The Great Fiji Shark Count

Counting Fiji's sharks, rays and turtles

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Event
    • Materials
      • ID Posters
      • Logbooks
      • Instructions
    • AWARE Shark Specialty
    • Get involved
    • Instructions
    • ID Posters
    • Presentations
      • Fiji Shark Conservation and Awareness Project
  • Participants
    • Dive Centres
    • Participating Resorts
    • Supporters
    • Operator Register
  • Science
    • Why Sharks?
    • Why Rays?
    • Why Turtles?
  • Results
    • 3 Years Results 2015
    • April 2012 Results
  • Shark Info
    • Shark Lifestyle
    • Shark Biology
    • Feeding Behaviour
  • Species
    • Inshore Species
    • Offshore Species
    • Ray species
    • Shark Species
    • Turtle species
  • Partners
    • Photographers
    • eShark
    • marine ecology
    • Ocean Soaps
    • Save our Seas
    • Shark Foundation
    • Shark Reef
    • Shark Savers
    • WWF
  • News
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Species / Shark Species / Tawny nurse shark

Tawny nurse shark

The tawny nurse shark (Nebrius ferrugineus) is a species of carpet shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae, and the only extant member of the genus Nebrius. It is found widely along coastlines in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, preferring reefs,sandy flats, and seagrass beds from very shallow water to a depth of 70 m (230 ft). With a cylindrical body and a broad, flattened head, the tawny nurse shark is quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) of theAmericas, from which it can be distinguished by its pointed-tipped dorsal fins and narrow, sickle-shaped pectoral fins. The maximum recorded length is 3.2 m (10.5 ft).

Tawny Nurse SharkNocturnal in habits, the tawny nurse shark tends to spend the day resting in piles of two dozen or more individuals inside caves or under ledges. At night, it is an active-swimming predator that uses a powerful suction force to extract prey from inside holes and crevices. The diet of this species consists mainly of octopus, though they also take other invertebrates, small bony fishes, and rarely sea snakes. It is aplacental viviparous, meaning the embryos hatch from egg capsules inside the mother. It is the only carpet shark in which the embryos are oophagous, feeding on eggs produced by the mother while inside the uterus. The litter size may be as small as one or two, based on the large size of near-term embryos.

Compared to the nurse shark, the tawny nurse shark has a more placid disposition and will often allow divers to touch and play with it. However, it should be accorded respect due to its powerful jaws and sharp teeth. This species is caught bycommercial fisheries across most of its range for meat, fins, liver oil, leather, and fishmeal. It is also esteemed as a game fish off Queensland, Australia, and is known for its habit of spitting water in the faces of its captors. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the tawny nurse shark as Vulnerable, with subpopulations in several areas already diminished or extirpated.

Nebrius ferrugineus

Fijian: Qio Dramila

  • Round nose, two plain grey dorsal fins (back fin) and pectoral fins (side fins),very long top lobe on grey tail fin
  • Large; largest around 3.2 metres long
  • In daytime found resting motionless in shallow reef passages and caves, sometimes in groups
  • At night feed on corals, crabs, lobster, sea urchins, octopus and small fish sleeping in holes in the reef
  • Give birth to 4 or more live babies

These sharks are aplacental viviparous, meaning that the eggs hatch within the mother where the pups are protected during the first weeks of their development before being expelled during birth.

Nurse Sharks hunt principally at night when they leave their hiding places to forage for invertebrates and smaller fishes. Their mouth features fused tooth plates enabling them to crush crustaceans and shells.

Sign up for email updates

Welcome to The Great Fiji Shark Count !

Throughout the months of April and November every year, you have the opportunity to help celebrate and record Fiji’s amazing coral reef biodiversity, show you care about our world’s delicate coral reef systems, and have fun, by taking part in the FIJI-WIDE SHARK COUNT!

Easy to do, this is suitable for visitors and locals alike, whether you like to fish, snorkel, or SCUBA dive. We hope that tourists, school children, scientists and all people with an interest in the marine environment will take to the reefs with us to search for the Sharks of Fiji!

The Great Fiji Shark Count will be held across Fiji every April and November every year.

You can do a single count, or take part as many times as you like during that month, so that you cover different reefs. All data will be gratefully accepted!

So, see your resort, watersports operator or travel agent, get your Shark identification materials and dive into the beautiful blue waters of Fiji, to be a part of history!

Silver_TipShark_Header
Grey_reef_shark_Header
White Tip Shark Header
Tiger_Shark_Header

Project AWAREFiji Department of Fisheries and ForestsMarine Ecology FijiShark Reef, FIJIWorld Wide Fund for Nature WWFShark Savers
 Shark FoundationOcean SoapseSharkSave our Seas Foundation

Tags

apparel Beqa CITES conservation Coral Coast dive Dive Centre Fiji Fiji Times finning Hong Kong ID identification International Union for Conservation of Nature IUCN liveaboard Mamanuca Mananuca news Pacific Harbour PADI participant partner Project AWARE ray resort results Savusavu shark sharks species Sunshine Coast supporter Taveuni tshirt turtle USP Vanua Levu Vatu-i-Ra Yasawa

Recent News

  • Shark fishing bans double reef shark numbers – study
  • Great Shark Snapshot returns for 2024
  • Rays in the Shadows: Batoid Diversity, Occurrence, and Conservation Status in Fiji
  • Research reveals high variability in shark presence in Fiji
  • Fiji’s Bycatch Guidelines & Bycatch Mitigation Toolkits -A good start to the New Year
  • Tourism-driven ocean science for sustainable use: A case study of sharks in Fiji

Like us on Facebook

The Great Fiji Shark Count 

© 2025 · Handcrafted with by The Army of Flying Monkeys · Privacy Policy · Privacy Tools · Get in Touch