family of sharks}} {{For|the fictional place|Lake Wobegon}} {{Automatic taxobox | name = Wobbegong | image = Wobbegong.jpg | image_caption = Spotted wobbegong, ''Orectolobus maculatus'', showing the camouflage pattern and skin flaps typical of wobbegongs | fossil_range = {{Fossil range|Upper Jurassic|recent}} | taxon = Orectolobidae | authority = T. N. Gill, 1896 | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = ''Eucrossorhinus'' ''Orectolobus'' ''Sutorectus'' }}

'''Wobbegong''' is the common name given to the 12 species of carpet shark in the family '''Orectolobidae'''. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, chiefly around Australia and Indonesia, although one species (the Japanese wobbegong, ''Orectolobus japonicus'') occurs as far north as Japan.

The word ''wobbegong'' is thought to come from an Australian Aboriginal language and means shaggy beard,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Wobbegong |url=https://utmsi.utexas.edu/science-and-the-sea/radio-program/wobbegong/ |access-date=2025-07-29 |website=Marine Science Institute. The University of Texas at Austin. |language=en-US}}</ref> referring to the growths around the mouth of the shark.

==Description==

Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling sharks, spending much of their time resting on the sea floor. Most species have a maximum length of {{convert|1.25|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but the largest, the spotted wobbegong, ''Orectolobus maculatus'', and banded wobbegong, ''O. halei'', reach about {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length.

Wobbegongs are well camouflaged by a symmetrical pattern of bold markings resembling a carpet. Because of this striking pattern, wobbegongs and their close relatives are often referred to as carpet sharks.

The camouflage is improved by the presence of small, weed-like whisker lobes<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/cps/rde/dpi/hs.xsl/28_12484_ENA_HTML.htm|title=Wobbegongs - five species encountered in Queensland|date=2009-03-02|publisher=Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries|access-date=2009-06-14|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120801195512/http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/28_12484.htm|archive-date=1 August 2012}}</ref> 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 that swim too close, typical of ambush predators. Wobbegongs also have powerful jaws with needle-like teeth to assist in catching reef fish and other sharks for food. The blood cells of several species of wobbegongs have been described.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Old JM|author2= Huveneers C |year=2006|title= Morphology of the blood cells from three species of wobbegong sharks (''Orectolobus'' species) on the East Coast of N. S. W. |journal=Zoo Biology|volume= 25 |issue=1|pages= 72–83|doi= 10.1002/zoo.20079}}</ref>

==Interaction with humans==

Wobbegongs are generally not considered dangerous to humans<ref name="West11">{{Cite journal |url=http://www.publish.csiro.au/?act=view_file&file_id=MF10181.pdf|title=Changing patterns of shark attacks in Australian waters|author=John G. West|year=2011|journal=Marine and Freshwater Research|volume=62|issue=6 |pages=744–754|doi=10.1071/MF10181 |bibcode=2011MFRes..62..744W }}</ref> but have attacked swimmers, snorkelers, and scuba-divers, who inadvertently come close to them.<ref name="West11"/> The Australian Shark Attack File contains more than 50 records of unprovoked attacks by wobbegongs<ref name="West11"/> and the International Shark Attack File has 31 records,<ref name="ISAF">{{cite web |url=https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/factors/species-implicated/ |title=Species Implicated in Attacks - International Shark Attack File |access-date=2018-04-06}}</ref> none of them fatal. Wobbegongs have also bitten surfers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/shark-attack-victim-kirrabella-olsson-13-laughed-after-ankle-and-calf-were-mauled-by-a-wobbegong/story-fni0cx12-1227094378117 |title=Shark attack victim Kirra-Bella Olsson, 13, 'laughed' after ankle and calf were mauled by a wobbegong |date=2014-10-18 |publisher=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=2014-10-19}}</ref> Wobbegongs are very flexible and can easily bite a hand holding their tail.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kuiter |first=Rudie |title=Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia |page=12 |edition=amended |year=1999 |publisher=New Holland Publishers (Aust.) Pty Ltd |isbn=1-86436-091-7}}</ref> They have many small but sharp teeth and their bite can be severe, even through a wetsuit; having bitten, they have been known to hang on and can be very difficult to remove.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/11/1076388440368.html |title=Shark sinks its teeth in for the long haul |date=2004-02-12 |publisher=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=2006-06-14}}</ref>

Wobbegongs are attacked much more often by humans; in Australia, wobbegong skin is used to make leather.<ref name="RoseNetwork1996">{{cite book|author1=Debra A. Rose|author2=International Traffic Network|title=An overview of world trade in sharks and other cartilaginous fishes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=klAYAQAAIAAJ|date=1 December 1996|publisher=TRAFFIC International|isbn=978-1-85850-114-7}}</ref>

===Captivity===

Although most wobbegong species are unsuitable for home aquaria owing to their large adult size, this has not stopped some of the smaller species from being sold in the aquarium trade.<ref name="sharksathomeafm">{{cite magazine | last = Michael | first = Scott W. | title = Sharks at Home | magazine = Aquarium Fish Magazine | pages = 20–29 |date=March 2004}}</ref> Small wobbegong species, such as the tasselled wobbegong and Ward's wobbegong, are "ideal" sharks for home aquarists to keep because they are an appropriate size and are lethargic, enabling them to be accommodated within the limited space of a home tank, although they consume tankmates, even quite large ones.<ref name="sharksathomeafm" /> Some aquarists, by contrast, see the lack of activity to be a drawback to keeping wobbegongs and prefer more active sharks.<ref name="sharksathomeafm" /> Wobbegongs are largely nocturnal, and owing 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.<ref name="sharksathomeafm" />

==Genera and species==

[[Image:Orectolobus leptolineatus alor.jpg|thumb|right|''Orectolobus leptolineatus'']] The 12 living species of wobbegong, in three genera, are:<ref name=FB>{{FishBase family|family=Orectolobidae|year=2009|month=January}}</ref> * Genus ''Eucrossorhinus'' Regan, 1908 **''Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' (Bleeker, 1867) (tasselled wobbegong) * Genus ''Orectolobus'' Bonaparte, 1834 **''Orectolobus floridus'' Last & Chidlow, 2008 (floral banded wobbegong) ** ''Orectolobus halei'' Whitley, 1940.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Zootaxa | url = http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01284p051f.pdf | volume = 1284 | year = 2006 | pages = 29–51 | title = Redescription of two species of wobbegongs (Chondrichthyes: Orectolobidae) with elevation of ''Orectolobus halei'' Whitley 1940 to species level | author = Huveneers| doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.1284.1.2 }}</ref> (Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong) ** ''Orectolobus hutchinsi'' Last, Chidlow, & Compagno, 2006.<ref>{{cite journal | journal = Zootaxa | url = http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2006f/z01239p048f.pdf | volume = 1239 | year = 2006 | pages = 35–48 | title = A new wobbegong shark, ''Orectolobus hutchinsi'' n. sp. (Orectolobiformes: Orectolobidae) from southwestern Australia | author = Last, Chidlow & Compagno| doi = 10.11646/zootaxa.1239.1.3 }}</ref> (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'' Last & 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)

Fossil genera include: * ''Cretorectolobus'' Case, 1978 * ''Eometlaouia'' Noubhani & Cappetta, 2002 * ''Orectoloboides'' Cappetta, 1977

== Conservation status == {| class="wikitable" |+Conservation status of extant wobbegong species !Species !Common name(s) !IUCN Red List status !Population trend !Reference |- |''Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' |Tasselled wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Rigby, C.L. |author2=Huveneers, C. |author3=García, E. |year=2024 |title=''Eucrossorhinus dasypogon'' |volume=2024 |article-number=e.T41873A124423827 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-1.RLTS.T41873A124423827.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus floridus'' |Floral banded wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Grant, M.I. |author2=Braccini, J.M. |author3=Huveneers, C. |author4=Charles, R. |author5=Armstrong, A.O. |year=2025 |title=''Orectolobus floridus'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T161664A124524288 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T161664A124524288.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus halei'' |Gulf wobbegong, banded wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Charlie Huveneers |author2=David Pollard |author3=Ian Gordon |author4=Anthony Flaherty |author5=John Pogonoski |date=2015|title=''Orectolobus halei''|article-number=e.T161709A68638176 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T161709A68638176.en|access-date=2020-07-06}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus hutchinsi'' |Western wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Grant, M.I. |author2=Braccini, J.M. |author3=Huveneers, C. |author4=Charles, R. |year=2025 |title=''Orectolobus hutchinsi'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T42717A124427292 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T42717A124427292.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus japonicus'' |Japanese wobbegong |Least concern |Decreasing |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Rigby, C.L.|author2= Bin Ali, A.|author3= Bineesh, K.K.|author4= Chen, X.|author5= Derrick, D.|author6= Dharmadi Ebert, D.A.|author7= Fahmi, Fernando, D.|author8= Gautama, D.A.|author9= Haque, A.B.|author10= Ho, H.|author11= Hsu, H.|author12=Maung, A.|author13= Vo, V.Q.|author14= Sianipar, A.|author15= Tanay, D.|author16= Utzurrum, J.A.T.|author17= Yuneni, R.R. |author18= Zhang, J. |name-list-style=amp |year= 2020 |title= ''Orectolobus japonicus'' |article-number= e.T161563A124507360 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T161563A124507360.en |access-date= 10 August 2023}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus leptolineatus'' |Indonesian wobbegong |Near threatened |Decreasing |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Dulvy, N.K.|author2= Bin Ali, A.|author3= Derrick, D.|author4= Fahmi, Utzurrum, J.A.T. |author5= Yuneni, R.R. |year= 2021 |title= ''Orectolobus leptolineatus'' |article-number= e.T176486152A176486163 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T176486152A176486163.en |access-date=10 August 2023}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus maculatus'' |Spotted wobbegong |Least concern |Unknown |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Charlie Huveneers |author2=David Pollard |author3=Ian Gordon|author4=Anthony Flaherty|author5=John Pogonoski |date=2015|title=''Orectolobus maculatus''|article-number=e.T41837A68638559 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41837A68638559.en|access-date=2020-07-06}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus ornatus'' |Ornate wobbegong |Least concern |Unknown |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Charlie Huveneers|author2=David Pollard |author3=Ian Gordon |author4=Anthony Flaherty |author5=John Pogonoski |date=2015|title=''Orectolobus ornatus''|article-number=e.T41838A68638906 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41838A68638906.en|access-date=2020-07-06}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus parvimaculatus'' |Dwarf spotted wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Grant, M.I. |author2=Braccini, J.M. |author3=Huveneers, C. |author4=Charles, R. |year=2025 |title=''Orectolobus parvimaculatus'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T161651A124521951 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T161651A124521951.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus reticulatus'' |Network wobbegong |Least concern |Unknown |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Finucci, B. |author2=Armstrong, A.O. |year=2025 |title=''Orectolobus reticulatus'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T195439A124542708 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T195439A124542708.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Orectolobus wardi'' |Northern wobbegong |Least concern |Stable |<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Huveneers, C. |author2=Charles, R. |author3=Corrigan, S. |author4=Pillans, R.D. |author5=Kyne, P.M. |year=2025 |title=''Orectolobus wardi'' |volume=2025 |article-number=e.T41839A124420971 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T41839A124420971.en |access-date=21 December 2025}}</ref> |- |''Sutorectus tentaculatus'' |Cobbler wobbegong |Least concern |Unknown |<ref>{{Cite iucn|author=Charlie Huveneers |author2=Colin Simpfendorfer|date=2015|title=''Sutorectus tentaculatus''|article-number=e.T41864A68646166 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41864A68646166.en|access-date=2020-07-06}}</ref> |}

==See also== {{Portal|Sharks}} * List of sharks * Carpet shark

== References == {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Commons category|Orectolobidae}} * {{FishBase family|family=Orectolobidae|year=2017}} * {{cite web|url=https://australianmuseum.net.au/spotted-wobbegong-orectolobus-maculatus-bonnaterre-1788|publisher=Australian Museum|title=Spotted Wobbegong, ''Orectolobus maculatus'' (Bonnaterre, 1788)}}

Category:Wobbegongs Category:Australian Aboriginal words and phrases Category:Extant Late Jurassic first appearances