Indo-Pacific nurse shark
| Indo-Pacific nurse shark | ||||||||||||
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Indo-Pacific nurse shark ( Nebrius ferrugineus ) |
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| Nebrius ferrugineus | ||||||||||||
| ( Lesson , 1831) |
The Indo-Pacific nurse shark ( Nebrius ferrugineus ) ( English: tawny nurse shark) is a shark that can be found in the Red Sea area to South Africa , Australia and the Society Islands and at depths between 1 m and 40 m. Another scientifically invalid name of the species is Nebrius concolor .
At birth it is approx. 40 cm long and can reach sizes up to 320 cm. The reproduction takes place as with most cartilaginous fish and all other nurse sharks ovovivipar ( yolk sac Viviparie also aplazentale Viviparie ) So viviparous with a litter size of up to eight pups.
As with all nurse sharks, it has nasal whiskers , the 4th and 5th gill slits are very close together, the 2nd dorsal fin is clearly visible in front of the anal fin , it has furrows between the nose and mouth and the mouth is relatively small and sits well in front of the Eyes . It is characterized by its pointed dorsal and pectoral fins, the latter being sickle-shaped, and as an adult ( sexually mature ) animal is monochrome yellow-brown, as a juvenile ( young animal ) is spotted below.
The habitat includes coral reefs , particularly lagoons , shallow reefs, channels, and reef slopes. The young often hide in shallow lagoons and reef crevices.
Various invertebrates belong to the prey of the nocturnal hunter , such as B. sea urchins , lobsters , crabs , octopuses or squids but also bony fish and sea snakes . When hunting, it shows the behavior of suckling, which is typical of nurse sharks, whereby the nurse shark simply sucks out prey hidden in crevices or under rubble. As with the other nurse sharks, its barbels, which carry taste cells, also help in the search for hidden prey. During the day he likes to lie down in caves or swim on the surface. Sometimes larger groups find themselves huddled together at the bottom of the bed. The Indo-Pacific nurse shark shows distinctive territorial behavior and usually returns to its usual resting place after the hunt.
Like all nurse sharks, the shark is generally considered to be harmless and very calm, is even said to be used by children as a mount when playing on some South Sea islands and is very popular with diving tourists due to its "trustworthiness" and "peacefulness". Nevertheless, unprovoked attacks on humans are also known, in which the attacking shark persistently clings to its victim.
literature
- Ralf Michael Hennemann: Haie & Rochen Weltweit , Hamburg 2001, IKAN-Unterwasserarchiv Frankfurt, ISBN 3-86132-584-5
Web links
- Indo-Pacific nurse shark on Fishbase.org (English)
- Nebrius ferrugineus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Pillans, R. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003), 2003. Retrieved November 6, 2013.