Dangers to Sharks Part II

This is the second of the dangers to sharks posts.
  We have previously viewed the dangers to great white sharks. Now, we turn to the opposite end of the scale with the small, but no less remarkable, swell shark.
  As explained in the previous post, swell sharks have a very good defence mechanism. However, they still have very persistent foes who pose great threats to it throughout its life.
  Unlike the great white shark, the swell shark is not often threatened by humans. Hunters see it as an unremarkable prize. Although I would beg to differ, as I find it a wonderful creature, their lack of interest in hunting it is appreciated.
  Primarily, swell shark eggs are often swept onto the shore by the tides. Although not a technical predator, the waves can be a fatal foe for the unborn swell sharks. Once they have hatched, swell sharks face an immediate threat from lobsters and crabs, with which they share the reefs of the Indian and Pacific oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. These clawed crustaceans will trap a newly-hatched swell shark pup and devour it. Thankfully, shark pups immediately know how to swim and hunt when they leave their eggs, so this does not happen often.
  As adolescents and adults, swell sharks are no longer likely to fall prey to lobsters and crabs, however, their new predator is even more deadly than the last: black tip reef sharks.
  Black tip reef sharks are not generally viewed as the best hunters, but come sundown, they congregate  into schools of up to fifty or sixty and stalk the reefs for unfortunate prey. They might not be big but neither are the swell sharks, which are dwarfed by the night-stalking hunters; one bite from those 'giants' would end a swell shark's life.

Black tip reef sharks gathering at a reef to hunt come nightfall.

The Wobbegong Shark

 The wobbegong shark is very hard to see because of it's amazing camouflage. It is found in coral reefs, where it lies on the sandy rocks in wait for it's pray. There are two more common types of wobbegong shark (others such as the brown-spotted and japanese wobbegongs aren't mentioned); the tasseled wobbegong and the ornate wobbegong. The tasseled wobbegong is named for the tassels that protrude from it's head. They look like seaweed, which encourages fish to swim near it and become the shark's dinner. It's back is dark orange and brown making it blend into the seafloor perfectly. Because it is a flat shark, it doesn't have to swim to stay alive and can lie in wait for days. The word 'wobbegong' comes from the Aborigine word meaning hairy beard. It is found in the Indian and Pacific oceans. It has been around since the Jurassic period (For those of you who have never looked inside a history book before, that means they lived with dinosaurs such as styracosauras and T-rex(Though if you don't read history books, you won't know what they are anyway!!)) talk about oldies!! The ornate wobbegong is paler than the tasseled wobbegong and is larger. They have been known to attack humans on sight. Normally, they would have to be provoked to attack but anyone who enters the water with a pregnant female ornate wobbegong and comes out alive can only be very lucky.
  Wobbegong sharks are often found living in harmony with lobsters. The two speicies work together for food and protection. The wobbegong lays itself down on the seafloor while the lobster walks on top of it. Big fish swim towards the motionless lobster in hope of an easy meal. The lobster moves of the wobbegong which then eats the fish, sharing some with the lobster. This is a miracle of nature, a perfectly adapted partnership between hunter and helper.


  A film of a wobbegong shark by Frank Lame of the coast of Australia (Other details
in film) showing it's teeth, swimming style and camouflage. Please note that the 
spelling of 'wobbegong' is incorrect at the start.