Nurse shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
Tawny nurse shark
Nebrius ferrugineus
About
The tawny nurse shark is a slow, heavy-bodied shark often found resting on the seabed by day. It can grow up to 320 cm long, with most closer to 250 cm. Despite its size, it is usually calm around divers.
Also known as: giant sleepy -shark, giant sleepy shark, madame x, nebrius ferrugineus, nurse shark, nurse shark, tawny nurse shark, rusty catshark, rusty shark, sleepy shark, spitting shark, tawny shark
- Length
- 2.5 m · max 3.2 m
- Depth
- 5–30 m
How to tell it apart
Tawny nurse sharks look very like the nurse shark. Check the pectoral fins, the pair just behind the head: on the tawny nurse shark, they are narrow, pointed, and curved like a sickle, which sets it apart from the similar-looking nurse shark.
Appearance
This shark has a thick, cylindrical body and a broad, flat head. Its eyes are small and sit on the sides of the head, with a ridge above each one. A pair of long, thin barbels, whisker-like feelers, hang in front of the nostrils. The first fin on its back is larger than the second. Its pectoral fins, the pair just behind the head, are narrow, pointed, and curved like a sickle.
Habitat
Tawny nurse sharks live on continental and island shelves across the Indo-Pacific. They favour sandy flats, seagrass beds, and the outer edges of coral and rocky reefs. They can be found from very shallow water, barely deep enough to cover their body, down to about 70 m, though they are most common between 5 and 30 m.
Behaviour
This shark is mostly active at night. During the day, groups often rest together in caves and under ledges, sometimes stacked on top of one another. Individual sharks tend to stick to a small home area, returning to the same resting spot day after day. It is generally calm and will sometimes allow itself to be touched, though a few non-fatal bites have been recorded.
Diet
The tawny nurse shark hunts by swimming slowly just above the seabed, poking its head into holes and gaps in the reef. When it finds prey, it opens its mouth and throat with enough force to suck the animal straight in. It eats octopus, crabs, lobsters, squid, sea urchins, small fish, and corals.
Is it dangerous?
traumatogenic
Did you know?
The tawny nurse shark is one of the few fish species known to specialise in hunting octopus.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
