Nurse Shark
Size: Up to 14 feet in length
Habitat: Shallow offshore waters, intertidal zone, caves and coral reefs
Diet: Bony fishes, a variety of crabs, sea urchins and octopuses
Why is it called a Nurse shark? In the 1550’s the term “nusse” or “nurse” was used to describe any large fish, especially a shark. Thus, the “nurse” may be a holdover from an Old English word first applied to this New World species hundreds of years ago.
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