Spotted wobbegong
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| Orectolobus maculatus (Bonnaterre, 1788) |
The spotted wobbegong, Orectolobus maculatus, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the eastern Indian Ocean from Western Australia to southern Queensland, between latitudes 20° S to 40° S. It reaches a length of 3.2 m.
The spotted wobbegong's caudal fin has its upper lobe hardly elevated above the body axis, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe. It is found on the continental shelf, from the intertidal down to at least 110 m, and commonly on coral and rocky reefs, under piers, and on sand bottoms. It may occur in water barely deep enough to cover the fish, and has been observed climbing ridges between tide pools with its back out of water. It is nocturnal, and feeds on bottom invertebrates and bony fishes. It has been known to bite people who step on it or put their feet near its mouth, and can and will bite when molested and provoked. Its flesh is highly regarded and sometimes utilized for human consumption, and its skin is sometimes utilized for leather. It is regarded as a pest by lobster fishers.
Reproduction is ovoviviparous with up to 37 pups in a litter.
Coloration is dark back, with light O-shaped markings obscuring darker saddles.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- "Orectolobus maculatus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. may 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
