About Orectolobus halei Whitley, 1940
The Gulf wobbegong, also called the banded wobbegong (Orectolobus halei), is a species of carpet shark belonging to the family Orectolobidae. It is found in southern Australia, ranging between Southport, Queensland and Norwegian Bay, Western Australia. Orectolobus halei is extremely similar in appearance to the ornate wobbegong, O. ornatus, and was previously treated as a synonym of O. ornatus until 2006. Even so, genetic evidence indicates that O. halei is more closely related to the largely sympatric spotted wobbegong, O. maculatus, than either O. halei or O. maculatus are to the generally more northern distributed O. ornatus. When compared with O. ornatus, O. halei has more dermal lobes at the posterior preorbital group, a shorter distance between the pelvic fin and the anal fin, larger pectoral fins, a larger head, and larger claspers when mature. O. halei also grows to a significantly larger maximum size: it reaches a maximum total length of 2.9 metres (9.5 ft), while O. ornatus only reaches 1.17 metres (3.8 ft). This species reproduces via ovoviviparity.
