Nurse Sharks
Size
Avg range is between 10-14ft (3 - 4.3m) and can weigh up to 250lbs (113kg)
Diet
Nocturnal feeders that love to pick up bottom-dwelling invertebrates like lobsters, shrimp, crabs, urchins, clams and even fish like mullet and puffers
Habitat
They prefer warmer waters like the Atlantic Ocean and depths from 3 to 115 ft (1 - 35m). Found on continental and insular shelves as well as in mangroves and coral reefs
Range
Found off North America, South America and Africa
Conservation Status
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Vulnerable
Endangered
Critical
Extinct in Wild
Extinct
Unlike most other shark species, nurse sharks are smooth to the touch.
The nocturnal nurse shark rests in giant piles on the sea floor during the day.
Nurse sharks are named for the unique suction sound that they make when searching for food in the substrate. They are nocturnal, resting on sandy bottoms and in crevices during the day and searching for prey at night. What nurse sharks lack in speed (they are slow-moving bottom-dwellers), they make up for in jaw strength! These strong jaws are also filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth. Nurse sharks can grow to be very large, upwards of 13 feet.
Nurse Shark Quick Facts
Size
Nurse sharks can grow to be very large, upwards of 13 feet
Status
Vulnerable