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Ginglymostoma cirratum  (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Nurse shark
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Ginglymostoma cirratum
Picture by Freitas, R.


Mauritania country information

Common names: [No common name]
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref: Mohamed Fall, K.O., 2005
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments:
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/mr.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Mohamed Fall, K.O., 2005
National Database:

Classification / Names

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) > Ginglymostomatidae (Nurse sharks)
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Main reference

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 430 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 96339); common length : 304 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 247); max. published weight: 109.6 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 25 years (Ref. 72467)

Length at first maturity
Lm ?, range 230 - 240 cm

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 130 m (Ref. 43278), usually 1 - 35 m (Ref. 40849)

Climate / Range

Subtropical, preferred 27°C (Ref. 107945); 44°N - 35°S, 122°W - 10°E (Ref. 247)

Distribution

Atlantic Ocean.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0. Moderately long barbels, nasoral grooves present but no perinasal grooves, mouth well in front of eyes, spiracles minute, precaudal tail shorter than head and body, dorsal fins broadly rounded (the first much larger than the second and anal fins), caudal fin moderately long, over 1/4 of total length, yellow-brown to grey-brown in color, with or without small dark spots and obscure dorsal saddle markings (Ref. 247). Head blunt, mouth inferior, pair of conspicuous barbels between nostrils (Ref. 26938).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found on continental and insular shelves. Solitary (Ref. 26340) and sluggish fish, often encountered lying on the bottom (Ref. 9987). Nocturnal, feeding on bottom invertebrates such as spiny lobsters, shrimps, crabs, sea urchins, squids, octopi, snails and bivalves, and fishes like catfishes, mullets, puffers and stingrays. Ovoviviparous with 21 to 28 young in a litter (Ref. 9987, 43278). Kept in captivity for researches. May attack humans if they are molested or stepped upon accidentally. Edible, but mainly valued for its hide, which makes extremely tough and durable leather (Ref. 9987). Common over shallow sand flats, in channels, and around coral reefs; young may be found among prop roots of red mangroves (Ref. 26938).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Threat to humans

  Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)



Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: public aquariums

More information

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance
References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
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Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
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Tools

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Internet sources

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD50 = 0.8125 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.2   ±0.2 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.14; tmax=25; Fec=21-28)

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
Very high vulnerability (81 of 100)
Price category (Ref. 80766)
Medium