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); floridus: Name from Latin ‘floridus’ (= abounding in flowers or flowering profusely), referring to the rich, floral pattern of bands and blotches on the dorsal surface.. More on author: Last.
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; pelagic-neritic; depth range 42 - 85 m (Ref. 74934). Tropical
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 75.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 74934); 71.4 cm TL (female)
Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is characterized by the following: dorsal coloration when fresh strongly ornamented, mottled yellowish brown; side of the head with black spots; nasal barbel with 2 simple lobes; postspiracular lobes are poorly developed, distance across preorbital group 1.2-1.4 times interspace between preorbital group and postspiracular lobe (PO/PO-PS1), 12-14 times base length of anterior postspiracular lobe (PO/PS1); base of anterior postspiracular lobe 9-12 in its distance from postorbital group (PO- PS1/PS1), 5-6 in its distance from posterior postspiracular lobe (PS1-PS2/PS1); above eye is a weak tubercle; back without wart-like tubercles; dorsal fins low, raked, not upright; first dorsal-fin origin over mid pelvic-fin base; interdorsal space 0.3-0.4 times the anal-fin base length; anal-fin inner margin 1.1-1.2 times the anal-fin posterior margin; 18-20 teeth in upper jaw, medial row at symphysis of upper jaw absent; 47-52 monospondylous centra; 145-150 total vertebral centra (Ref. 74934).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Eastern Indian Ocean: southwestern Australia.
Collected from the inner continental shelf off southwestern Australia (Ref. 74934).
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
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
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
): 3.8 ±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
): Low to moderate vulnerability (32 of 100) .