They might look like lumpy carpets, and be named after an unfamiliar Australian Aboriginal word (apparently meaning "shaggy beard"), but make no mistake – wobbegongs are definitely sharks. Known as “carpet sharks” because of the ornate patterns on their bodies, wobbegong species include the spotted wobbegong and the floral banded wobbegong. One species of wobbegong, dubbed the tasseled wobbegong (and seen here), has a fringe of dermal lobes around its entire head, each of which is elaborately branched. Lying in wait on the ocean floor, the wobbegong can open its mouth wide and expand its throat to suck in crustaceans and fish as they swim by.
photo