There are many types of "wobbes" (as they are commonly known in Australia): Tasseled, Japanese, Spotted, Ornate, Northern, and Cobbler. All have things in common- a large flat body, long, thin pieces of skin around its mouth, and razor-sharp teeth. These sharks are bottom feeders- they sit on the bottom of the ocean and wait patiently for their dinner to swim or crawl by them. A good meal to them means fish, crab, lobster, just about anything that is in easy reach. Like many sharks, Wobbegongs have rows of sharp teeth that angle back in the mouth. The fleshy worm-like flaps of skin around the mouth are handy for attracting dinner. The fish grabs onto the skin flaps, and the "wobbe" bites into the fish. It's dinner!
If you're a diver, be careful that you don't become dinner. Wobbegongs don't really want to eat you- they just get alarmed when you stir up the ocean floor or step on them. It's easy to step on one, since they hide so well. It's surprising that they can hide well, because these are generally not small sharks. They can reach 8 ft long, and some have been known to reach 12 ft. Wobbegongs, like most sharks, will react to quick movement or frantic activity, so if you're diving in areas like Australia or Papua, New Guinea, or near rocky or coral reefs, slow and peaceful swimming action is best. A bite from this shark is not life threatening, but it is painful.
Wobbegongs are interesting for another reason too- the way they give birth. Females "hatch" about 20 pups in their bodies, and then give birth to them. Sharks have three main ways they give birth- "live", "cannibalistic", and "egg". The technical names are viviparous, ovoviviparous, and oviparous. For more information on shark birth and reproduction, click on this link: http://www.na.nmfs.gov/sharks/repro/repr...
For more on Wobbegongs, click on these links: http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bilsons/S... http://www.quinion.com/words/weirdwords/... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sharks/worl... - ORECTOLOBIDAE http://www.discovery.com/area/nature/sha...
Because of the increasing interest in sharks, I've decided to do a shark series. Next time-Jaws and the bull shark. See you then!
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