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Nurse Shark

Family: Ginglymostomatidae

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Ginglymostoma cirratumPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy R. Duncan

     The Nurse Shark is one of the most available sharks and is easy to keep. But despite it's popularity, the Nurse Shark has one major drawback as an addition to your aquarium. it can grow very large, up to approximately 14 ft. (430 cm)! We are talking about a fish that will need a lot of space! It must be housed in a huge aquarium, up to 1400 gallons!

     The Nurse Shark belongs to the family Ginglymostomatidae of which there are two genera with two species each. Members of this family have two relatively close-set dorsal fins of about equal size on the posterior half of the body. They also have a pair of barbels below the snout, and a groove between each nasal opening and the corner of the mouth. The Nurse Shark are considered harmless unless provoked.

For more Information on keeping marine fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Marine Aquarium

Maintenance difficulty:      The Nurse Shark is easy to keep but may get too large for most aquariums. They can reach 430 cm. (approx. 14 ft.). The minimum recommended size aquarium is 5000 liters (1400 gallons). They are usually sold as smaller juveniles at about 40-50 cm.

Maintenance:      Keep in a large aquarium and feed regularly several times a week. They cruise the bottom in search of food with their barbels close to the bottom. A sandy bottom is preferred. In the wild their diet includes fishes, crabs, prawns, lobsters, other crustaceans and cephalopods.

Habitat: Natural geographic location:      Nurse Shark are found in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. They occur on coral and rocky reefs, usually close to shore.

Foods:      Feed all kinds of large meaty foods like small pieces of fish, squid, shrimp, and live goldfish.

Social Behaviors:      Unknown.

Sex: Sexual differences:         The medial edges of the male's pelvic fins are modified to form claspers. The claspers are tubelike organs designed to deliver sperm into the female's reproductive tract. As the males grow older the claspers become more pronounced. The females do not have these.

Light: Recommended light levels:      No special requirements.

Breeding/Reproduction:      This species is oviviparous, meaning the eggs are fertilized internally. The young are nourished mainly by yolk while in the uterus. Litters of 20-30 young have been reported.

Temperature:      Temperature should be around 26 degrees C.

Length/Diameter of fish:      Nurse Shark adults can grow to 430cm (14 ft.) but are usually smaller in aquariums.

Minimum Tank Length/Size:      A minimum 150 gallon aquarium is recommended for juveniles but they will outgrow this!

Water Movement: Weak, Moderate, Strong      No special requirements.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom      They spend most of their time on the bottom..

Availability:      This fish is rarely available and is expensive.

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Latest Comments
I'm doing an project on nurse sharks. I'm in 6th grade and I'm trying to make a good grade on it. Good luck to myself. Anonymous 2008-09-11
not that i'm insulting anyone in particular but nurse sharks are not for the home aquarium. never even think about putting one in less than 1000 gallons. these animals grow huge up to 14ft. they need a minumum of 10000 gallons. in a 1000 gallons or less they barely can turn once 3ft. i'm not a shark expert but not a shark dummy either. i have never kept one though. i've heard them to be easy EXCEPT they need huge tanks jonathan pan 2006-01-21
i have had one for two yrs. beautiful and very hungry all the time. his favorite meal is lion fish and everything else in the tank. it is very difficult to have anything else in the tank, but they are so beautiful and amazing that it is worth having it by it self. Jesús 2006-01-08
I have one nurse shark in a 155g aquarium and have about 6 month on it and lengh 2'.5", eats squid and litle fish i give him, and it's ok at my home. It's a very beautiful animal. Good luck. Anonymous 2005-12-07
Some of the coolest comments:
The statement about a federal permit for Nurse sharks is incorrect. There is no such permit or regulation currently on the books. This species is a very hearty shark which has been protected from over harvest in Florida by strict commercial laws limiting collection and in the total fishery by seasonal closures. It is not illegal, BUT, you must make sure that you are buying from a supplier who has legally obtained the shark from a Federal Seafood Wholesaler. We are shark collectors and know the laws, both state and federal. Enjoy this species, but, please, be responsible. ken 2007-12-11
It is now currently illegal to purchase, sell, or keep a nurse shark in captivity without a license issued from the federal government. Which means any nurse shark in captivity outside an endorsed aquarium or zoo is illegal. Anonymous 2007-02-25

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