Orectolobus ornatus
Shark Jaw
The Wobbegong and the Carpet Sharks have much in common and are sometimes confused. But like the Carpet Sharks the Wobbegong seem to spread themselves on the ocean floor like a carpet, and like a carpet, too, they are patterned for camouflage. The Ornate Wobbegong is an elegant shark with a flattened body having dermal lobes on the side of the head and overall conspicuous dark, broad saddles that are dotted with light spots and corrugated edges interspaced with lighter areas having dark light-centered spots. Both the first and second dorsal fins, of about equal size, are positioned far back on the body. The mouth is in front of the eyes behind which are well-developed spiracles, and there are nasal barbells to help these bottom feeders find food.
Six species of Wobbegong can be found in the western Pacific around Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and all around Australia. The Ornate Wobbegong is common "down under", an inshore shark inhabiting waters as deep as three hundred feet to as shallow as tide pools. It prefers algae-covered rocky areas and coral reefs where it rests during daytime. A night feeder and ambush predator, the Wobbegong uses its two rows of fang-like teeth in the upper jaw and three in lower jaw to catch fish and invertebrates.
Wobbegong sharks are usually harmless, but can be potentially dangerous to humans because they are known to bite waders. In Australia, a Wobbegong bit off the foot of a fisherman who apparently stepped on it. Maximum length of these ovoviviparous sharks is not over 10 feet and most are much smaller. They are used for food in Japan, Korea, China, Viet Nam and the Philippines and the tough, variegated skin makes good and attractive leather.
Size |
Item # |
Price | ||
|
14" X 8.5 " |
Wobbegong |
$140.00 |
