---
title: Nurse sharks (Ginglymostomatidae)
scientific_name: Ginglymostomatidae
common_name: Nurse sharks
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:07:23.677Z
tags: Nurse sharks, Ginglymostomatidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/nurse-sharks
---

# Nurse sharks (*Ginglymostomatidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Ginglymostomatidae
- **Body shape:** Bottom-dwelling - Stocky, big-headed, sits on the reef or sand rather than swims - scorpionfishes, groupers, gobies.
- **Species listed here:** 1

## How to recognise this group

- broad, flattened head
- small mouth with prominent barbels
- two rounded dorsal fins set far back on body
- long, low caudal fin
- inactive during day, resting under ledges or in crevices

Nurse sharks have a broad, flattened head with small eyes and two fleshy barbels protruding from the snout. Their body is robust, with two rounded dorsal fins positioned far back towards a long, low caudal fin, and rounded pectoral fins. The largest species reaches lengths of up to 3.08 m (10 ft). Adults typically display a uniform brownish coloration. Newborns, around 30 cm (12 in) long, have a distinct spotted pattern that fades as they mature.

Nurse sharks inhabit inshore bottom areas, primarily on shallow coral reefs as juveniles and on deeper reefs and rocky structures as adults. They are largely nocturnal and sedentary, spending daylight hours inactive, often gathered in groups under ledges or within crevices. At night, they forage across the seabed, using powerful suction to extract small fish, crustaceans, and molluscs from sediments. As obligate suction feeders, they can generate high forces to capture prey and employ a "suck-and-spit" technique. While generally docile, they will bite when provoked.


## Species (1)

- [Tawny Nurse Shark (Nebrius ferrugineus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/nurse-sharks/tawny-nurse-shark)

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*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/nurse-sharks)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*