WHAT TO LOOK FOR
A squat-bodied shark with a large flattened head and fleshy beard.

COLOR
A well-camouflaged shark. It is pale with a meshwork of darker narrow lines and spots.

SIZE
About 4 ft [1.2 m].

TEETH
Enlarged very sharp fang-like teeth.

HABITAT
Tropical inshore reefs and tidepools.

DISTRIBUTION
Western Pacific, including New Guinea and northern Australia.

BIOLOGY

• Prey – Bottom fish and invertebrates

• Reproduction – Ovoviviparous.

BEHAVIOR
The shark is nocturnal; it rests on the bottom by day and prowls the reef at night, clambering about using its paired fins.

DISPOSITION
Usually unaggressive unless provoked.

Danger to humans – divers have approached and photographed the shark by day without inciting aggression, but it has bitten waders and fishermen in tidepools. Treat with caution because of its formidable dentition.