Interesting Facts about Ornate Wobbegong Sharks

Known for its flat body, beautiful freckled coloration and fleshy projections on its head, the ornate wobbegong is one of the world’s most unique sharks.

The head projections are believed to function primarily as camouflage, which helps them ambush prey as well as protect them from predators. Divers commonly see these bottom-dwelling sharks in their shallow-water habitat, resting under rocks or corals. They are nocturnal hunters, and feed mostly on invertebrates and fish that live on the bottom. Ornate wobbegong sharks are taken by targeted commercial fisheries for their meat, and are also threatened by recreational fishing, bycatch and habitat destruction.

Interesting Facts about Ornate Wobbegong Sharks

Where to Find Them: They are endemic to Australia and surrounding regions.
Threat Level: Near threatened globally, vulnerable in the Australian state of New South Wales (IUCN Red List)
Maximum Size: The maximum reported size is 9.5 feet.
More Interesting Facts:
• Ornate wobbegongs are homebodies. An individual was spotted in the same region, an area less than 1/3 of a square mile, for more than 200 days.
• Their distinctive skin was once used to make leather.
• Their genus name, Orectolobus, means “stretched-out lobe” in Greek.
• Ornate wobbegongs have an ovoviviparous reproductive strategy, a combination of laying eggs and live birth. They have between four and 18 pups at a time, each approximately 7 inches long at birth.

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David Shiffman is a Ph.D. student at the University of Miami’s Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy, where he studies shark ecology and conservation. Shiffman is happy to answer any questions you have about sharks on Twitter (@WhySharksMatter) or Facebook (facebook.com/WhySharksMatter).