Nurse shark
Ginglymostoma cirratum
Sighting evidence at South West Bay Reef, Corn Islands
Photo: Rafael de la Parra · CC BY-NC
The nurse shark is a slow-moving, bottom-dwelling predator that spends daylight hours wedged under coral ledges or lying in sandy channels. It uses barbels near its nostrils to sense crustaceans and small fish buried in sediment, then uses powerful suction to extract prey. Nurse sharks are non-aggressive but will bite if provoked; at South West Bay they are completely habituated to divers and provide exceptional close encounters.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Nurse shark is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.