Finally, aquarists have access to a Nurse Shark that doesn’t reach lengths of 10 feet or more! Meet ORA’s newest baby shark, the Short-tail Nurse Shark.
via ORA
Meet the smallest member of the Nurse Shark Family! The Short-tail Nurse Shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) is a tropical reef species found in the Western Indian Ocean along the coast of Africa from Tanzania to Kenya and around the island of Madagascar. Their common name refers to the unique feature of their precaudal tail being shorter than head and body length and a petite caudal fin less than a quarter of their total length. These sharks have a broad and blunt-shaped head with very small eyes and tiny nasal barbels.
Captive-bred Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum make a more responsible choice for the aquarist looking to keep sharks at home. Still, a minimum aquarium size of 360 gallons is recommended; larger tanks are preferred.
Size: Short-tail Nurse Sharks have a maximum reported length of just 30 inches, making them considerably shorter than the Hemiscyllium species sharks we raise. With their diminutive size and low activity, these are one of the best species of sharks for the large home aquarium.
Diet: Our sharks prefer a diet rich with a variety of fresh fish, shrimp, squid, scallop, and clam, all items typically available at any grocery seafood department.
Interesting facts:
- These are also long-lived sharks: ARTIS Royal Zoo in Amsterdam kept one female for over 33 years and was the first to reproduce them in captivity.
- Bites from our Hemiscyllium sharks are pretty benign, but these guys have a larger mouth with larger teeth. You don’t want to be bitten.
- They like to rest on their sides or even upside down for extended periods. We were warned about this with our first pair, but it takes a while for the panic to wear off when you see them like that.
- Their eggs take an incredible 165 days to hatch!
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Editor’s Note:
Two “Baby Shark” ORA Short-tail Nurse Sharks have been released for retail sale via LiveAquaria.com. Each juvenile is available for $1999.99.
ORA captive-bred Short-tail Nurse Shark on the LiveAquaria Diver’s Den, 7/19/19
ORA captive-bred Short-tail Nurse Shark on the LiveAquaria Diver’s Den, 7/19/19
