Nurse Shark At The Sea Life!

Guess what? I went to the Sea-Life aquarium a few days ago and it was awesome - I loved every minute of the entire aquarium! The tanks are built in such a way that it actually made me feel as if I were inside the aquarium (walking under and in the middle of the fishes, sharks and so on…) I saw so many interesting deep sea creatures, but the Nurse sharks were my favorite (see above photo taken by me).

Nurse sharks are large (about 0.75-4 m (2-13 ft) long), sluggish and docile creatures that are usually harmless unless provoked. No one is sure how they got their name; however, it might be because of the suction sound that they make when they are swallowing because it sounds similar to a baby who is breastfeeding.

Nurse sharks prey on bottom dwelling fish, shrimp, squid, crabs, octopus, lobster, sea snails, sea urchins, and coral. They have conspicuous barbels (type of whisker-like organs that sense touch and taste), that help them locate potential food. Nurse Sharks are nocturnal animals and are generally inactive during the day. It is in these hours of daylight that nurse sharks can be found together in groups (they have a peculiar habit of sleeping stacked on top of each other while they are resting).Despite this, the nurse shark is a solitary hunter and will spend the dark nights hunting alone.

Nurse sharks are ovoviviparous (they produce eggs within the female´s uterus), which can give birth to 20-30 pups at once. The pups tend to be around 30 cm long and are already fully developed. They reach maturity at about 15 to 20 years old. Nurse sharks can be found in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the western Atlantic Ocean. They live in warm waters and are bottom-dwelling sharks, which live in sandy beaches, mudflats, and sandbars. They are common in coral reefs. Nurse Sharks do not migrate as the water becomes cooler; their activity level simply decreases.

If you want to observe the beauty of the sea life, there is no better place than the Sea-Life aquarium. I really enjoyed it and I am absolutely sure that you won’t be disappointed. Sea-Life aquarium has 35 locations all around the world (I went to the Sea-Life aquarium in Portugal-Porto). Have fun guys!

Source: enchantedlearning.com