Common Name
Nurse Shark
Year Described
Bonnaterre, 1788
Identification
Body stout and flattened anteriorly and tapering beyond dorsal fin. Head large with a small eye. Snout wide and blunt. Mouth small and inferior. Nasal barbels large. Gill Slits about the same length with the last two very close to each other. Body with weak keels on caudal peduncle. Dorsal fins placed rearward. First dorsal fin well behind rear edge of pectoral fin. Second dorsal fin closely spaced and about half the size of first. Pectoral fins large and broad. Pelvic fins located right under first dorsal fin. Anal fin high and inserted very close to caudal fin. Caudal fin long and strap-like, with a strong upper notch and weak lower lobe. Teeth small, broad, but sharp. A single main central cusp and several lateral cusplets on either side. Body rough.
Color
Body yellowish to yellow-brown grading to whitish below. No markings in adults (faint markings in juveniles). Fins the same color as body.
Size
Maximum size to 300cm TL in females but mature adults 210-240cm TL.
Habitat
Found mostly in shallow inshore waters, including mangrove lagoons and coral reefs. Rarely reaches depths over 100m. Frequently rests on bottom in groups and is not a very active swimmer.
Range
New England to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
References
Ebert, D. A., Dando, M., & S. Fowler. 2021. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press. 607 pp.