Carpet Sharks derive their name from both their bottom-dwelling nature and varied coloration. They are a very diverse group:

Size: They range from the foot-long Barbelthroat Carpetshark to the world’s largest fish, the 45-foot long Whale Shark.

Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). Illustration: R. Aidan Martin

Coloration: Many are highly pigmented and highly varied in their dress, from the camouflaged Tassled Wobbegong to the spotted Zebra Shark and Epaulette Shark. The Collard Carpetshark changes its color to blend into its surroundings.

Zebra Shark (Stegostoma varium). Illustration: R. Aidan Martin

Food: includes the \Whale Shark, which filters plankton, krill, small fish, and squid out of the water.

Reproduction: Some are oviparous, laying eggs, while others are ovoviviparous, bearing live young

Body shape: Some are flattened, like the Wobbegong, others, like the Whale Shark, are rounded.

Tasseled Wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon). Illustration: R. Aidan Martin