Stingrays
Grey Nurse Shark
Carcharius taurus
DID YOU KNOW?
Baby grey nurse
sharks eat each
other while they
are still inside
their mum!
WHERE AT AQWA
Surround
yourself with
sharks in
Australia’s
largest
walk-through
aquarium;
AQWA’s
Shipwreck
Coast.
Sharp toothed bull
Pointy teeth and a stocky bull-like body give grey nurse sharks their scientific
name: Cacharo means sharp pointed or jagged in Greek, while taurus means bull in
Latin.
This bull-like body is can be up to 4m in length and is dark grey on top, pale grey
underneath. When feeding, they concentrate their food in one area by slowly
‘nursing’ or rounding up small fish into tight schools. These features lead to their
common name, ‘grey nurse’. In some parts of the world, they are called ‘sand tiger’
sharks, due to their tiger-like teeth.
Overhanging teeth
Grey nurse sharks have long, pointed, curved teeth which are always visible, even
if their mouth is closed! The unique shape of their jaws mean that their teeth
overhang their mouth, and so their mouth is always slightly open!
Their teeth are designed for grabbing slippery prey, but they can’t chew! That
means they only grab small to medium fish that can be swallowed in one gulp!
So slow, they hover!
The two small dorsal fins of the grey nurse shark are a sign that it is a slow mover!
Rather than race around, they slowly drift or catch easy rides on strong currents.
By swallowing air at the surface and holding it in the stomach, the grey nurse is
also able to do something usual - hover in one place, like a floaty!
Rocky Home
Grey nurse sharks are found in tropical and temperate oceans throughout the
world. They are found all around the coast of Australia, except near Tasmania. They
tend to live in shallow coastal waters, close to rocky reefs or islands.
discover more
www.aqwa.com.au