| Short-tail nurse shark | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Division: | Selachii |
| Order: | Orectolobiformes |
| Family: | Ginglymostomatidae |
| Genus: | Pseudoginglymostoma Dingerkus, 1986 |
| Species: | P. brevicaudatum
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| Binomial name | |
| Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum (Günther, 1867)
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| Range of short-tail nurse shark (in blue) | |
The short-tail nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) is an orectolobiform shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae, the only member of the genus Pseudoginglymostoma. It is found in the tropical western Indian Ocean between latitudes 0° and 27° S, and has a maximum recorded length of 75cm.2
Distribution
The short-tail nurse shark has been documented in the western Indian Ocean off of Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and in Mozambique.3 There have also been unconfirmed sightings in the Seychelles and Mauritius.3
In 2020, a short-tail nurse shark was caught on camera in South Africa by Forrest Galante and associates in search of the whitetip weasel shark.4
Feeding
The natural diet of P. brevicaudatum is unknown.5
In 2024, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, which at the time housed two short-tail nurse sharks, conducted a trial period recording on a scale of 0-5 the sharks’ preference in foods based on what food the sharks gravitated towards. The aquarium created a varied diet based on nurse shark husbandry consisting of shrimp, clams, krill, mussels and silverside. It was discovered that the sharks had a high consumption preference for krill with an average rating of 3.5, while interest varied between shrimp and clams throughout the trial period. P. brevicaudatum had the highest preference for mussels with an average rating of 4. The sharks would carry mussels in their mouths, and crack the shells and place them under rocks, but none of the meat was eaten.5
Reproduction
The short-tail nurse shark has been observed to lay eggs in captivity.6 This is unlike other species of ginglymostomatids, which are ovoviviparous.
References
References
- Pollom, R.; Bennett, R.; Jabado, R.W.; Kuguru, B.; Samoilys, M. (2019). "Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019 e.T44617A124435749. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T44617A124435749.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- Compagno, L. J. V. (1984). FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO. ISBN 978-92-5-101384-7.
- Bennett, Rhett H.; Ebert, David A.; Sitoe, Jorge J.; Fernando, Stela; Harris, Mark; van Beuningen, David; Davids, Aseeqah (2021-01-11). "Range extension of the Critically Endangered shorttail nurse shark Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum (Orectolobiformes: Ginglymostomatidae) to include Mozambique, with implications for management". Marine Biodiversity. 51 (1): 7. Bibcode:2021MarBd..51....7B. doi:10.1007/s12526-020-01137-w. ISSN 1867-1624.
- Discovery (2020-08-07). Spotting the Elusive Whitetip Weasel Shark | Shark Week. Retrieved 2026-06-24 – via YouTube.
- Jaworski, Celeste (2024)
- "Short-tail Nurse Shark - Oceanogràfic Card". Oceanogràfic de València. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pseudoginglymostoma cirratum". FishBase. may 2006 version.
- http://www.artis.nl/main.php?pagina=paginas/a/persberichten - Dutch press statement about the birth of 4 short-tail nurse sharks
Jaworski, Celeste (2024, 8). Short-tail nurse sharks (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum): Education, diet, and habitat in an aquarium setting. Schools & Colleges; Rosenstiel School; University of Miami. 991032597411702976