Ornate wobbegong
| Ornate wobbegong | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ornate wobbegong in the Great Barrier Reef | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Orectolobidae |
| Genus: | Orectolobus |
| Species: | O. ornatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Orectolobus ornatus (De Vis, 1883)
| |
| |
| Confirmed range of the ornate wobbegong (see text) | |
The ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus) is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, which lives in Australia and possibly other countries in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Taxonomy
The ornate wobbegong was described by Charles Walter De Vis in 1883. It has sometimes been classified as the same species as the Gulf wobbegong (Orectolobus halei); similarities between the two species have caused the ornate wobbegong to previously be considered the juvenile form of the Gulf wobbegong. However, there are multiple differences between the two species: for example, the ornate wobbegong is smaller in size, has a smaller head relative to its body, and is less freckled than the Gulf wobbegong. Therefore, the two are considered to be separate species.[1]
The ornate wobbegong has been called the "banded wobbegong";[2] however, this common name has also been used for the Gulf wobbegong.[3]
Description
The ornate wobbegong is golden brown in colour on its upperside, with blueish-grey areas, and yellow-green on its underside. It has two dorsal fins, a large flat head, and small eyes.[2] Its mouth and lower head are covered with flaps of skin.[4] Juveniles are 20 centimetres (7.9 in) in total length (TDL) and sexual maturity is reached at 1.7 metres (5.7 ft) TDL. Adults grow to 2.0–2.5 metres (6.6–8.2 ft) TDL on average, although large specimens have been known to reach 2.9 metres (9.5 ft).[5]
The ornate wobbegong is similar in appearance to the gulf wobbegong and the spotted wobbegong (Orectolobus maculatus). However, it is smaller than the former and it does not have the distinctive O-shaped spots of the latter, distinguishing it from the two species.[2] The ornate wobbegong also has markings with black edges, further differentiating it from the spotted wobbegong. The distinct colour pattern of the ornate wobbegong allows it to camouflage well with its surroundings; it is barely discernible when amidst plants on the sea floor. As specimens grow older, however, this pattern becomes less prominent.[6]
Ecology
The ornate wobbegong is a nocturnal species, with most activity and feeding taking place in the nighttime. In the daytime, it has occasionally been known to hunt and eat fish, but generally it is in a "somewhat sleepy state", resting out in the open or under caves and ledges,[6] often on sand or weed bottoms.[4] Habitats include algae-covered sea floors, coral reefs, or bays. It usually lives in clearer waters than the spotted wobbegong.[5] Its prey consists of crustaceans, fish, and octopuses.[6] A study of the diet of specimens in Port Jackson showed that fish, primarily ludericks, moray eels, and snappers, composed 86.5% of the species' diet, and cephalopods composed 13.5% of it.[7] Gestation takes almost a year, with young hatching in September or October.[8] Reproduction is ovoviviparous and over 12 pups are born at a time.[5] The species has all of its adult teeth and can defend itself when it is one day old.[6]
The ornate wobbegong is usually not hostile towards humans,[2] but it can bite when disturbed.[6] It uses its sharp anterior teeth to inflict "shallow but painful wounds".[5] Because it camouflages so well, divers are often in close quarters of the species but fail to see it, which has caused bites.[6] It has bitten people who go into tidepools, including fishers and waders. The species sometimes swims to divers close to it, possibly in a hostile way. The International Shark Attack File has recorded 39 attacks by wobbegongs, but only one of these was confirmed to be by an ornate wobbegong.[5]
Distribution
The ornate wobbegong lives in tropical and warm temperate waters no deeper than 100 metres (330 ft).[9] It is native to eastern Australia, in the western Pacific Ocean. Reports have been confirmed at Port Stephens and Sydney. Although it has also been reported to live in Indonesia, Japan, and Papua New Guinea, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) states that these reports probably misidentified other fish for this species, which would make the ornate wobbegong endemic to Australia.[1] However, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, it does live in Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.[5]
The size of the ornate wobbegong's population is not known, nor is whether it is increasing or decreasing. Its main threat in eastern Australia is commercial fishing. A survey from May 2000 to April 2001 concluded that 5,174 total wobbegongs (including other species) were fished and kept in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. Its flesh is edible, which has caused it to be a target for human consumption, and its skin has previously been utilized for decorative purposes. It is not severely threatened currently; it is only caught in parts of its range and not often. As of 20 February 2015, it is listed as a least-concern species on the IUCN Red List, after two assessments as near threatened in 2003 and 2009.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Huveneers, C.; Pollard, D. A.; Gordon, I.; Flaherty, A. A.; Pogonoski, J. (2015). "Orectolobus ornatus (Ornate Wobbegong)". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T41838A68638906.en.
- ^ a b c d McGrouther, Mark. "Banded Wobbegong, Orectolobus ornatus (De Vis, 1883)". Australian Museum. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Huveneers, C.; Pollard, D. A.; Gordon, I.; Flaherty, A. A.; Pogonoski, J. "Orectolobus halei". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ a b Allen, Gerry (2000). "Marine Fishes of South-East Asia". Singapore: Periplus Editions. p. 40. ISBN 962-593-267-4.
- ^ a b c d e f Bester, Cathleen. "Orectolobus ornatus". Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f Coleman, Neville (1996). Australia's Sharks & Rays (illustrated, reprint ed.). National Book Distributors and Publishers. pp. 25–27. ISBN 1864362537. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ Shepherd, Scoresby; Edgar, Graham (October 23, 2013). Ecology of Australian Temperate Reefs: The Unique South. CSIRO Publishing. p. 405. ISBN 1486300103. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- ^ Last, Peter Robert; Stephens, John Donald (2009). Sharks and Rays of Australia (2 ed.). CSIRO Publishing. p. 664. ISBN 0643094571. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- ^ Carrier, Jeffrey C.; Musick, John A.; Heithaus, Michael R. (March 9, 2010). Sharks and Their Relatives II: Biodiversity, Adaptive Physiology, and Conservation (illustrated ed.). CRC Press. p. 205. ISBN 1420080482. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Orectolobus ornatus". FishBase. May 2006 version.
- Huveneers, C. (2006). Redescription of two species of wobbegongs (Chondrichthyes: Orectolobidae) with elevation of Orectolobus halei Whitley 1940 to species level. Zootaxa 1284: 29-51.