Nurse sharksGinglymostomatidae

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.