The order
Orectolobiformes, also collectively known as the
carpet sharks because many members have carpet-like patterned markings, includes a number of familiar types of
sharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs....
s, such as the
nurse sharksNurse sharks are cosmopolitan carpet sharks belonging to the family Ginglymostomatidae. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, the family comprises three genera each with one species. They are benthic sharks, characterised as being sluggish...
and
whale sharkThe whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow moving filter feeding shark that is the largest living fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but there are unconfirmed claims of considerably larger whale sharks...
, as well as some unusual species, such as the
blind sharkThe blind shark, Brachaelurus waddi, is one of two species in the family Brachaeluridae, and the only member of the genus Brachaelurus. It is found in the subtropical southwest Pacific Ocean off Queensland and New South Wales, between latitudes 8° S to 33° S. It reaches a length of 1.22 m...
.
Carpet sharks have two
dorsal finA dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Depending on the species, an animal can have up to three of them. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns...
s, without spines, and a small mouth that is forward of the eyes. Many have
barbelA barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, and some species of shark...
s and small
gill slitGill slits are individual openings to gills, i.e., multiple gill arches, which lack a single outer cover. Such gills are characteristic of Cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, sawfish, and guitarfish. Most of these have five pairs, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs...
s, with the fifth slit overlapping the fourth.
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The order
Orectolobiformes, also collectively known as the
carpet sharks because many members have carpet-like patterned markings, includes a number of familiar types of
sharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago, before the time of the dinosaurs....
s, such as the
nurse sharksNurse sharks are cosmopolitan carpet sharks belonging to the family Ginglymostomatidae. Common in shallow, tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, the family comprises three genera each with one species. They are benthic sharks, characterised as being sluggish...
and
whale sharkThe whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow moving filter feeding shark that is the largest living fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but there are unconfirmed claims of considerably larger whale sharks...
, as well as some unusual species, such as the
blind sharkThe blind shark, Brachaelurus waddi, is one of two species in the family Brachaeluridae, and the only member of the genus Brachaelurus. It is found in the subtropical southwest Pacific Ocean off Queensland and New South Wales, between latitudes 8° S to 33° S. It reaches a length of 1.22 m...
.
Carpet sharks have two
dorsal finA dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Depending on the species, an animal can have up to three of them. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns...
s, without spines, and a small mouth that is forward of the eyes. Many have
barbelA barbel on a fish is a slender, whiskerlike tactile organ near the mouth. Fish that have barbels include the catfish, the carp, the goatfish, sturgeon, and some species of shark...
s and small
gill slitGill slits are individual openings to gills, i.e., multiple gill arches, which lack a single outer cover. Such gills are characteristic of Cartilaginous fish such as sharks, rays, sawfish, and guitarfish. Most of these have five pairs, but a few species have 6 or 7 pairs...
s, with the fifth slit overlapping the fourth. The upper lobe of the caudal fin tends to be mostly in line with the body, while the lower lobe is poorly developed, except in the case of the whale shark. While many in the order are small, the whale shark is the largest living fish.
Classification
The order is small, with only around 40
speciesIn biology, a species is:* a taxonomic rank or* a unit at that rank ....
in seven
familiesFamily denotes a group of people or animals affiliated by a consanguinity, affinity or co-residence...
in 13
generaIn biology, a genus is a taxonomic unit used in the classification of living and fossil organisms. The term comes from Latin genus "descent, family, type, gender" , cognate with – genos, "race, stock, kin" ..In addition, genus is a taxonomic rank in the hierarchy In biology, a genus (plural:...
:
Order Orectolobiformes
- Family Brachaeluridae
The Brachaeluridae, or blind sharks, are a small family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes. There are only two species of blind shark, both of which are native to shallow coastal waters up to depth, off the eastern coast of Australia....
(Blind sharks)
- Genus Brachaelurus
- Genus Heteroscyllium
- Family Ginglymostomatidae (Nurse sharks)
- Genus Ginglymostoma
- Nurse shark
The nurse shark, Ginglymostoma cirratum, is a shark in the nurse sharks family, the only member of its genus Ginglymostoma. Nurse sharks can reach a length of 4.3 m and a weight of 330 lbs .-Taxonomy:...
, Ginglymostoma cirratum BonnaterreAbbé Pierre Joseph Bonnaterre was a French naturalist who contributed sections on cetaceans, mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and insects to the Tableau encyclopédique et méthodique...
, 1788
- Genus Nebrius
- Tawny nurse shark
The tawny nurse shark, Nebrius ferrugineus, is a species of nurse shark, family Ginglymostomatidae, and the only extant member of the genus Nebrius. It is found widely along coastlines in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, preferring reefs, sandy flats, and seagrass beds from very shallow water to a...
, Nebrius ferrugineus Lesson, 1831
- Genus Pseudoginglymostoma (proposed family Pseudoginglymostomatidae)
- Short-tail nurse shark, Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum Günther
Albrecht Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther FRS October 3, 1830 – February 1 1914, was a German-born British zoologist....
, 1867
- Family Hemiscylliidae
Hemiscylliidae is a family of sharks in the order Orectolobiformes, commonly known as longtail carpet sharks or bamboo sharks. They are found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific....
(Bamboo sharks)
- Genus Chiloscyllium
- Arabian carpetshark
The Arabian bambooshark, Chiloscyllium arabicum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the western Indian Ocean between latitudes 31° N and 8° S, and longitude 45° E and 78° E...
, Chiloscyllium arabicum Gubanov, 1980
- Burmese bamboo shark
The Burmese bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium burmensis, is an extremely rare bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae, the only specimen found off Rangoon in Burma. The holotype's length is 57 cm.Reproduction is presumed to be oviparous.-References:...
, Chiloscyllium burmensis Dingerkus & DeFino, 1983
- Bluespotted bamboo shark
The bluespotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium caerulopunctatum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Madagascar, between latitudes 10°N and 26°S. Its length is up to 67 cm.Reproduction is oviparous....
, Chiloscyllium caerulopunctatum Pellegrin, 1914
- Grey bamboo shark
The grey bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium griseum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the Indo-West Pacific Oceans from the Arabian Sea to Pakistan, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Japan, the Philippines, and Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 34° N and 10° S, and...
, Chiloscyllium griseum Müller & Henle, 1838
- Hasselt's bamboo shark
Hasselt's bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium hasseltii, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, between latitudes 23° N and 10° N, and longitude 91° E and 133° E. Its length is up to 60 cm.-References:...
, Chiloscyllium hasseltii Bleeker, 1852
- Slender bamboo shark
The slender bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium indicum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the Indo-West Pacific Oceans between latitudes 40° N and 10° S, and longitude 65° E and 160° E...
, Chiloscyllium indicum (Gmelin, 1789)
- Whitespotted bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium plagiosum (Bennett, 1830)
- Brownbanded bamboo shark
The brownbanded bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium punctatum, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found in the Indo-West Pacific from Japan to northern Australia, between latitudes 34° N and 26° S, to depths of . Its length is up to...
, Chiloscyllium punctatum Müller & Henle, 1838
- Genus Hemiscyllium
- Indonesian speckled carpetshark
The Indonesian speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium freycineti, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Irian Jaya in Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 0° and 10° S, to depths of 50 m...
, Hemiscyllium freycineti (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
- Hemiscyllium galei Allen & Erdmann, 2008
- Papuan epaulette shark
The Papuan epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium hallstromi, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around southern Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 7° S and 10° S, and longitude 144° E and 146° E...
, Hemiscyllium hallstromi Whitley, 1967
- Hemiscyllium henryi Allen & Erdmann, 2008
- Epaulette shark
The epaulette shark, Hemiscyllium ocellatum, is a species of longtailed carpet shark, family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea . The common name of this shark comes from the very large, white-margined black spot behind each pectoral fin, which are...
, Hemiscyllium ocellatum (Bonnaterre, 1788)
- Hooded carpetshark
The hooded carpetshark, Hemiscyllium strahani, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea, between latitudes 5° S and 10° S, and longitude 144° E and 153° E...
, Hemiscyllium strahani Whitley, 1967
- Speckled carpetshark
The speckled carpetshark, Hemiscyllium trispeculare, is a bamboo shark in the family Hemiscylliidae found around north and west Australia between latitudes 8° S and 22° S, and longitude 114° E and 152° E...
, Hemiscyllium trispeculare Richardson, 1843
- Family Orectolobidae (Carpet sharks)
- Genus Eucrossorhinus
- Tasselled wobbegong
The tasselled wobbegong, Eucrossorinus dasypogon, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean between latitudes 1° N and 23° S. It reaches a length of 1.25 m.Reproduction is ovoviviparous.-Captivity:...
, Eucrossorhinus dasypogon (Bleeker, 1867)
- Genus Orectolobus
Orectolobus is a genus of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae. They are commonly known as wobbegongs, although this name also applies to the other members of the family....
- Floral banded wobbegong, Orectolobus floridus Last & Chidlow, 2008
- Banded or Gulf wobbegong, Orectolobus halei Whitley, 1940.
- Western wobbegong, Orectolobus hutchinsi
Orectolobus hutchinsi, the western wobbegong, is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae. Despite having been known for many years , it only received its scientific name in 2006. It is found at rocky reefs off Western Australia between Bremer Bay and Coral Bay at depths down to...
Last, Chidlow & Compagno, 2006.
- Japanese wobbegong
The Japanese wobbegong, Orectolobus japonicus, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the tropical western Pacific Ocean from Japan and Korea to Viet Nam and the Philippines, between latitudes 43° N to 6° N. It reaches a length of 1 m....
, Orectolobus japonicus Regan, 1906
- Spotted wobbegong
The spotted wobbegong, Orectolobus maculatus, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the eastern Indian Ocean from Western Australia to southern Queensland, between latitudes 20° S to 40° S. It reaches a length of 3 metres ....
, Orectolobus maculatus (Bonnaterre, 1788)
- Ornate wobbegong
The ornate wobbegong, Orectolobus ornatus, is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in the western Pacific Ocean around eastern Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Australia, between latitudes 1° N and 34° S...
, Orectolobus ornatus (De Vis, 1883)
- Dwarf spotted wobbegong, Orectolobus parvimaculatus Last & Chidlow, 2008
- Network wobbegong, Orectolobus reticulatus Last, Pogonoski & White, 2008
- Northern wobbegong
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.-Captivity:...
, Orectolobus wardi Whitley, 1939
- Genus Sutorectus
- Family Parascylliidae
The Parascylliidae, or collared carpet sharks are a family of sharks. They are only found in shallow waters of the western Pacific.They are relatively small sharks, with the largest species reaching no more than in adult length. They have elongated, slender, bodies, cat-like eyes, and barbels...
(Collared carpet sharks)
- Genus Cirrhoscyllium Smith & Radcliffe in Smith , 1913
- Barbelthroat carpetshark
The barbelthroat carpetshark, Cirrhoscyllium expolitum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found in the China Sea between Luzon in the Philippines and China, between latitudes 23° N and 10° N, at depths of between 180 and 190 m...
, Cirrhoscyllium expolitum Smith & Radcliffe, 1913 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5911&genusname=Cirrhoscyllium&speciesname=expolitum
- Taiwan saddled carpetshark
The Taiwan saddled carpetshark, Cirrhoscyllium formosanum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found around Taiwan, between latitudes 28°N and 21°N, at depths down to 110 m...
, Cirrhoscyllium formosanum Teng, 1959 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5912&genusname=Cirrhoscyllium&speciesname=formosanum
- Saddle carpetshark
The saddle carpetshark, Cirrhoscyllium japonicum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found around Japan, between latitudes 35°N and 24°N, at depths of between 250 and 290 m. Its length is up to 49 cm.Reproduction is oviparous.-References:...
, Cirrhoscyllium japonicum Kamohara, 1943 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5913&genusname=Cirrhoscyllium&speciesname=japonicum
- Genus Parascyllium Gill , 1862
- Collared carpetshark
The collared carpetshark, Parascyllium collare, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found off eastern Australia, between latitudes 26°S and 38°S, at depths of between 20 and 160 m. Its length is up to 85 cm.Reproduction is oviparous....
, Parascyllium collare Ramsay & Ogilby, 1888 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5914&genusname=Parascyllium&speciesname=collare
- Elongate carpetshark, Parascyllium elongatum Last & Stevens, 2008 http://fishbase.sinica.edu.tw/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=64116
- Rusty carpetshark
The rusty carpetshark, Parascyllium ferrugineum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found off southern Australia, between latitudes 31°S and 41°S, at depths of between 5 and 150 m. Its length is up to 80 cm.Reproduction is oviparous....
, Parascyllium ferrugineum McCulloch, 1911 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5913&genusname=Cirrhoscyllium&speciesname=japonicum
- Ginger carpetshark
The ginger carpetshark, Parascyllium sparsimaculatum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found off Western Australia.-References:...
, Parascyllium sparsimaculatum Goto & Last, 2002 http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=59418&genusname=Parascyllium&speciesname=sparsimaculatum
- Necklace carpetshark
The necklace carpetshark, Parascyllium variolatum, is a carpetshark of the family Parascylliidae found around Australia between latitudes 37°S and 41°S, at depths down to 180 m. Its length is up to 91 cm.Reproduction is oviparous.-References:...
, Parascyllium variolatum (Duméril, 1853) http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?ID=5917&genusname=Parascyllium&speciesname=variolatum
- Family Rhincodontidae (Whale sharks)
- Genus Rhincodon
- Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow moving filter feeding shark that is the largest living fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but there are unconfirmed claims of considerably larger whale sharks...
, Rhincodon typus
- Family Stegostomatidae (Zebra sharks)
- Genus Stegostoma
- Zebra shark
The zebra shark, Stegostoma fasciatum , is a species of carpet shark and the sole member of the family Stegostomatidae. It is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, frequenting coral reefs and sandy flats to a depth of 62 m...
, Stegostoma fasciatum
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