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Tawny Nurse Shark
Orectolobiformes

Tawny Nurse Shark

Nebrius ferrugineus

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Max Length

3.2m

Overview

The Indo-Pacific counterpart of the nurse shark. Commonly found resting in caves, under ledges, and in crevices during the day. Nocturnal feeder on reef invertebrates. Harmless unless provoked.

Habitat

These sharks are found on or near the bottom in sheltered areas: lagoons (particularly juveniles), channels, crevices and caves in outer coral and rocky reef edges, seagrass, and sand, on and near reefs and off beaches. They range from intertidal to depths of more than 229.7 ft [70 m], but mostly range from 16.4 to 98.4 ft [5 to 30 m].

Distribution

Indo-Pacific Ocean

These sharks are wide-ranging in the tropical Indo-Pacific Ocean from South Africa to the Red Sea and Gulf, East Asia north to Japan, Australia to Marshall Islands, and Tahiti.

Behavior

These sharks are mostly nocturnal, and prowl reeds at night in search of prey to suck out of crevices. The sharks aggregate in shelter by the day. They have a limited home range, and often return to the same resting place. They may ‘spit’ water when caught and spin on the line when hooked. They are docile and popular with divers, but may bite if they are harassed. They are hardy in aquaria.

Biology

Diet
Young feed inside the uterus on large unfertilized eggs (oophagy). After birth, sharks feed on corals, crustaceans, cephalopods, sea urchins, and reef fish. They occasionally eat sea snakes.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous (aplacental viviparous)

Appearance

Tawny Nurse Shark illustration
Dorsal
Color may slowly change between shades of brown, depending on its habitat.
Sources:sharksorg

Recorded incidents involving the tawny nurse shark

Recorded

3

Fatal

0

Fatality rate

0.0%

Years

2012–2018

Top countries

Years with most incidents

Counts are based on the species field of the Global Shark Attack File. Identifications by witnesses are often uncertain; treat figures as recorded incidents, not authoritative totals.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded involving the tawny nurse shark?
3 incidents in the Global Shark Attack File mention the tawny nurse shark, of which 0 were fatal (0.0%). Note that witness species identifications are often uncertain, so this is the count of recorded incidents.
Where do most tawny nurse shark incidents occur?
The countries with the most recorded tawny nurse shark incidents are Australia.
Is the tawny nurse shark dangerous to humans?
The tawny nurse shark is not considered dangerous to humans under normal conditions. There are few or no recorded incidents involving this species.
Where does this species data come from?
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed taxonomy and published references. Incident data is sourced from the Global Shark Attack File and joined to species records by name match.
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