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Sharks & rays

Nurse Shark

Ginglymostoma cirratum

Also known as: Cat Shark, Dogfish, Sand Shark

VUVulnerableIUCN Red List, 2021
Handle with careLook, don't touch
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Adult
@eksmp · Little Corn Island, Nicaragua · December 20131 / 4
01

Overview

Found singly or in small shivers, during the day resting on shallow sand flats and in channels, out at night foraging for food over coral reefs of the continental and insular shelves.
They feed on bivalves, fish, benthic invertebrates, octopus, squid and stingrays.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Behaviour
bottom dwellingloose groupsnocturnalsolitary

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean
  • Exact location · 1
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

Found singly or in small shivers, during the day resting on shallow sand flats and in channels, out at night foraging for food over coral reefs of the continental and insular shelves.

RANGE
04

Adult photos 4

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumChordata
    3. classElasmobranchii
    4. orderOrectolobiformes
    5. familyGinglymostomatidae
    6. genusGinglymostoma
    7. speciesGinglymostoma cirratum (Bonnaterre, 1788)

    SourcesWoRMSFishBase

    06

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