| Family: |
Orectolobidae (Carpet or nurse sharks) |
| Max. size: |
366 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 2 - 50 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northern Australia (including Barrow Island, Western Australia). Questionable occurrence in Malaysia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. Body with a reticular pattern of narrow dark lines (Ref. 13577). Caudal fin with its upper lobe hardly elevated above the body axis, with a strong terminal lobe and subterminal notch but no ventral lobe (Ref. 13577). |
| Biology: |
A little-known shark (Ref. 247) found on the continental shelf and offshore reefs (Ref. 6871). Probably feeds on bottom fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 13577, 43278); also known to eat nocturnal teleost fishes such as squirrelfish and soldierfish (Holocentridae) and sweepers (Pempheridae) (Ref. 43278). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 50449). Might bite in self-defense or when mistaking a human foot for its usual prey (Ref. 247). Its tough skin sometimes used for leather (Ref. 13577). The maximum length of 366 cm TL reported for this species is uncertain (Ref. 247, 90102). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 February 2015 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
traumatogenic |
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