Overview

Blind sharks are quiet reef-floor specialists that spend much of the day wedged under ledges or among rocks. In PocketShark, treat this as a calm, bottom-loving coastal shark rather than a roaming open-water species. Blind sharks are small carpet sharks with stout bodies, short barbels near the nostrils, and a bottom-oriented posture. The body pattern is usually subdued or mottled rather than boldly striped. Blind sharks are centered in Australian and nearby southwestern Pacific coastal waters. Individual species tend to have relatively small regional ranges.

They are bottom-dwelling sharks of shallow reefs, rocky ledges, sandy pockets, and coastal bays, often hiding in crevices by day.

Added from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).

Why it matters: Some blind sharks can pump water over the gills while resting, which helps them stay tucked into reef shelters.

Common nameBluegrey carpetshark
Scientific nameBrachaelurus colcloughi
FamilyBrachaeluridae
OrderOrectolobiformes
Max length0.8 m
Depth range0 to 0 meters
RegionMoreton Bay
DietData not available in this offline release.
HabitatMarine waters (habitat data not available locally).
Why it stands outFamily: Brachaeluridae

What this shark is

Blind sharks are small carpet sharks with stout bodies, short barbels near the nostrils, and a bottom-oriented posture. The body pattern is usually subdued or mottled rather than boldly striped.

Where it lives

Blind sharks are centered in Australian and nearby southwestern Pacific coastal waters. Individual species tend to have relatively small regional ranges.

They are bottom-dwelling sharks of shallow reefs, rocky ledges, sandy pockets, and coastal bays, often hiding in crevices by day.

How it differs from similar sharks

Family: Brachaeluridae

Compare it against blind shark.

Why it is notable

They are harmless in ordinary circumstances, though a handled animal may bite defensively. Human pressure is mostly local habitat disturbance rather than frequent fisheries contact.

Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.

Related shark pages

These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.

Blind shark photograph showing the short rounded body and dark mottling; not to scale.
Brachaelurus waddi

blind shark

Shark species in Brachaeluridae.

1.2 m max