Pacific nurse shark

Ginglymostoma unami, also known as the Pacific nurse shark, is a nurse shark of the family Ginglymostomatidae. It is found in the southeastern coast of Baja California, Mexico to Costa Rica, including Gulf of California. The maximum size of the Pacific nurse shark is 2.8 meters long. This species differs from Ginglymostoma cirratum between posterior end of the second dorsal fin and the beginning of the caudal lobe, both being shorter; the new species also differs by the position of the insertion of the first dorsal fin with regard to the pelvic fins and in the form and number of keels on the dermal denticles and teeth morphology. Nurse sharks also have a flat, round head, brown in color, and small mouth, which is their primary identifier that it's a nurse shark.^[2] The Ginglymostoma unami was previously recognized as G. cirratum, exhibiting a divided distribution of a species in the northern half of the Atlantic Ocean. However, that species is now considered to be restricted to just the Atlantic Ocean.^[3]

Pacific nurse shark
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Superorder:	Galeomorphi
Order:	Orectolobiformes
Family:	Ginglymostomatidae
Genus:	Ginglymostoma
Species:	G. unami
Binomial name
Ginglymostoma unami Del-Moral-Flores, Ramírez-Antonio, Angulo & Pérez-Ponce de León, 2015
Range of the Pacific nurse shark

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Nurse sharks remain still during the day, resting in caves or under ledges, often in groups. However, new research could indicate that the Pacific nurse shark tends to move more than other nurse sharks during the day.^[4] At night, they become active and hunt fish, rays, and invertebrates. Not much is known on predators of the Pacific nurse shark but their remains have been found in other sharks.^[5]

This shark group is listed as endangered because it has been shown through studies that they are caught intentionally for some people who find it a sport, or as bycatch in ETP fisheries. From 1972 to 2002, Pacific nurse sharks were the second most frequently caught species. This is because Pacific nurse sharks tend to stay close to the shore for protection, and they have a higher chance of angling-related impacts. It could also be due to climate change making the waters warmer and habitat degradation. It's also been shown through research that Pacific nurse sharks have the lowest mass rate of ant shark and also the lowest temperature-adjusted metabolic rate. Making these sharks easier to capture for fun because they don't put up much of a fight. Or better known as a passive fight. Pacific nurse sharks also tend to stay near the shore, even with high human activity. Not much is known about why they stay in areas, which tend to have high activity.^[6]

Pacific nurse sharks are also considered non-aggressive sharks. In human interaction, they tend to stay away or get scared very easily. If they do bite, you could get a warning bite or a bite that could cause serious injury. But there has been no record human fatal attacks with nurse sharks.^[5]