Orectolobus hutchinsi

Orectolobus hutchinsi, commonly known as the Western wobbegong, is a medium-sized (they usually don’t grow larger than 150 cm) subtropical bottom shark. These fish are well camouflaged and quite flat build, so most people need to look twice before they know it’s a shark. They’re yellow-brown with dark saddles and blotchy spots. They’ve kelp-like appendages around their head to camouflage even more.

These fish inhabit all kind of sand, rocky and coral areas around the coast till around 100m deep and have even been observed climbing over tide pool ridges. They’re mainly active at night, feeding on bottom invertebrates like crab, lobster, octopus and fishes. They can best be fed with enriched frozen and live meaty foods like all kinds of crab, shrimp, fish and the occasionally mussel!