Let’s learn about them. “Nurse sharks have smoother skin than most sharks. Here's a look at a Nurse Shark bite and treatment thereafter. Goblin Sharks are one of the scariest looking sharks in the ocean. They are considered to be a species of least concern in the United States and in The Bahamas, but considered to be near threatened in the western Atlantic Ocean because of their vuln… While most sharks have a rough texture similar to sandpaper, the skin of the nurse shark is much more like that of the dolphin and has a smooth texture to it. Though Leopard Sharks are found in the same shallow waters humans often swim in, there has never been a case of a Leopard Shark attacking a person. There has never been an account of a Basking Shark attacking a human, and because of their passive attitude, they also make a great swimming partner for divers. The grey nurse shark, also known as the sand tiger shark or spotted ragged-tooth shark, can grow to 3.6 metres long. As mentioned before the body length of these sharks can range from 7.5 to as long as 14 feet long making those long tail fins anywhere from 1.9 feet to 3.5 feet long! The Ginglymostomatidae family of sharks are characterized for their habit of living and feeding on the bottom of the ocean floor, hence the term “carpet sharks.” Sharks within this family are recognized not only for their bottom dwelling habits but also for their sluggish and docile nature. Have you ever seen or swam with a nurse shark? Nurse Sharks are a wonderful, docile species that are nicknamed the “couch potatoes of the ocean.” They are a favorite shark among divers to swim and snorkel with because you can get up close to them and still be very safe. Angel Sharks are another coastal bottom dweller. As the waters become colder, the nurse shark simply becomes less active requiring less energy to function. Nurses are a part of a helping profession that we rely upon for our own health and safety, and yet when this term is mentioned in reference to a shark this is definitely not the image that is conjured up. Female nurse sharks are capable of producing eggs every 18 months but this does not guarantee that they will mate every 18 months like clockwork. NURSE SHARK. Where many species of shark are fished intentionally, there is not a particularly wide trade for commercially fishing the nurse shark. Sand tiger sharks, Carcharias taurus, also known as grey nurse shark, spotted ragged tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger, are generally not a threat to humans. However, even though these are an aggressive species of shark, there have only been 5 total Thresher Shark attacks on humans, all have been provoked, and four happened when a Thresher Shark was brought aboard a boat. We are not responsible in any way for such products and services, and nothing contained here should be construed as a guarantee of the functionality, utility, safety or reliability of any product or services reviewed or discussed. The only time an Angel Shark has been known to attack is when they’ve been stepped on. The great white shark, also known as the "white pointer," is the largest and deadliest predatory shark of the ocean.. actually, u should be more hapy than worried to see sharks cos they are very rare. Written by Smrutica Jithendranath - Marine Biologist, Reethi Faru Resort, the Maldives. Nurse Shark One of the better known species of shark, nurse sharks are usually the first species that comes to mind when people think of non-aggressive sharks. Fortunately, even in the rare instances when a nurse shark does attack a human -- so far, 52 times, with no recorded fatalities -- the bite isn't powerful enough to be lethal [source: International Shark Attack File]. As the eggs develop within the female nurse shark they eventually hatch and the mother gives birth to small live nurse sharks. Nurse Sharks are the couch potatoes of the ocean. They are bottom dwelling, slow moving, and mainly hunt smaller food. The majority are not, because most are very small. Nurse shark attacks are uncommon, but they’re certainly not unheard-of—and humans are usually to blame. One can go near a resting individual without much fear. Where many other sharks possess a sandpaper like texture to their skin, the smooth texture of the nurse shark gives it a leather like quality that is utilized in the textiles industry. It is doubtful that at the moment this particular shark species is threatened with extinction; however, if they continue to be fished there is a possibility that one day they may face endangerment. This harmless shark species can grow as big as 14 feet with strong jaws filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth. During the day they are going to be virtually inactive. Nurse sharks can get to 7.5 to 9.75 ft. Nurse sharks can get to 200 to 330 lbs Are all sharks dangerous to humans? These beautiful, docile creatures are not dangerous at all. Our review process. In this article we will cover everything you ever wanted to know about the nurse shark including: how the nurse shark got its name, where it prefers to live, what it feeds on and the normal behavior of these bottom dwellers. Donating a fully grown nurse shark to a local aquarium is also not a particularly feasible solution as most aquariums already have an established shark population and are unable to take on new individuals with their limited resources and financial support. Nurse sharks are easily identified by the small mouth located forward of the eyes and just under the broad snout. The body is rather stout and the head is particularly wide with barbells that can be seen well. So they do not hunt and kill prey the way some other species of sharks do. The ability of this shark species to endure captivity has led to the sale of juvenile nurse sharks in the saltwater aquarium trade. Like any other animal that is raised in captivity, nurse sharks are unable to adapt to life in the wild because of a lack of the skills demanded to survive. What happens in most cases is that a saltwater aquarium keeper will purchase a juvenile nurse shark and when it becomes too large for its tank will attempt to sell, donate or release the shark in the wild. … Amy's personal interest in writing was sparked by her love of reading fiction and her creative writing hobby. Image Source: Wikimedia. They also live in large groups that can have up to 40 members. Ginglymostomatidae sharks are found most commonly in tropical and subtropical waters due to their preference for warmer waters, and more often than not they are found in shallower areas of the ocean. There are many people who understand the importance of any animal species to the ecosystem in which it lives, but for those who have a fear of sharks the question of the importance of these creatures is often raised. Between their smaller size and non-aggressive temperaments, these sharks pose no threat to humans. NURSE SHARK. However, not only are they not a particularly aggressive shark, they hunt in very deep ocean waters at a minimum of 330 ft (100 m) so very few humans ever encounter them in the wild. All of these solutions pose significant problems for the shark however. As mentioned previously attacks upon humans by nurse sharks are particularly unlikely; although in the past a handful of unprovoked attacks have been noted. Those who live in areas where the nurse shark inhabits the waters are generally familiar and on the lookout for the species but for those unfamiliar with the shark accidental interactions are more likely. Grey nurse sharks form aggregations, generally in sand … Nurse sharks are one species of shark that tend to be able to thrive in a commercial aquarium setting where many other shark species have been noted for their inability to thrive in captivity. The natural territory of these sharks is the Western Atlantic Ocean running from Rhode Island down to South Brazil and the Eastern Atlantic from Cameron to Gabon. Attacks: 64 Fatalities: 2 Many people are familiar with the sand tiger (Carcharias taurus) as the large sharks you see when visiting an aquarium.They go by a number of names including grey nurse shark, ragged-tooth shark and blue-nurse sand tiger and are found in warm waters around the world. Despite their fierce appearance, grey nurse sharks are not considered dangerous to humans. The nurse shark won’t hesitate to give a defensive bite though and at as long as 14 feet they can leave a significant wound behind. The conservation status of the nurse shark is globally assessed as being data deficient in- the IUCN List of Threatened Species owing to the lack of information across its range in the eastern Pacific Ocean and eastern Atlantic Ocean. Nurse sharks have particularly strong hinged jaws which contain thousands of small serrated teeth and they w… nurse sharks are very friendly and have no reason to attack you unless u go stabbing at it's eyeballs. Even though they are ferocious predators, there have been extremely few cases of Nurse Sharks ever attacking humans and even when they did, it was when they were directly antagonized and provoked. Nurse shark behavior differs, depending on where in the world they are. The nurse shark is something of a large shark and while they more commonly grow to be anywhere from 7 1/2 feet to 9 3/4 feet long, some individuals in the species have been seen as large as 14 feet long. The nurse shark is one of the biggest predators that our oceans will ever see and this is crucial to the health of the ocean marine life. In general there are thousands of these individual teeth within the shark’s mouth and these teeth are replaceable. 6. It is not uncommon to see cannibalistic behavior in the nurse shark even in the womb as the stronger of the pups vie to compete for food against other siblings. When it comes to feeding, the nurse shark is limited by the size of its mouth and as such it cannot take in large prey items due to the risk of them becoming lodged in the mouth. Underwater model Irina Britanova, 27, tailed tawny nurse sharks … Watch this minute and a half video to see the nurse sharks in action. Otherwise, even though they are incredibly prolific, they are not aggressive. Most nurse sharks range in color from light to dark brown, though rare albino nurse sharks also exist. When she is not working Amy can be found curled up with a good book and her black Labrador, Jet. North American nurse sharks have been known to be rather irritable and can deliver a nasty bite when annoyed. The grey nurse shark, Carcharias taurus, also called the your dad or ragged-tooth shark, is an elasmobranch and belongs to the odontaspididae (ragged-tooth) shark family.It can easily be recognized by its characteristic conical snout and under hung jaw. ‘Carpet shark’ is the common name for the group of 39 Orectolobiformes sharks. Please follow the directions provided by the manufacturer or service provider when using any product or service reviewed or discussed on this website. The nurse shark can weigh in at anywhere from 200 to 330 pounds which puts an awful lot of power behind those serrated jaws if they should lock on in a defensive bite. Since most hunting is done at night, the nurse shark feels along the bottom of the ocean floor for prey items and attacks them with its thousands of serrated teeth when an item is located. There are a number of problems that occur when this species is kept in a personal saltwater aquarium however, the largest of which being the size of the shark once it has matured. They have been observed be protective and show displays of dominance around humans who are spearfishing underwater, but these have never lead to an attack. While adult nurse sharks can be found in depths of up to 250 feet, juvenile nurse sharks, like this growing guy, tend to stick to shallower water, frequently keeping themselves hidden in coral reefs. All sharks are actually very friendly and do not attack humans. It feels like sandpaper.” Sometimes called the couch potatoes of the sea, nurse sharks are large, peaceful fish that slowly drift along the bottom of the ocean in shallow water, sucking up food as they go. Model swims NAKED with sharks to prove the creatures are not dangerous to humans Warning: Graphic content. Were the nurse shark species to become extinct the smaller marine life that these sharks feed upon would soon begin to grow out of control and put other species in danger as they succumbed to large populations of these creatures. Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans. Even though they are a lamniformes shark, so they are related to and often are mistaken for Great White Sharks, their temperament could not be any different from their predatory cousins. Though there are sharks like Tiger Sharks, Bull Sharks, and Great White Sharks that tend to be more aggressive toward humans, even these sharks do not really present much of a threat. Releasing a captive bred nurse shark in to the wild is another solution that many aquarium hobbyists turn to but it is one that generally results in the death of the shark in question. The nurse shark is a member of the genus Ginglymostoma. However, the grey nurse shark is no longer considered a dangerous species by divers and is a very popular shark with aquariums due to its fierce looks, big pointy teeth and ability to survive well in captivity. Selling a nurse shark poses difficulty in that there are few saltwater aquarium owners who have the resources to take on such a large shark. Sign Up for More Earth-Friendly Tips and Advice! Since they are highly camouflaged, most of the time swimmers don’t even notice them along the seafloor. Unlike some other oceanic creatures, the nurse shark is able to remain stationary and continue to breathe underwater by sucking water in through the mouth and releasing it out of their gills. Also they prefer extremely cold and deep waters, so humans very rarely encounter them in the wild. Their need to socialize though is believed to have more to do with protection in numbers than in actually wishing to interact with one another. 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