Spotted Wobbegong

The spotted wobbegong has a large, robust body, which thins beyond its pelvic fins. It grows in the range of 150–180 centimetres (59–71 in), but can reach 320 centimetres (130 in). It is green, yellow, or brown in colour, with a darker back and darker saddles. It is covered with O-shaped spots, which distinguish it from other species that look similar to it. It has six to ten dermal lobes behind and in front of its eye and a tubercle above its eye. Its body lacks ridges or caudal keels. Other characteristics of the species include dermal flaps surrounding the rim of its mouth, large barbels extending from its nostrils, and large spiracles. Like other sharks, the spotted wobbegong has abundant pores that operate as electroreceptors in its skin. They are used to detect the electric fields of nearby animals, making it easier to find prey. Marine & Freshwater Research, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, studied and compared the electroreceptors of the spotted wobbegong to those of the Australian angelshark (Squatina australis), a distantly related shark species. The spotted wobbegong has a more complex electrosensory system than the Australian angelshark, and the spotted wobbegong has a pore cluster inside its snout that is not present in the Australian angelshark. For both species, these electroreceptors are an important mechanism in feeding.

The spotted wobbegong is endemic to Australia, usually living in tropical waters no deeper than 218 metres (715 ft). 38 specimens caught from 1882 to 1995 were found in waters 20–176 metres (66–577 ft) deep. Sightings have been reported in Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, in the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean. Records are also known of the species living in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, but these are likely to be invalid. Some records have misidentified other fish species living in Japan and the South China Sea as this species. The species' primary threat in eastern Australia is fishing for commercial purposes. Its flesh is edible and has thus caused it to be a target of fishing. In Queensland, it is sometimes caught as a bycatch but is not fished for intentionally. Its skin has been utilised for decorating historically, but whether it is utilised in such a way currently is unknown. Multiple conservation actions have taken place for this species, particularly since 2006. It is unknown if its population is decreasing or increasing, but it is not severely fragmented as of 2015. It is listed as a species of least concern on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature as of 23 March 2015, after having been assessed as near threatened in 2003 and 2009.

A nocturnal species, the spotted wobbegong feeds at night and rests in sandy bottoms, coral reefs, and coastal bays in the day. Adults most commonly occur on algae-covered rocky reefs and meadows of sea grass or sand, while juveniles are mostly found in estuaries. Because of the species' colour pattern, it camouflages well on rocky bottoms. Although it has not been confirmed, the species may always return to a single site repeatedly throughout its life. Its diet consists of fishes, including luderick, scorpionfishes, sea basses, other smaller shark species (including individuals of their own species), and rays, and various invertebrates, such as crabs, lobsters, and octopuses. Like all wobbegongs, it has a short mouth and broad pharynx, which allow it to suck up prey more easily. The species' prey have been known to wander right up to it, including near its mouth, sometimes nibbling its tentacles. The spotted wobbegong gathers in groups. The selection of specimens in a group was previously thought to be at random or due to food advantages, but a study led by Macquarie University concluded that spotted wobbegongs associate with preferred partners for "social" purposes, and some specimens do not associate at all. The study occurred in a small marine reserve over a 15-month period. …