Habitat

Shallow reef flats and inshore areas. From the intertidal zone to ~40m, on or near the bottom.

Distribution

Mostly Northern Australia from northern WA to NSW. Abundant in parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Rarely, as far south as Sydney. Also found in southern Papua New Guinea.

Reproduction

Oviparous. Mating occurs from July-November. Females have been observed carrying two egg capsules between August and December. Egg capsules are deposited on the reef at night. Hatching occurs after 4 months.

Diet

Mostly worms but also crustaceans and small fishes.

Behavior

Mostly Nocturnal. Rests by day in crevices on the reef or under corals. Forages in sand channels between coral heads at low tide when the reef top is exposed and larger predatory sharks retreat to deeper water.

Reaction to divers

Fairly easy to approach when foraging in shallow sand channels or resting on coral. Will move away if approached too closely.

Diving logistics

The most abundant and accessible population of epaulette sharks is at Heron Island in southern Queensland. Encounters are easiest by walking along narrow sand channels between coral heads at low tide and then hand-camming rather than snorkeling because the water in the sand channels is often too shallow to completely submerge in. Note: epaulette sharks are rarely seen on scuba dives at Heron.
Lady Elliot Island is another good location similar to Heron Island. Further north, Magnetic Island was historically quite good for encounters, but deposits of dredged material from Townsville has degraded the reef habitat and visibility is usually very poor.