Nurse Shark

Photo: Luis P. B. · CC BY-NC

Tawny nurse sharks are nocturnal benthic hunters that rest communally in sandy canyon gullies during daylight, sometimes piled three or four deep in sheltered spots. At night they use strong suction to extract octopus, squid, fish, and crustaceans from reef crevices with remarkable efficiency. As large benthic predators they regulate mid-trophic prey populations and their resting aggregations make them easily observable for researchers studying social behaviour.