Description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Five to six dermal flaps below and in front of eyes; back with light areas between dark saddles marked with broad reticulated dark lines (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).

Common Names

No common names available.

Taxonomic Hierarchy

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Elasmobranchii

Order: Orectolobiformes

Family: Orectolobidae

Genus: Orectolobus

Species: Orectolobus japonicus Regan, 1906

Climate Zone

Location

Biology

A little-known bottom shark found inshore (Ref. 247); usually in sand or sandy mud bottoms (Ref. 11230); also on rocky and coral reefs (Ref. 43278). Nocturnal in habits (Ref. 247). Feeds on fish and presumably bottom invertebrates (Ref. 247), including lizardfishes, cutlassfish, horse mackerel and other jacks, goatfishes, groupers, tilefishes, sea robins, whiting, parrotfishes, sea bream, croakers, also skates, shark egg cases, cephalopods, and shrimp (Ref. 43278). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 43278, 50449), with up to 20 young in a litter (Ref. 247). Wobbegongs should be regarded as potentially dangerous because of its formidable dentition (Ref. 247, 13577). Used for human consumption (Ref. 247). Kept in aquaria in Japan and the United States (Ref. 43278).

Habitat

demersal