The tasselled wobbegong is a flat, well-camouflaged shark that sits motionless on the seafloor, waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim a bit too close. It is a member of the carpet shark family, named for their seafloor-dwelling behavior.
With its blotchy coloration and the highly branched skin flaps that disguise its mouth and head, the tasselled wobbegong perfectly blends in to its surroundings on coral reefs along the northern shore of Australia and throughout the islands of New Guinea and Indonesia.
The tasselled wobbegong is not a particularly large shark and reaches maximum lengths of approximately four feet (1.25 m). Though it is not an aggressive species, individuals have been known to bite people who accidentally get too close (or purposefully tease it), most certainly as a means of self-defense.
The tasselled wobbegong is not fished throughout most of its range, but local populations may be reduced from targeted and accidental fishing. Reef scientists consider habitat loss to be more of a concern to this species than fishing, but current populations are thought to generally be stable.
tasseled wobbegong
Did a British person name this animal?
The name Wobbegong comes from "wabigung" a word in the language of the Dharug People, who lived in the area where the Australian city of Sydney is now.
Roughly, it translates to "shaggy beard".
It looks like somebody turned the dial up on a bristlenose pleco. I like it.
i yearn to see one of these push up off the sea floor and accidentally land on top of a dugong
