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The nurse shark is a large, sluggish, bottom-dwelling shark that is generally harmless unless provoked. Includes pictures, and external links (inc. scientists study nurse shark mating habits).
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Nurse Shark
The nurse shark is a large, sluggish, bottom-dwelling shark that is generally harmless unless provoked. It has very strong jaws, a stout body, and a wide head with obvious barbells (thin, fleshy, whisker-like organs on the lower jaw in front of the nostrils that sense touch and taste).
The fourth and fifth gill slits are very close together. The dorsal fins (on the shark's back) are almost the same size and are rounded. Behind each eye there is a spiracle, an organ that takes in water used for breathing when the shark rests at the bottom.
The skin is dark grey-brown on top and some nurse sharks, especially the young, have spots. The nurse shark is smooth to the touch, unlike most sharks.
They are nocturnal hunters that rest during the day in groups. Nurse sharks do well in captivity.
Nurse sharks range in size from about two to 13 feet (0.75-4 m) long. The largest are about 14 feet (4.25 m) long.
The nurse shark has thousands of replaceable teeth, which are serrated, and fan shaped; they are capable of crushing shellfish. The teeth are arranged in rows that rotate into position when one is needed (when older ones are broken or lost).
Nurse sharks eat bottom-dwelling fish, shrimp, squid, octopus, crabs, sea snails, lobster, sea urchins, and coral. The barbells (thin, fleshy, whisker-like organs on the lower jaw in front of the nostrils that sense touch and taste) help the shark locate potential food. Most hunting is done at night.
The nurse shark is a large, sluggish, docile shark that is generally harmless unless provoked.
Nurse sharks congregate in schools. They are sluggish or rest during the day, sometimes piled together on the bottom.
Nurse sharks live in warm waters and are shallow-water sharks (going from the surface to 230 feet - 70 m deep). They are bottom-dwellers, living near sandy beaches, mudflats, and sandbars. They are common in coral reefs. Nurse sharks are found in the western Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean.
They reproduce via aplacental viviparity. In aplacental viviparity, the eggs develop inside the body after internal fertilization and hatch within the body of the mother. Litters consist of 20 to 30 pups that are tiny replicas of the adult.
Nurse sharks reach maturity at about 15 to 20 years old. They do not migrate as the water becomes cooler; their activity level simply decreases.
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Nurse SHARK