Gulf wobbegong
Species of shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Gulf wobbegong or banded wobbegong (Orectolobus halei) is a species of carpet shark in the family Orectolobidae, found in southern Australia between Southport, Queensland and Norwegian Bay, Western Australia.[3]
| Gulf wobbegong | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Orectolobidae |
| Genus: | Orectolobus |
| Species: | O. halei |
| Binomial name | |
| Orectolobus halei Whitley, 1940 | |
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| Range of the banded wobbegong (also off Flinders Island)[2] | |
Orectolobus halei is very similar to the ornate wobbegong, O. ornatus, of which it was treated as a synonym until 2006.[4] Despite this, genetic evidence suggests that O. halei is more closely related to the largely sympatric spotted wobbegong, O. maculatus, than either are to the generally more northern O. ornatus.[5]
Compared to O. ornatus, O. halei has more dermal lobes at the posterior preorbital group, a shorter pelvic fin to anal fin interspace, larger pectoral fins, a larger head and larger claspers when mature.[4] It also reaches a significantly larger size, growing to a maximum length of 2.9 metres (9.5 ft), while O. ornatus only reaches 1.17 metres (3.8 ft).[2]
Reproduction is ovoviviparous.
Etymology
The shark is named in honor of Herbert M. Hale (1895-1963) then the Director of the South Australian Museum.[6]
