The Blindshark (Brachaelurus waddi) is endemic to the waters of Eastern Australia and belongs to the Blindshark family Brachaeluridae. There are only two species in the blind shark family. The Blindshark is found from the waters of southern Queensland to Port Stephens in New South Wales. Juveniles are dark grey to black in colour where as the adults are a grey/brown colour. Adults generally have white spots all over the body. The Blind Shark is known to hide in cracks and caves during the day and can be very difficult to photograph because of the way they hide. It is a nocturnal species and at night they search for prey including anemones, cuttlefish, crabs and shrimp.
The Blindshark can be distinguished by its long nasal barbels and its common name is derived from its habitat of closing its eyelids when removed from the water where it has the ability to survive out of the water for up to 18 hours. It has been known to become stranded in tidal pools and waits until the next high tide to escape. The Blind Shark grows to a maximum size of approximately 1.2m.
