Northern Wobbegong

fieldmarks: Flattened benthic sharks with dermal lobes on sides of head, symphysial groove on chin, variegated but rather sombre colour pattern of rounded, ocellate dark dorsal saddles with entire edging and light margins, interspaced with broad dusky areas without spots or reticular lines; also, mouth in front of eyes, long, basally branched nasal barbels, nasoral grooves and circumnarial grooves, two rows of enlarged fang-like teeth in upper jaw and three in lower jaw. Nasal barbels without branches. Two dermal lobes below and in front of eye on each side of head; dermal lobes behind spiracles unbranched and broad. No dermal tubercles or ridges on back. Interspace between dorsal fins longer than inner margin of first dorsal fin, about half first dorsal-fin base. Origin of first dorsal fin over about last fourth of pelvic-fin base. First dorsal-fin height about equal to base length. Colour pattern variegated but dull and sombre compared to most other wobbegongs, dorsal surface of body with small, rounded, ocellate, light-edged saddle marks with entire margins, separated from each other by broad, dusky spaces without spots or broad reticulated lines.

Western South Pacific: Confined to Australian waters (Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia).

Maximum to at least 63 cm and possibly 100 cm; a 45 cm male was mature.

A little-known but possibly common tropical inshore bottom shark of the Australian northern continental shelf.Occurs on shallow-water reefs in water less than 3 m deep, often in turbid areas. A nocturnal shark, inactive during the day, sometimes seen with its head under a ledge. Probably ovoviviparous. Presumably feeds on bottom invertebrates and fishes, but diet unrecorded.

Interest to fisheries none at present. Conservation Status : Conservation status unknown.

Dark rounded saddles with light outlining widely spaced by dusky areas and with a few dark spots; saddles on head and trunk forming conspicuous eyespots (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).

Ovoviviparous, embryos feed solely on yolk (Ref. 50449).

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 0

Found on the continental shelf, commonly inshore. Presumably feeds on bottom invertebrates and fishes, but diet still unrecorded.

Found on the continental shelf, commonly inshore (Ref. 247). Presumably feeds on bottom invertebrates and fishes, but diet still unrecorded (Ref. 13577, 43278). Probably ovoviviparous (Ref. 13577, 43278). Wobbegongs should be regarded as potentially dangerous because of their formidable teeth (Ref. 247, 13577).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: unknown; price reliability:

The northern wobbegong (Orectolobus wardi) is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean around Australia, between latitudes 9° S to 26° S. It reaches a length of 63 cm.

A little-known but possibly common tropical inshore bottom shark of the Australian northern continental shelf. Occurs on shallow-water reefs in water less than 3 m deep, often in turbid areas.