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Carpet Sharks derive their name from both their bottom-dwelling nature and varied coloration. They are highly diverse group.
Size: They range from the foot-long Barbelthroat Carpetshark to the world’s largest fish, the 45-foot long Whale Shark.
Coloration: Many are highly pigmented and highly varied in their dress, from the camouflaged Tassled Wobbegong to the spotted Zebra Shark and Epaulette Shark. The Collard Carpetshark changes its color to blend into its surroundings.
Food: includes the Whale Shark, which filters plankton, krill, small fish, and squid out of the water.
Habitat: Most carpet sharks live at or near the bottom, but the whale shark is pelagic, living in the open ocean not close to the bottom.
Reproduction: Some are oviparous, laying eggs, while others are ovoviviparous, bearing live young
Body shape: Some are flattened, like the Wobbegong, others, like the Whale Shark, are rounded.
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