Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)

Scientific name: Nebrius ferrugineus Lesson, 1831

Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)

The Tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) is a marine fish of the family Ginglymostomatidae. Native range: Indo-Pacific, Red Sea and East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia.

Biology

Found on continental and insular shelves, from the intertidal down to at least 70 m. Occurs on or near the bottom in lagoons or along the outer edges of coral and rocky reefs, sandy areas near reefs and off sandy beaches. Primarily nocturnal, but may be active during the day. Prefers crevices and caves on reefs but may be found hiding in more exposed areas. Forms resting aggregations, and often seen piled across or on top of one another. Feeds on a wide variety of bottom invertebrates, small fishes, including cephalopods, crustaceans and sea urchins. Docile and known to allow itself to be touched, but a few non-fatal attacks have been recorded. Ovoviviparous. 4 or more young are born per litter. Survives in captivity. Mar

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Nebrius ferrugineus
Family
Ginglymostomatidae (Nurse sharks)
Order
Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
320
Common length
250
Depth range
1–70 m (3–230 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 70 m, usually 5 - 30 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Vulnerable (VU)(A2abcd+3cd+4abcd)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=4)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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