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Carpet Sharks. Order Orectolobiformes |
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Page 2 of 3 Characteristics of Carpet Sharks
Order Orectolobiformes Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum). Illustration: R. Aidan Martin # of Species
| 39
| Body shape
| Many flattened, others rounded | Mouth position
| Short mouth, underneath, ends before eyes | Anal fin
| Yes | Dorsal Fin
| 2 | Fin spines
| No | # of Gill slits
| 5 | Reproduction
| Some oviparous; others ovoviviparous | Unique qualities
| Specialized barbels; most species have a long upper lobe of their caudal fin that stretches in line with their body | Habitat
| Marine, most bottom dwelling in shallow to moderately deep warm waters; temperate to tropical zones; Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans; Except for Whale Shark, which lives mostly at the surface in warm oceans. | Food
| Bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp, squid, octopus, crabs, sea snails, lobster, sea urchins, and coral; Except for Whale Shark, which filters plankton and small krill, squid. |
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