Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Orectolobiformes
(Carpet sharks) > Orectolobidae
(Carpet or nurse sharks)
Etymology: Orectolobus: Greek, orektos = stretch out + Greek, lobos = lobe (Ref. 45335); parvimaculatus: Name from Latin ‘parvus’ meaning little with the name of a larger, congener with similar, spotted colour pattern, Orectolobus maculatus, with which this species has been confused in the past.. More on author: Last.
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; demersal; depth range 9 - 135 m (Ref. 74934). Subtropical
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - 87.6 cm
Max length : 88.5 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 74934); 94.3 cm TL (female)
Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is characterized by the following features: body coloration variable, rich, brownish, greyish and/or yellowish dorsal colour pattern overlain with dense coverage of pale irregular streaks and large, ring-like ocelli; dorsal fins has alternating dark and light marginal blotches suffused with pale reticulations; dark saddles found on tail converging strongly toward ventral surface; ventral surface of trunk mainly uniformly pale; nasal barbel is bilobed; postspiracular lobes are well-developed, thallate, distance across preorbital group 1.8-2.5 times interspace between preorbital group and postspiracular lobe (PO/PO-PS1), 5.6-8.7 times base length of anterior postspiracular lobe (PO/PS1); base of anterior postspiracular lobe 2.6-4.5 in its distance from postorbital group (PO-PS1/PS1), 1.4-2.6 in its distance from posterior postspiracular lobe (PS1-PS2/PS1); back and above eye without warty tubercles; dorsal fins tall, upright in adult males; first dorsal-fin origin over mid pelvic-fin base; tip of pelvic fin below or slightly forward of insertion of first dorsal fin; interdorsal space 0.6-0.8 times the anal-fin base length; anal-fin inner margin 0.5-0.7 of anal-fin posterior margin; 21-22 teeth in upper jaw, medial row at symphysis of upper jaw absent; 46-49 monospondylous centra; 142-149 total vertebral centra (Ref. 74934).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Eastern Indian Ocean: off southwestern Australia.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Last, P.R. and J.A. Chidlow, 2008. Two new wobbegong sharks, Orectolobus floridus sp. nov. and O. parvimaculatus sp. nov. (Orectolobiformes: Orectolobidae), from southwestern Australia. Zootaxa 1673:49-67. (Ref. 74934)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 96402)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
CountriesFAO areasEcosystemsOccurrencesIntroductionsStocksEcologyDietFood itemsFood consumptionRation
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5012 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00389 (0.00180 - 0.00842), b=3.12 (2.94 - 3.30), based on all LWR estimates for this body shape (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.9 ±0.6 se; Based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years ().
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Moderate to high vulnerability (48 of 100) .