Carpet sharks are so well camouflaged that they almost disappear into the ocean floor, waiting for unsuspecting prey to swim by before swooping down and sucking the victim into their massive mouths.
Carpet shark (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon) live in the Western Pacific, off northern Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia. They specialize in eating fish, crabs, squid, cuttlefish, octopus and other sharks, according to Live Science.
These sharks, which grow up to 1.2 metres long, are masters of camouflage, able to stay invisible on the seafloor thanks to their wide, flat, dark, stain-like bodies that help them blend in with reefs. They also have fleshy, coral-like growths that form a beard-like frill around their head and chin, which can hide the shark’s outline and add an extra layer of camouflage. Hence the scientific name carpet shark, which comes from the Greek words for “hair” and “beard.”
The ability to blend into their surroundings makes carpet sharks dangerous predators. During the day, they rest beneath reef ledges or in caves. They use whisker-like receptors on their nostrils to sense their environment and ambush prey that gets too close. Carpet sharks also wave their tails to mimic the movements of a small fish, luring in unsuspecting victims.
But at night, carpet sharks are really active. It lies on the rocks and attacks prey that swims by. When they detect a target, they rush straight forward and suck the prey into their mouth before closing their extremely strong jaws and sharp teeth. This fish can dislocate its jaw to eat larger prey, including other sharks. In 2021, while conducting a fish survey off the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, marine biologists discovered a carpet shark eating a brown-striped bamboo shark (hiloscyllium punctatum) that was 80% the size of the shark. It.
Carpet sharks pose little threat to humans, but they have occasionally bitten divers who get too close. The Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File records 31 attacks by various carpet shark species since 1580, none of which have been fatal. Carpet sharks’ camouflage also helps protect them from predators such as larger sharks.