Nebrius ferrugineus
Silhouette: based on photo by fokitochikito (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/220751543) · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
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 Indo-Pacific, 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 the Atlantic and East Pacific, from which it can be distinguished by its pointed-tipped dorsal fins and narrow, sickle-shaped pectoral fins. The maximum recorded length of the tawny nurse shark is 3.2 m (10 ft).
Nocturnal 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 by commercial 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. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granby Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Sea World | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | L'Oceanogràfic | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 5 | 黔灵山动物园 | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 6 | AquaRio | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Melbourne Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Sea Life Sydney Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Sea World Indonesia | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 11 | Marine Life Park | 🇸🇬 Singapore | |
| 12 | Sea Life Sunshine Coast | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 13 | Shanghai Ocean Aquarium | 🇨🇳 China | |
| 14 | Wild Life Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Aviary | 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China | |
| 16 | Acuario Inbursa | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Nurse Shark sighting in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 20th most-seen of the 24 sharks and rays we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and February
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Tawny Nurse Shark in Ningaloo Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–April and August–November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Tawny Nurse Shark sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Ningaloo Marine Park, in our data
Ningaloo Marine Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Tawny Nurse Shark sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same order: Orectolobiformes
The closest relatives of the Tawny Nurse Shark that you can see in Ningaloo Marine Park (order Orectolobiformes, Carpet Sharks) are Whale Shark (about 60%), Zebra Shark (about 40%) and Tasselled Wobbegong (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Tawny Nurse Shark is recorded against all the sharks and rays logged in Ningaloo Marine Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
