Japanese wobbegong

Japanese Teppichhai at the Natural History Museum Vienna

The Japanese Teppichhai ( Orectolobus japonicus ) is a Genuine shark from the family of carpet sharks ( Orectolobidae ). He lives in the Pacific Northwest, followed by Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Features

The type is flat with a broad head and body and reaches a length of 107 cm. Around the maxilla contributes partly branched barbels and skin flaps. On the back it bears broad, dark, rectangular saddles with light dots. Between the saddles the skin is brighter with reticular lines.

Way of life

The Japanese Teppichhai lives on the continental shelf near the coast in rocky and coral reefs and over sandy or muddy bottoms. He hunts at night demersal fish such as lizardfish, groupers, red mullet, parrot fish and gurnard, but also cephalopods and shrimps as well as the nest of other sharks. He is ovoviviparous and gives birth to boy in bags of 20 to 23 animals.