The whale shark is the largest shark species alive today with the largest recorded specimen being 62 ft. (18.8 m) long. The whale shark is the largest shark species, and also the biggest fish species in the world. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific. The wobbegongs tend to be ambush predators, lying hidden on the seabed until prey approaches. In the depths of the tropical ocean, scientists have discovered something incredible. The smallest carpet shark, at up to about 30 cm (12 in) long, is the barbelthroat carpet shark, (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum). Many species have barbels. Two species of blind sharks make up the family of  Brachaeluridae, which are native to the shallow reef areas of the eastern coast of Australia, but can also be found as much as 110 meters deep. The world of the dinosaurs just got a bit more bizarre with a newly discovered species of freshwater shark whose tiny teeth resemble the alien ships from the popular 1980s video game Galaga. Despite their size differences, all these kinds of sharks tend to live in warmer waters, though the behavior between types of carpet sharks tends to vary pretty significantly. Most carpet sharks feed on the seabed in shallow to medium-depth waters, detecting and picking up molluscs and crustaceans and other small creatures. Species variolatum Genus Parascyllium Family Parascyllidae Order Orectolobiformes Class Chondrichthyes Subphylum Vertebrata Phylum Chordata Kingdom Animalia; Size Range The Varied Carpetshark grows to 92 cm in length. It prefers reefs and sandy flats. The IUCN has assessed it as vulnerable. This carpetshark is a stocky fish with eyes positioned toward the top of its wide, flattish head. Wobbegongs are bottom-dwelling and spend much time resting on the sea floor. The whale shark is the largest fish in the whole of the world’s oceans, but despite this, it shares many of the physical characteristics of its carpet shark cousins. A few species have been known to attack people. They are innocuous to humans. Basking sharks can grow up to 32 feet and weigh more than 5 tons, making them the second-largest fish in the world. There, the developing embryos, which are usually few in number, feed on their yolk sacs at first and later hatch out and feed on nutrients secreted by the walls of the oviduct. Some, like members of the genus Chiloscyllium, date as far back as the Cretaceous period. Some species, such as thresher sharks, employ their speed and agility in unusual methods of attack. Little is known about when and where some sharks reproduce, but a great white nursery was recently found near Port Stephens in NSW. Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order Orectolobiformes. Common in shallow, tropical, and subtropical waters, these sharks are sluggish and docile bottom-dwellers. Most species have a maximum length of 1.25 m (4.1 ft) or less, and the largest reach about 3 m (9.8 ft) in length. They are relatively small sharks, with the largest species reaching only 121 cm (48 in) in length. The Epaulette Shark is a member of the fish family Hemiscylliidae, collectively called the Longtail Carpet Sharks. Bamboo sharks, sometimes called longtail carpet sharks, are distinguished by a relatively long snout with subterminal nostrils. Whale sharks can grow up to 13 meters and weigh around 40 tons. Zebra sharks are interestingly named, as they do not retain the characteristic stripes resembling a zebra past the juvenile stage. 1, Vol. Galagadon (c) Velizar Simeonovski, Field Museum. The bamboo shark is also known as a longtail carpet shark, so called for its particularly long tail that exceeds the length of the rest of the body. Some of the most spectacularly coloured members of the order are the necklace carpet shark (Parascyllium variolatum), the zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum), and the ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus). Blind sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning the mother keeps the eggs of her young inside her body until they hatch, where they feed off the yolk as they grow. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. The young are born in an advanced state, ready to live independent lives. The Carpet Bunch: 7 Families of Carpet Sharks, 3 Good Reasons to Wear Exposure Protection, The Electrifying World of Bali’s Artificial Reefs, 5 Ways Coral Reefs Are Important to Humans, Top 8 of the Ocean’s Most Poisonous Creatures. Five short gill slits are just in front of the origin of the pectoral fin and the fifth slit tends to overlap the fourth one. They pose virtually zero threat to divers, and are actually quite curious about humans themselves, often coming right up to boats to have a look or beg for a treat. Whale sharks are a type of carpet shark which are named so due to their carpet-like patterning. They are nocturnal and spend most of the day resting motionless on the sea floor. Although they are recognized as being a docile species, they can and will lash out at divers who harass them, so follow the golden rule of diving and let them be! The zebra shark is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. They also can be easily confused with a number of other shark species like the Blacktip shark, the Sandbar shark, Dusky and Silky sharks and the Galapagos shark. The wobbegong is perhaps the most visually stunning family of carpet sharks, as it is distinctive among the order for its symmetrical patterns and fringed appendages around the edges of the mouth. The camouflage is improved by the presence of small weed-like whisker lobes surrounding the jaw, which help to camouflage it and act as sensory barbs. The largest species can reach a length of 4.3 m (14 ft). As their common name suggests, they have unusually long tails, exceeding the length of the rest of their bodies. Carpet Sharks — 39 species. They are found in all oceans but are concentrated in the Indo-Pacific and Australian regions. Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order Orectolobiformes.Sometimes the common name "carpet shark" (named so because many species resemble ornately patterned carpets) is used interchangeably with "wobbegong", which is the common name of sharks in the family Orectolobidae.Carpet sharks have five gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins, and a small mouth that does not extend past the eyes. The pectoral and pelvic fins of the bamboo shark species are either thick and muscular or thin and weak, but both species are bottom dwellers, feeding on invertebrates and crustaceans. The largest of these families, Hemiscylliidae, contains the bamboo sharks and comprises 14 species within two genera, Chiloscyllium and Hemiscyllium. Some species are oviparous and lay eggs which may be liberated directly into the water or may be enclosed in horny egg cases. SRI conducts and sponsors rigorous, peer-reviewed field research about sharks and uses science-based information to educate and advocate for shark conservation policies and protections by the world’s gov They are sluggish fish, feeding on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and smaller fish. It is the largest species of fish and the largest living species of shark, but despite its size, is not dangerous, as it is a filter feeder, drawing in water through its wide mouth and sifting out the plankton. Carpet sharks is a group of sharks belonging to the order Orectolobiformes. Facts about many sharks from the eight orders of sharks from the Shark Research Institute (SRI). The zebra shark rests on the ocean floor during the day, hunts coral reefs at night for small fish and crustaceans and has a pale blue green body covered with dark spots and ridges. They too have the ubiquitous barbels around the mouth that distinguish the carpet shark order, with one species of this family displaying a dark hood or large black spots on the body, while the other only displays these markings as a juvenile. A few species, such as the nurse shark and epaulette shark live in relatively shallow water or along the tidal zones. Characteristics of Shark Species. Their backs are gray, blue, or brown in color and covered with regularly arranged light spots. It is a nocturnal species and is harmless to humans. They are very large sharks that live in the shallow coral … Besides the nostrils are barbels, tactile sensory organs, and grooves known as nasoral grooves connect the nostrils to the mouth. Like the entire of order of carpet sharks, blind sharks have the characteristic barbels on either side of their flat, downward-turned mouths. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, chiefly around Australia and Indonesia. Wobbegongs are generally not dangerous to humans unless provoked. This order comprises about 40 species within seven families. A spiracle occurs beneath each eye which is used in respiration. The mouth of the nurse shark is located between the eyes and snout, which is perfect for bottom-feeding on crustaceans, mollusks, dormant fish, and stingrays. Orectolobiformes, also known as carpet sharks, are a diverse of sharks characterized for having two dorsal fins, five gill slits, and relatively short mouths. The order is small, with seven families in 13 genera and with a total of around 43 species: Blind sharks are found in shallow coastal waters up to 110 m (360 ft) deep off the eastern coast of Australia. 2 FIR/Cat.1/2 SHARKS OF THE WORLD AN ANNOTATED AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE OF SHARK SPECIES KNOWN TO DATE Volume 2 Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes) by Leonard J.V. It is a different species from the grey nurse shark (one of the names for the sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus) and the tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus, another type of carpet shark). It is most commonly encountered perambulating among staghorn corals on reef faces and flats, but is often found hunting in tidepools. The largest carpet shark is the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) which can grow to a length of 14 m (46 ft). The Epaulette Shark is restricted to shallow coral reef areas of northern Australia and New Guinea, where it ranges from the intertidal to a depth of about 30 feet (10 metres). Whale sharks are filter-feeders, dining on plankton, small fishes, and even the eggs and sperm of spawning fish shoals. They have elongated, cylindrical bodies, with short barbels and large spiracles. Wobbegongs generally pose no threat to divers, but have been known to attack divers who accidentally step on them due to their highly effective camouflage on the sea bed. The zebra shark rests on the ocean floor during the day, hunts coral reefs at night for small fish and crustaceans and has a pale blue green body covered with dark spots and ridges. SRI conducts and sponsors rigorous, peer-reviewed field research about sharks and uses science-based information to educate and advocate for shark conservation policies and protections by the wo It has been reported that the wobbegong is a difficult animal to remove once it bites, so keep a keen eye on the ocean floor in tropical regions of the western Pacific and eastern Indian Oceans. The nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) is a type of carpet shark.This slow-moving bottom dweller is known for its docile nature and adaptation to captivity. Blind sharks feed on small fish, cuttlefish, sea anemones, and crustaceans. Several species have barbels and some have intricate carpet-like patterns, which give this order its nickname. I have eaten carpet shark many years ago. Many species are large, but they are not considered dangerous to humans, although they may protect themselves if harmed. They have two dorsal fins, placed close together on the back, and a relatively short tail. Carpet sharks are found in all the oceans of the world but predominantly in tropical and temperate waters. Carpet sharks are sharks classified in the order Orectolobiformes.Sometimes the common name "carpet shark" (named so because many species resemble ornately patterned carpets) is used interchangeably with "wobbegong," which is the common name of sharks in the family Orectolobidae.Carpet sharks have five gill slits, two spineless dorsal fins, and a small mouth that does not extend past the eyes. One has been observed swallowing a bamboo shark whole. The methods of reproduction in the numerous genera of carpet sharks varies. Blind sharks like this are so named because they close their eyes when taken out of the water. Also present on the lower jaw are two fleshy barbels, chemosensory organs which help the nurse sharks find prey hidden in the sediments. This one is considered a rare species, as it is seldom observed, despite decades of fish surveying across its range. Nurse sharks and whale sharks have a fringe of barbels on their snouts, and barbelthroat carpet sharks (Cirrhoscyllium expolitum) have barbels dangling from their throat regions. This nocturnal bottom-dweller spends most of its days asleep, using the cover of darkness to hunt for small bony fishes, crustaceans, and mollusks. They first appeared in the fossil record in the Early Jurassic; the oldest known orectolobiform genera are Folipistrix (known from Toarcian to Aalenian of Belgium and Germany), Palaeobrachaelurus (Aalenian to Barremian) and Annea (Toarcian to Bajocian of Europe). The only exception to this rule is the whale shark, the spiracles of which are situated just behind the eyes. Nurse sharks typically attack humans only if directly threatened. Unlike its gargantuan cousin the megalodon, Galagadon nordquistae was a small shark (approximately 12 to 18 inches long), related to modern-day carpet sharks such as … The blind shark is not blind; the name came because it closes its eyes when taken out of water. Grey carpetsharks. The Whitespotted Bamboo Shark is a carpet shark with an adult size of 37 inches (93 cm) in length. As they mature, the stripes disappear and all that is left is small, dark spots on a light background, with 5 raised longitudinal ridges along their back. Most anglers, however, release any carpet sharks they catch back into the sea. Carpet shark, (order Orectolobiformes), any of about 40 species of sharks possessing mottled patterns on the body that are evocative of carpet designs. Tom Myers. This species of Bamboo Sharks rest mostly on their habitat. When many people think of sharks, their minds immediately turn to the fearsome image of a great white with its enormous jaws full of razor-sharp teeth, but not all sharks are made up of the same terrifying physiology. Distinctive Features. Carpet sharks are some of the more interesting species in the sea, with their interesting patterns and propensity to inhabit shallow waters and reef bottoms lending to their name. Unlike its gargantuan cousin the megalodon, Galagadon nordquistae was a small shark (approximately 12 to 18 inches long), related to modern-day carpet sharks such as …