Recognizable by its very particular « beard » and yet so difficult to discern from its environment because it is a master at the art of camouflage, if you manage to spot it during your dives, you have a keen eye! Discover 10 facts to know about Eucrossorhinus dasypogon, the tasseled wobbegong.
1 – A bearded fish
The tasseled wobbegong is a shark recognizable by its broad head, particularly bordered with a multitude of growths that resemble a beard! These outgrowths are branched dermal lobes mainly used for camouflage.
2 – Master of camouflage
Thanks to its body filled with symmetrical patterns resembling sketches on a tasseled, this shark blends extraordinarily well into its environment. Its dermal lobes help it camouflage in reefs. In some photos or even during dives, it can be difficult to spot.
3 – A sensitive fish
This shark is not a victim of fishing, but the population of this species is declining. This is caused by the degradation and destruction of its habitat. Indeed, coral reefs are degraded and destroyed by pollution as well as by the devastation of dynamite fishing. Thetasseled wobbegong is classified by the IUCN as a near-threatened species.
4 – I’ve got sunshine on my skin
Or rather under the tropical sunlight. This shark is a species living in shallow temperate but also tropical waters in the southwest of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the east of the Indian Ocean. In the Indian Ocean, it is mainly found north of Australia, around Indonesia, and in Papua New Guinea.
5 – A fish vacuum
To feed, it opens its jaws wide and directly sucks its prey into its mouth. For this, it takes advantage of its camouflage to become invisible and capture fish venturing too close.
It gets its name from the growths surrounding its head. © Dominique Barray
6 – Beautiful rows of teeth
It has five rows of sharp teeth that allow it to slice its prey after it has been sucked in, with three rows of fangs on top and two at the bottom. This is not a reason to fear it. This shark is very peaceful. It becomes dangerous only when disturbed. If you look closely, the only recorded bites on people are those of waders who stepped on it.
7 – A hidden reproduction
Wobbegong sharks are ovoviviparous. This means that reproduction occurs from eggs that are incubated and hatch in the mother’s belly but receive no nourishment from her. tasseled barbu sont ovovivipares. Cela veut donc dire que la reproduction s’effectue à partir d’œufs qui sont incubés et qui éclosent dans le ventre de la mère mais sans recevoir aucune alimentation de la part de celle-ci.
8 – A frequent encounter
Being a master of camouflage, it is possible to come face-to-face with it without ever seeing it; it might even be under our feet without us noticing. Nevertheless, be careful to properly identify it as there are 40 species oftasseled !
9 – A tasseled patterned
Thetasseled wobbegong features different often symmetrical patterns on its body. Each speciestasseled has different patterns to deceive their prey.
10 – The one and only!
The tasseled wobbegong is the only representative of the Eucrossorhinus genus, making it even more unique and interesting! Eucrossorhinus dasypogon est le seul représentant du genre Eucrossorhinus ce qui le rend encore plus unique et intéressant !
Illona Ribot
opening image © Nicolas Barraqué