Family: Orectolobidae, Carpet Sharks view all from this family
Description Elongated body, yellow-brown to grey-brown in color,
darker above. Moderately long barbels, mouth well in front of
eyes, tail shorter than head and body, 2 dorsal fins broadly
rounded (the first much larger than the second and anal fins),
caudal fin moderately long, over 1/4 of total length, with or
without small dark spots and obscure dorsal saddle markings.
Head blunt, mouth inferior, pair of conspicuous barbels between
nostrils. Dimensions Up to 14' (4.3 m). Warning Although its
teeth are small and scale-like, the Nurse Shark has a tenacious
grip, and divers who bother it risk serious skin abrasions.
Habitat Estuaries, tidal flats & salt marshes, Ocean or bay
shallows. Range New England, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Florida,
Texas. Discussion Nurse sharks are nocturnal animals, spending
the day in large inactive groups of up to 40 individuals. Hidden
under submerged ledges or in crevices within the reef, the nurse
sharks seem to prefer