| Orectolobus halei | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Orectolobidae |
| Genus: | Orectolobus |
| Species: | O. halei |
| Binomial name | |
| Orectolobus halei Whitley, 1940 |
|
| Range of the banded wobbegong (also off Flinders Island)[1] | |
Orectolobus halei, the Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in southern Australia between Southport, Queensland and Norwegian Bay, Western Australia.[2]
O. halei is very similar to the ornate wobbegong, O. ornatus, of which it was treated as a synomym until 2006.[3] Despite this, genetic evidence suggests that O. halei is more closely related to the largely sympatric spotted wobbegong, O. maculatus, than either are to the generally more northern O. ornatus.[4]
Compared to O. ornatus, O. halei has more dermal lobes at the posterior preorbital group, a shorter pelvic fin to anal fin interspace, larger pectoral fins, a larger head and larger claspers when mature.[3] It also reaches a significantly larger size, growing to a maximum length of 2.9 metres (9.5 ft), while O. ornatus only reaches 1.17 metres (3.8 ft).[1]
Reproduction is ovoviviparous.