Orectolobus reticulatus
| Network wobbegong | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Orectolobidae |
| Genus: | Orectolobus |
| Species: | O. reticulatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Orectolobus reticulatus Last, Pogonoski & W. T. White, 2008 | |
| Known range of the network wobbegong (in blue) | |
Orectolobus reticulatus, the network wobbegong, is a recently described species of carpet shark found in relatively shallow waters off Kimberley and Darwin in north-western Australia. With a known maximum length of only 52.3 centimetres (20.6 in), it may be the smallest species of wobbegong. Until its description in 2008, it had been confused with the northern wobbegong. The network wobbegong has a short snout, broad head, elongated body, and two dorsal fins, with the first being slightly larger than the second. Its body is grayish brown with darker brown markings and a pale yellow underbelly. The network wobbegong lives in shallow waters along reefy bottoms.
The reproductive strategies of this species are not known, but other Orectolobus species are oviparous and have slow reproductive cycles. Its dentition indicates that the diet of the network wobbegong consists predominantly of small fishes, as well as some cephalopods and crustaceans, such as lobsters and crabs.