Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus)
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Zebra Shark
(Stegostoma varium)
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Tasseled Wobbegong
(Eucrossorhinus dasypogon)
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Nurse Shark
(Ginglymostoma cirratum)
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Illustrations: R. Aidan Martin |
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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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Click to view gallery
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Hemiscyllium sp.) Photo by: Mary O'Malley
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Milne Bay Epaulette Shark
Milne Bay Epaulette Shark
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Parascyllium variolatum), Victoria, Australia. Necklace carpet sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Necklace carpet sharks
Necklace carpet sharks
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Parascyllium variolatum), Victoria, Australia. Necklace carpet sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Necklace carpet shark
Necklace carpet shark
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Eucrossorhinus dasypogon). Tasselled wobbegong sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Mary O'Malley
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Tasselled Wobbegong Shark
Tasselled Wobbegong Shark
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Orectolobus maculatus), Shag Rock, N . Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Spotted wobbegong sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Spotted wobbegong
Spotted wobbegong
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Orectolobus maculatus), Amity Point, N . Stradbroke Island, near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Spotted wobbegong sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Spotted wobbegong
Spotted wobbegong
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Chiloscyllium plagiosum), large juvenile ( intermediate color pattern ) Gato Island, Cebu, Philippines. Whitespotted bamboo sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Whitespotted bamboo shark
Whitespotted bamboo shark
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Chiloscyllium punctatum), juvenile, Malapascua Island, Cebu, Philippines. Brownbanded bamboo sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Brownbanded bamboo shark
Brownbanded bamboo shark
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Hemiscyllium ocellatum), Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Epaulette sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Epaulette shark
Epaulette shark
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Ginglymostoma cirratum), Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean. Nurse Sharks are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Nurse shark
Nurse shark
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Ginglymostoma cirratum), Bahamas, Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean. Nurse Sharks are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Nurse shark
Nurse shark
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Nebrius ferrugineus) attempting to catch an octopus on top of a seamount in the Solomon Islands. Tawny Nurse Sharks are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Cathy Church
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Tawny Nurse Shark
Tawny Nurse Shark
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Stegostoma fasciatum), Layang Layang, Malaysia (S. China Sea). Zebra sharks are on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Doug Perrine, SeaPics.com.
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Zebra Shark
Zebra Shark
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Rhincodon typus) with admirer. Photo: Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Matt Potenski
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus) and freediver. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Matt Potenski
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus). Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Matt Potenski
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus), Hanifaru, Maldives. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Guy Stevens
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus), Maamigili, Maldives. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Guy Stevens
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus), Maamigili, Maldives. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Guy Stevens
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus) feeding just below the surface. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Guy Stevens
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Rhincodon typus) in the waters off of Holobox, Mexico. Whale Sharks are on the ICUN Red List of Endangered Species. Photo by: Eli Martinez
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Whale Shark
Whale Shark
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Characteristics of Carpet Sharks, Order Orectolobiformes
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# of Species
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39
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Body shape
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Many flattened, others rounded
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Mouth position
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Short mouth, underneath, ends before eyes
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Anal fin
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Yes
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Dorsal Fin
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2
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Fin spines
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No
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# of Gill slits
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5
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Reproduction
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Some oviparous; others ovoviviparous
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Unique qualities
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Specialized barbels; most species have a long upper lobe of their caudal fin that stretches in line with their body
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Habitat
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Marine, most bottom dwelling in shallow to moderately deep warm waters; temperate to tropical zones; Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans; Except for Whale Shark, which lives mostly at the surface in warm oceans.
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Food
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Bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp, squid, octopus, crabs, sea snails, lobster, sea urchins, and coral; Except for Whale Shark, which filters plankton and small krill, squid.
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The 40 Species of Carpet Sharks
Red indicates inclusion on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species.
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Order Orectolobiformes - Carpet Sharks
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Species
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Common Name
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Family Parascylliidae - Collared Carpetsharks
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Genus Cirroscyllium
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Cirrhoscyllium expolitum
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Barbelthroat Carpetshark
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Cirrhoscyllium formosanum
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Taiwan Saddled Carpetshark
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Cirrhoscyllium japonicum
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Saddled Carpetshark
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Genus Parascyllium
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Parascyllium collarae
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Collared Carpetshark
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Parascyllium ferrugineum
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Rusty Carpetshark
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Parascyllium sparsimaculatum
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Ginger Carpetshark
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Parascyllium variolatum
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Necklace Carpetshark
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Family Brachaeluridae - Blind Sharks
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Genus Brachaelurus
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Brachaelurus waddi
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Blind Shark
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Genus Heteroscyllium
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Heteroscyllium colcloughi
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Bluegrey Carpetshark
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Family Orectolobidae - Wobbegongs
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Genus Eucrossorhinus
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Eucrossorhinus dasypogon
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Tasselled Wobbegong
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Genus Orectolobus
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Orectolobus floridus
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Floral Banded Wobbegong
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Orectolobus halei
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Gulf Wobbegong
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Orectolobus hutchinsi
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Western Wobbegong
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Orectolobus japonicus
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Japanese Wobbegong
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Orectolobus maculatus
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Spotted Wobbegong
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Orectolobus ornatus
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Ornate Wobbegong
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Orectolobus parvimaculatus
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Dwarf Spotted Wobbegong
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Orectolobus wardi
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Northern Wobbegong
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Orectolobus sp.
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False Cobbler Wobbegong (Western Australia)
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Genus Sutorectus
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Sutorectus tentaculatus
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Cobbler Wobbegong
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Family Hemiscylliidae - Bamboo Sharks
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Genus Chiloscyllium
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Chiloscyllium arabicum
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Arabian Carpetshark
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Chiloscyllium burmensis
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Burmese Bambooshark
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Chiloscyllium griseum
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Grey Bambooshark
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Chiloscyllium hasselti
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Indonesian Bambooshark
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Chiloscyllium indicum
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Slender Bambooshark
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Chiloscyllium plagiosum
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Whitespotted Bambooshark
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Chiloscyllium punctatum
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Brownbanded Bambooshark
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Genus Hemiscyllium
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Hemiscyllium freycineti
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Indonesian Speckled Carpetshark
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Hemiscyllium hallstromi
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Papuan Epaulette Shark
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Hemiscyllium ocellatum
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Epaulette Shark
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Hemiscyllium strahani
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Hooded Carpetshark
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Hemiscyllium trispeculare
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Speckled Carpetshark
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Hemiscyllium sp.
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Seychelles Carpetshark
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Hemiscyllium sp.
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(Papua New Guinea)
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Family Ginglymostomatidae - Nurse Sharks
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Genus Ginglymostoma
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Ginglymostoma cirratum
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Nurse Shark
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Genus Nebrius
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Nebrius ferrigineus
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Tawny Nurse Shark
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Genus Pseudoginglymostoma
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Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudata
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Shorttail Nurse Shark
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Family Stegostomatidae - Zebra Shark
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Genus Stegostoma
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Stegostoma fasciatum
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Zebra Shark
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Family Rhincodontidae - Whale Shark
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Genus Rhincodon
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Rhincodon typus
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Whale Shark
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