It is native to Australia, which doesn’t surprise me at all given that it looks more like a trap designed by a deranged dungeon keeper than a creature
If only I could give you two upvotes. One for Australia being the most dangerous place in the known universe, and two for the messed up looking D&D beastie. Well played, my friend.
IRL Shambling Mound was my first thought when I saw the picture.
The tasselled wobbegong has been reported to bite and kill humans unprovoked
hol’ up
With several records of apparently unprovoked attacks on people, the tasselled wobbegong has a reputation beyond other wobbegongs for aggressive behavior.
Is such a fucking funny sentence to me.
That reads like some Rick and Morty interdimensional cable shit
“The vicious… tongles of the tasselled wobbegong turn into… teeth, and they, chomp, on the wobbegong’s prey.”
Normally when I think of wobbegongs I think about cute, maybe a little strange-looking but otherwise harmless creatures. But then I remember that the tasselled wobbegong exists.
UNPROMPTED
My son had a book called “You’re Called What?!” which featured a tasseled wobbegong, alongside other animals such as the Shovelnose Guitarfish, Bone Eating Snot Flower Worm, and the Aha Ha.
My partner and I have this thing where we ask each other if we are the other person’s
x, wherexis something ridiculous, cute, grotesque, or profane. For example, I once asked my partner if I was her gutter-bloated corpse, to which she, of course, answered in the affirmative.I’ll soon find out if I am actually a tasselled wobbegong carpet shark in the eyes of my partner.
As an aside, I asked the corpse thing after reading this delightful line from one of my very favorite books:
“Body found floating by the docks,” Glokta breathed, “bloated by seawater and horribly mutilated… far… far beyond recognition.”
I’ve just finished the Book of Law trilogy. Again.
Unexpected first Law by Joe Abercrombie! Loved it, Glokta is such an interesting character.
Very cute, best of luck in your quest!
I just read that part of the book a couple nights ago.
Man I love those books. Only time I’ve finished a series and gone straight back to the beginning again.
“Damn, is this acid bunk? It’s been like an hour.”
The carpet:
I’ve seen more convincing muppets.
Triggered
there’s a whole order of carpet sharks. orectolobiformes
When I was getting my bio degree, carpet sharks (including Wobbegons) are what I was most interested in studying. Just about every family in the order is fascinating in some way.
I don’t believe you. You can’t convince me that someone didn’t smash Oscar the Grouch with a comically large wooden hammer and send him to the bottom of the ocean.
I keep reading it as woebegone.
I kept reading “tessellated”
I’m sure Nintendo/Gamefreak are going to file an infringement case against them.
This planet is so beautiful and wonderful. And underneath its waters is an entirely different world, full of wild and majestic creatures just like the Tasselled Wobbegong here. I pray that we act quick enough on our climate initiatives to save these things for the future.
I loved these things as an ocean obsessed kid. Fun to see it mentioned; i haven’t thought about these for a long time!
