Ornate wobbegong

Photo: Nigel Marsh · CC BY-NC

A master of camouflage, the ornate wobbegong is a bottom-dwelling shark that lies flat against the reef, its fringed dermal lobes and mottled pattern making it nearly indistinguishable from the rubble and coral it rests on. Ambush predators, they lunge with explosive speed to engulf passing fish and octopus. At Bangka, they are commonly found tucked under table corals and beneath overhangs in 10 to 20 m, and their sedentary nature makes them a reliable photographic subject.