Facts about Grey Nurse Sharks

Common Names: Grey Nurse Shark (Australia), Sandtiger Shark (USA) and Ragged Tooth Shark (South Africa) Scientific Name: Carcharias taurus Shark Order: Lamniformes - Mackerel Sharks

Description

 Grey nurse sharks are grey or bronze in colour on their upper surface and pale on the lower surface of their body.  This is a form of camouflage making it difficult for their unsuspecting fish prey to distinguish them from the surface.
 They have brownish spots on the body and tail.
 Although their spots appear to fade in adults, they are unique to each animal and are visible throughout much of their lives, making them ideal subjects for photo-identification methods.
 This species is also characterised by two dorsal fins of similar proportions, the first sitting well back from the pectoral fins.
 Their teeth are long, slender, lanceolate teeth with lateral cusplets.

Body

Teeth

Source: Last and Stevens (2009)

Size Adults grow to 318 cm, Females become sexually mature at 220-230 cm, males at 190-195 cm and pups are born at approximately 100 cm at birth.

Distribution Found primarily on the east and west coast of Australia; inhabit sandy or rocky reefs of shallow coastal waters off NSW, QLD and Western Australia.  This species is frequently viewed by divers lingering under rocky caves, gutters and overhangs off the coastal waters of NSW.

Reproduction The female shark has two uteruses. They fertilize their eggs internally and these are released into both uteruses at the same time. As the pups mature in the uterus they eat other pups until only one remains. These then continue to mature living off additional eggs produced by the mother. After 9-12 month period both pups are born. As this only occurs once every two years, the female only averages one pup per year. They are considered to have the lowest reproduction rate of all sharks.

Diet These sharks mainly eat a range of bony fish, rays, squid, juvenile sharks and crustaceans.

Conservation Status for Australia
(Source: Fisheries Scientific Committee 2008):

IUCN globally – Vulnerable, Australia – Vulnerable, NSW
Critically Endangered;

Conservation Act 1999: - Critically Endangered (east coast
population);

Sources and Links

PDF - for further details download the “Spot-A-Shark” briefing note on the Grey Nurse shark or:

1. Environment Australia. (2002). Recovery plan for the Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus) in Australia, Environment Australia, June 2002. www.environment.gov.au/coasts/publications/grey-nurse-plan/.  [accessed 2008 June12]

2. Last, P.R, & Stevens, J.D. (2009). Sharks and Rays of Australia, 2nd ed. CSIRO Division of Fisheries, Australia

3. NSW Department of Primary Industries. Grey nurse shark critical habitat. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/species-protection/. [accessed 2009 March 8]