Cobbler carpet shark

Cobbler carpet shark (Sutorectus tentaculatus) is a small, bottom-dwelling elasmobranch in the family Hemiscylliidae, endemic to the shallow coastal waters of southwestern Western Australia, from Shark Bay south to Cape Naturaliste. It inhabits inshore reef, rocky substrates, and seagrass beds at depths typically less than 60 metres, where it rests motionless on the seafloor during the day and forages nocturnally for small benthic invertebrates and fish. It is the only species in the genus Sutorectus and is immediately recognisable by the distinctive irregular pattern of brown saddles and small dark spots covering its body, resembling a cobbler's patchwork—the source of its common name. Reaching about 92 centimetres in length, it is an oviparous species, laying egg cases on the seafloor. The cobbler carpet shark is assessed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with populations apparently stable within its restricted range. It is occasionally caught as bycatch in inshore fisheries but is not a targeted species. Its restricted endemic range within southwestern Australian coastal waters makes long-term monitoring important.