Species page
Ginglymostoma Unami
Shark species in Ginglymostomatidae.
Ginglymostoma unami
Overview
This species belongs to the nurse shark family, a group better known for bottom-resting patience than for speed. Look for barbels, a broad head, and a habit of cruising slowly over reef and sand. Nurse sharks have a broad head, two barbels near the mouth, small eyes, and a generally soft, rounded appearance compared with active requiem sharks. Nurse sharks and close relatives occur mainly in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific. Species ranges vary from broad warm-water distributions to more regional patterns.
They favor shallow reefs, sandy flats, channels, lagoons, mangrove edges, and other structured coastal habitats where resting cover is available.
Added from the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
Why it matters: The mouth works like a suction tool, helping these sharks pull prey from crevices.
Common nameGinglymostoma Unami
Scientific nameGinglymostoma unami
FamilyGinglymostomatidae
OrderOrectolobiformes
Depth range0 to 0 meters
RegionUnknown
DietData not available in this offline release.
HabitatMarine waters (habitat data not available locally).
Why it stands outFamily: Ginglymostomatidae
What this shark is
Nurse sharks have a broad head, two barbels near the mouth, small eyes, and a generally soft, rounded appearance compared with active requiem sharks.
Where it lives
Nurse sharks and close relatives occur mainly in tropical and subtropical coastal waters of the Atlantic and Indo-West Pacific. Species ranges vary from broad warm-water distributions to more regional patterns.
They favor shallow reefs, sandy flats, channels, lagoons, mangrove edges, and other structured coastal habitats where resting cover is available.
How it differs from similar sharks
Family: Ginglymostomatidae
Compare it against Nurse Shark, giant sleepy shark, and nurse shark.
Why it is notable
They are often approachable and usually calm, but a provoked or restrained nurse shark can bite hard and hold on. Habitat change and fisheries also affect some populations.
Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.
Related shark pages
These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.
Nurse Shark
Bottom-dwelling shark with a slow, steady pace.
3.2 m maxNear Threatened
giant sleepy shark
Common name: Tawny nurse shark
Shark species in Ginglymostomatidae.
3.2 m max
nurse shark
Common name: Short-tail nurse shark
Shark species in Ginglymostomatidae.
0.8 m max