Wobbegong

ID points

• Flattened body with a fringe of branched skin barbels around the mouth
• Carpet-like mottled pattern on the back, invisible against the bottom
• Mouth wide and set right at the front of the snout

Basics

Family

Orectolobidae

Length

1.0–3.0 m

Depth

0-110 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs

Distribution

Indo-Pacific coral and rocky reefs in shallow water

Habitat

On coral and rocky reef bottoms

Diet

Bottom-dwelling fish, crustaceans

Easily confused with

ToadfishBig flat head and wide mouth, shaped like a toadWaspfishDorsal fin starts above the eye and rises high like a sailFlounderExtremely flattened body lying flat on the seabed

Fun fact

The patterning of a wobbegong copies rock and seaweed so well that the shark all but disappears when it lies still, and its mouth is fringed with frilly skin barbels. It hunts by ambush, and once it has a grip on its prey it simply does not let go.