Tawny Nurse Shark
Nebrius ferrugineus
Tawny nurse shark that rests in caves and under overhangs by day.
Family
Ginglymostomatidae
Avg Size
240-320 cm
Habitat
The tawny nurse shark is widespread across the Indo-Pacific. In the Indian Ocean it ranges from KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa north to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and India, taking in Madagascar, Mauritius, the Chagos Archipelago, the Seychelles, and the Maldives. In the western Pacific it occurs from southern Japan and the coast of China through the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia to northern Australia, and in the central Pacific it has been reported off New Caledonia, Samoa, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and Tahiti.
Behaviour
It may be one of the few fishes that specialise in hunting octopus, though it also eats corals, sea urchins, crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters, squid, small fishes like surgeonfish, queenfish, and rabbitfish, and occasionally sea snakes. Hunting sharks cruise slowly just above the bottom, probing holes and depressions, and when prey is located they rapidly expand their large, muscular pharynx to create a strong suction that draws the food into the mouth. More streamlined than other nurse sharks, the tawny nurse shark is thought to be a less bottom-bound and more active swimmer.
Where & When to See It
No dive-site records found for this species yet.