Nurse Sharks

Nurse Shark in Costa Rica

The nurse sharks in Costa Rica and the Pacific Ocean belongs to the family Ginglymostomatidae. The nurse sharks can grow up to 14 feet but do not weigh too much and appear to have very lithe and supple bodies. The shark’s body is wide and the head is very flat and blunted from the tip. The nurse shark has distinctive barbell like shapes situated right above from the mouth. The nurse shark has pectoral fins that are very broad in size and it’s dorsal fins are situated at almost the end of its body. The tail at the end of the body is not split and does not look forked. The nurse sharks have long and slender bodies which range in color from browns to grays. An interesting difference between the male and female nurse sharks is that the males have extra genitals situated externally, near the pelvic fins. These sexual organs are called ‘claspers’. They are shaped like slim fingers and extend outwards from the body of the male nurse shark. Young nurse sharks are spotted across the body with dark colored spots. These spots start to disappear as the sharks grow older and the skin across their bodies starts to stretch. The nurse sharks have an extended life compared to most other sharks. They can live for as long as 25 years at an average guess. Mostly, the nurse sharks are found in the shallow waters of the Pacific Ocean near the coast.

As mentioned before, Costa Rica is one of the best places to observe nurse sharks in their element. These sharks prefer staying near the coral reefs at the bottom of the ocean. They can make their home space in the front reef, the back reef and even the drop offs towards the water. It has been observed that nurse sharks prefer inhabiting sandy areas in the ocean where they rest during the day and hunt at night. These sharks also scout caves and underwater ledges that provide some sort of shelter from other predators in the ocean. These sharks are found nearly at the bottom of the ocean with a depth of almost 430 feet. Another interesting fact about nurse sharks is that they are usually ‘nocturnal creatures’. When sunrise breaks over the horizon, these sharks seek shelter and usually rest. When it is fully day time, the nurse sharks are lethargic and prefer to rest until evening falls. At sunset, these sharks come out from their shelters and scout the nearby areas for food. In the depths of the night, the nurse sharks are most active and are almost aggressive in their pursuit for prey found nearby the coral reefs and caves. The diet of the nurse sharks usually includes sea life with a hard shell on their backs for protection. This would include lobsters and crabs. Sometimes, the nurse shark even preys on squid and small fish. The advantage nurse sharks have over other sharks is that they have very few predators in the ocean. They are only threatened or targeted by larger sharks present in the Pacific Ocean.

A Costa Rica Nurse Shark Video


 

Reference

http://www.beautifuloceans.com/creatures/n-to-z/nurse-shark.html

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