It's best to tread lightly around carpet sharks. These rug look-alikes blend in perfectly with the sand, pebbles and plants on the ocean floor. They use their camouflage to set up an ambush for prey, and strike victims with teeth that are as sharp as needles. Unlike most predatory sharks, this creature likes to stay in one place and wait for its next meal to pass by.
Hidden Jaws: Carpet sharks' jaws don't look threatening from the outside, but don't be fooled. When attacking prey, these sharks can thrust their jaws outward, grabbing victims with dozens of long, fang-like teeth and swallowing the bodies whole.
Carpet Crawler: These sharks have strong, wide pectoral fins. The predators use these to "crawl" over the seabed in search of mollusks and crustaceans, and also to prop themselves up in order to dangle their fleshy tassels and lure curious prey.
Shag Shark[]
This shark looks like a seabed lump.
With brown bodies covered with light spots, carpet sharks blend in with the sand on the ocean floor. Dozens of fleshy tassels grow from the sides of its jaws and head, breaking up the shark's profile and making it even more difficult to see. These tassels look like the fringe on a carpet, which gives the shark its name. With such fancy camouflage, potential victims can't distinguish the sharks from the seabed, and swim within range of this predator's deadly jaws.
Still Breathing: Many sharks must keep moving forward in order to push water through their gills and absorb oxygen, but this one spends much of its time lying still. Small holes on its head, called spiracles, pump water into the carpet shark's gills to keep it alive.
Sudden Strike: Carpet sharks don't move often, but that doesn't mean they're sluggish creatures. As soon as a potential victim swims within range, the shark strikes with the speed of a coiled snake, snapping the prey up in its jaws.
Don't Tread on Me[]
- As a diver swims just above the ocean floor, she suddenly spots the well-camouflaged carpet shark. Fascinated by the unusual-looking shark, and thinking that it doesn't look that dangerous, she decides to interact with it, grabbing the shark by the tail.
- Within a split second, the diver realizes her mistake. The carpet shark twists around in a flash and clamps its jaws around its "attacker's" leg. Five rows of long, sharp teeth tear through her skin as the shark grips tightly and shakes its head.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- Its trading card is one of two to not appear on any checklist; the other is Giant Orthocone.
- Due to its packet number, it would most likely have been in Checklist 4.