Japanese wobbegong (Orectolobus japonicus)
General data
- Main name: Japanese wobbegong
- Local names: Fringe shark
- Climates: Tropical
- Habitat: Saltwater
- Native: Asia
- Distribution: East China Sea, South China Sea, Sea of Japan (East Sea), Pacific Ocean
Classification
- Genus: Orectolobus - Wobbegongs
- Family: Orectolobidae - Wobbegongs
- Order: Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark
- Class: Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays
- Superclass: Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes
Description
The Japanese wobbegong (Orectolobus japonicus) is a carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae of the wobbegong family, found in the tropical western Pacific Ocean from Japan and Korea to Viet Nam and the Philippines, between latitudes 43 and 6°N. It reaches a length of 1 m. Japanese wobbegong sharks typically remain motionless during the daytime, and are not active hunters. They use camouflage and their electroreceptor pores on their dorsal area to help them sense prey nearby.