Pacific Nurse Shark

About the Pacific Nurse Shark

The pacific nurse shark (Ginglymostoma unami) is a medium sized shark from the family Ginglymostomatidae. The species is endemic to the Tropical Eastern Pacific, and is not to be confused with its sister species Ginglymostoma cirratum, which is restricted to the Atlantic Ocean. G. unami has the characteristic round, elongated body and fin shape of nurse sharks, which can be useful when identifying them in aerial image data. The species has a wide habitat range, including the Gulf of California, Costa Rica, Peru, and Panama. However, Pacific nurse sharks are considered endangered, and they are threatened by fishing practices like many other shark species. They have also been observed to disperse over long distances away from their home ranges, though they also exhibit high site fidelity. Therefore, researchers focus on the importance of better studying and tracking the sharks, often using aerial imaging data, in order to improve policies and protections regarding them.

The species name unami comes from the acronym of la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), or the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The pacific nurse shark was... Wikipedia →