• Nurse Shark

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  Nurse Shark facts and information:

  Type: Fish
  Diet: Carnivore
  Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 25 years
  Size: 7.5 to 9.75 ft (2.2 to 3 m)
  Weight: 200 to 330 lbs (90 to 150 kg)
  Group name: School or shoal
  Did you know?
  Nurse sharks are nocturnal, and will often rest on the sea floor during the day in groups of up to 40 sharks, sometimes piled on top of each other.

• The scientific name for the nurse shark sounds like something Bilbo Baggins might have said to summon elves to his rescue: Ginglymostoma cirratum. Actually the name is a mix of Greek and Latin and means "curled, hinged mouth" to describe this shark's somewhat puckered appearance.

• Nurse Shark video.
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  What does a Nurse shark look like?

  Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans. However, they can be huge, up to 14 feet (4.3 meters), and have very strong jaws filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth, and will bite defensively if stepped on or bothered by divers who assume they’re docile.
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  Where do Nurse sharks live?

  The nurse shark is most commonly found in the waters around central America, although natural habitat of the nurse shark ranges from the North USA to Brazil and nurse sharks are even found on the East Coast of Africa. The nurse shark is also found around the Caribbean Islands and from southern California to Peru on the American west coast. The nurse shark is a common coastal bottom-dwelling shark, found in tropical and subtropical waters around the continental shelves. The nurse shark is frequently found at depths of one meter or less but it is not uncommon for nurse sharks to venture down to depths of 12 m.
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  What does a Nurse shark eat?

  Nurse sharks commonly habitat reefs, channels between mangrove islands and sand flats, where food is in abundance. The nurse shark preys on fish, shrimp, sea urchins, the occasional octopus and stingrays, and as with many other species of shark, the fast reactions and stealthy approach of the nurse shark mean that the nurse shark is easily able to have a meal. They are gray-brown and have distinctive tail fins that can be up to one-fourth their total length. Unlike most other sharks, nurses are smooth to the touch.
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  When is the nurse shark most active?

  Nurse sharks are nocturnal animals and are generally inactive during the day. It is in these hours of daylight that nurse sharks can be found together in groups of up to 40 nurse shark individuals. Despite this, the nurse shark is a solitary hunter and will spend the dark nights hunting alone. Nurse sharks appear to have resting spots that they return to daily rather than just resting anywhere. These preferred resting spots of the nurse shark tend to be in crevices in rocks and reefs.

• Nurse Shark images

  
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