Rusty Carpetshark

About the Rusty Carpetshark

Rusty Carpetsharks are endemic to the southern coast of Australia in the Eastern Indian Ocean at depths between 5 to 150 m (16–492 ft) underwater. They live near the bottom or inshore near rocks and river mouths. They are nocturnal and rarely seen.

Biology and Behaviour

Rusty carpetsharks are grey-brown with slightly darker saddles along its back and dark small spots on its head, body and fins.

Rusty carpetsharks typically feed on bottom-dwelling crustaceans and molluscs. 

Reproduction and Lifespan

Rusty carpetsharks are oviparous, and pups are 17 cm (6.7 in) long at birth. Males mature at 60 cm (23.6 in) long while females mature at a longer size at 75 cm (29.5 in). They grow to a maximum size of 80 cm (31.5 in) long. Similar to many sharks, there is still more to learn about this species.

Conservation and Tourism

Although little is known of this species, it is not targeted by fisheries, but is a discarded bycatch of trawl and Danish seine vessels. Parts of the range of the species receive limited fishing pressure and its occurrence in rocky habitats would provide refuge from trawling. As there are no major threats to this carpet shark, it is assessed as Least Concern. Effort reduction in the Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery (Penney et al. 2014) would have reduced bycatch levels. The species also benefits from spatial management arrangements, in particular the South-east and South-west Commonwealth Marine Reserve Networks (note that the management plan for the South-west network is not yet in place as of February 2016). Parts of the species’ range receive limited fishing pressure, for example in the Great Australian Bight (Moore and Curtotti 2015), and the species also occupies untrawlable areas such as rocky reefs.

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Rusty Carpetshark Gallery