Western Wobbegong

About the Western Wobbegong

The Western wobbegong shark is a carpet shark found in tropical waters of the Eastern Indian Ocean. This species lives in shallow water, in the continental shelf and is commonly found off south-west Australia.

The Western wobbegong shark is yellowish-brown with well-defined darker brown saddles and white spots, blotches or patterns on the fins and body. The maximum length of a western wobbegong shark is about 149cm.

Females breed every two or three years and produce 18-29 young per litter, with a gestation period of 9-11 months. The Young are born at 22 to 26cm in length. They become sexually mature at about 111cm in length.

The live anywhere in from the surface to about 80 m deep, but sometimes they venture deeper to about 100 m below the surface.

The species is sometimes caught as bycatch, but not in enough numbers to threaten its population numbers. The IUCN considers a species of least concern.

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