The Shark That Ambushes Prey by Blending into the Ocean Floor

Quick Take

• Tasselled wobbegongs will eat almost anything in their path. Find out what they eat →
• This shark is at its most deadly when it looks completely peaceful, and its prey never sees it coming. See the ambush strategy →
• Its mouth works less like a predator's and more like a household appliance. Explore the vacuum feeding →

To be successful in the wild, you need to be innovative with how you hunt. With each animal fighting for their own survival, catching their next meal can be pretty difficult. The ocean is the same, with many predators needing to rely on stealth and precision. The tasselled wobbegong shark is one example, stealthily waiting for its prey before ambushing it. This YouTube video by Discovery shows the shark hunting, and it’s fascinating. Read here to learn more.

About the Tasselled Wobbegong

The tasselled wobbegong shark is like a ninja of the ocean. These sharks grow to about four feet long and are a part of the carpet shark order. They have extremely flat bodies, broad heads, and small eyes that sit on the top of their heads. To hunt stealthily, they rely on camouflage. Out of all shark species, tasselled wobbegongs have some of the best, with their brown and yellow coloring and tassels around their mouth resembling coral and rocks. Their camouflage, combined with their flat bodies, means they can blend into the ocean floor with little effort. These sharks range from Northern Australia to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, living in shallow reef environments. These sharks are most famous for their hunting style, which can be difficult to observe.

How Tasselled Wobbegong Sharks Hunt

These sharks are opportunistic hunters, meaning that they’ll eat what they can get. Within their coral reef environments, this includes small fish, crabs, squid, octopuses, and even other small sharks. To catch their prey, they rely on their camouflage and quick reflexes. Since their prey also has quick reflexes and can escape quickly, they need to ambush them before they have the chance to run. The sharks sit on the ocean floor with their bodies flat, and the tassels around their heads make them look more like rocks or coral than anything else. They then sit patiently, completely motionless, waiting for prey to come within inches of their head. Once one does, it lunges out quickly and uses its mouth as a vacuum to capture the prey. The prey is then swallowed whole almost instantly. These ambushing sharks are impressive, and they truly are the ninja of the sea.