Nebrius ferrugineus

(Lesson, 1831)


Tawny nurse shark
Classification: Elasmobranchii Orectolobiformes Ginglymostomatidae

Reference of the original description
Lesson, R.P. (1831)
Poissons. In L.I. Duperrey, 1826–1830. Voyage autour du Monde, exécuté par Ordre du Roi, sur la Corvette de la Majeste, La Coquille, pendant les anneés 1822, 1823, 1824 et 1825. Arthus Bertrand, Paris, 2(1): 66–238, Atlas: Pls. 1–38.

Image of the original description
No image in first description.

Images of the original description (synonym)
Synonyms / new combinations and misspellings
Ginglymostoma concolor, Ginglymostoma ferruginea, Ginglymostoma ferrugineum, Ginglymostoma muelleri, Ginglymostoma mülleri, Ginglymostoma rueppellii, Ginglymostoma rüppellii, Ginglymostoma ruppellii, Nebrius concolor, Nebrius doldi, Nebrius ferrugineum, Nebrius macrurus, Nebrodes concolor, Nebrodes concolor ogilbyi, Nebrodes macrurus, Scyllium ferrugineum, Scymnus porosus, Squalus kamul, Squalus kumal

Types
Nebrius ferrugineus

Ginglymostoma muelleri
XXXX: No types known;
Ginglymostoma rueppellii
Holotype: RMNH: 7400
Nebrius concolor
Lectotype: SMF: 3583
Nebrodes macrurus
Lectotype: MCZ: 820-S;
Scymnus porosus
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus kamul
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus kumal
XXXX: No types known;


Description :


Citation: Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson, 1831): In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 12/2024

Please send your images of "Nebrius ferrugineus" to info@shark-references.com

Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson, 1831), ERB 1162, male, 101, 0 cm TL, Singapore © Frederik H. Mollen (Elasmobranch Research Belgium)
Common names
spa Gata nodriza atezada, fra \(T\) Endormi, fra \(T\) Requin dormeur, fra \(T\) Requin nourrice, fra \(T\) Requin nourrice fauve, fra \(T\) Requin-dormeur fauve, eng Giant Sleepy -shark, eng Giant sleepy shark, eng Madame X, eng Nurse shark, eng Rusty catshark, eng Rusty shark, eng Sleepy shark, eng Spitting shark, eng Tawny nurse shark, eng Tawny shark, por Tubarão-de-leite tostado

Short Description
A large, bulky nurse shark with a small mouth and small comb-like teeth, and with angular fins [536]. Caudal fin shorter, much less than half the length of body; no ridges on side of the body; pectoral fins falcate [1388]. Brown dorsally, paler ventrally (Ref. 391); fins slightly dusky (Ref. 9999). Spiracles much smaller than eye (Ref. 9999).

Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Tuamoto Islands, north to southern Japan, south to Australia. Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Biology
Ovoviviparous, with number of young at least four per uterus [518]; gives birth to litters of at about 8 pups [2539]. Described as an oviparous or post-oviparous shark that retains the egg-cases until they hatch and the young are born. Size at birth 40 cm (TL, [2539]) to 60 cm (Ref. 9999). Also Ref. 205. Prefers sheltered areas in crevices and caves on reefs but often occurs in more exposed areas in a depression or crevice. Mainly nocturnal, resting during the day. Gregarious and form resting aggregations of two to half-dozen or more in shelters, and are often seen piled across or on top of one another. It uses its large pharynx as a powerful suction pump to rapidly inhale in reef organisms that may be out of reach of its teeth. However, they may reverse this sucking action and blast streams of water out of their mouths into the faces of their captors, making grunting sounds between streams.

Size / Weight / Age
320 cm TL (male/unsexed; [518])

Habitat
reef-associated; marine; depth range 1 - 70 m [17643], usually 5 - 30 m [531]

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=4075;

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Cestoda
  • Callitetrarhynchus gracilis (Rudolphi, 1819) Pintner, 1931 [16112]
  • Dollfusiella sp. [16112]
  • Heteronybelinia perideraeus (Shipley & Hornell, 1906) [16112]
  • Kotorella pronosoma (Stossich, 1901) [16112]
  • Mixonybelinia southwelli (Palm & Walter, 1999) [17850] [16112]
  • Pachybothrium hutsoni (Southwell, 1911) Baer & Euzet, 1962 [17129] [16408] [16101] [17089] [16929]
  • Pedibothrium cabrali Caira, Tracy & Euzet, 2004 [7587]
  • Pedibothrium kerkhami (Southwell, 1911) Southwell, 1925 [13651]
  • Pedibothrium kistnerae Caira, Tracy & Euzet, 2004 [7587]
  • Pedibothrium lloydae Caira, Tracy & Euzet, 2004 [7587]
  • Pedibothrium mounseyi Caira, Tracy & Euzet, 2004 [7587]
  • Pedibothrium puerobesus Caira, Tracy & Euzet, 2004 [7587]
  • Phyllobothrium microsomum Southwell & Hilmy, 1929 [16413] [16443]
  • Pseudolacistorhynchus matheri (Southwell, 1929) [16112]
  • Pseudolacistorhynchus shipleyi (Southwell, 1929) [16256] [16112]
  • Spinibiloculus ratnagiriensis Deshmukh & Shinde, 1980 [16299]
  • Tetrarhynchobothrium unionifactor (Shipley & Hornell, 1904) [16112]
  • Yorkeria southwelli Deshmukh, 1979 [16296]

Trematoda
  • Nagmia nebrii Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1961 [23393]
  • Pernagmia concolori Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1961 [23393]
  • Pernagmia nebrii Nagaty & Abdel Aal, 1961 [23393]

Isopoda
  • Gnathia dejimagi Ota, 2014 [21529] [22155]
  • Gnathia grandilaris Coetzee, Smit, Grutter & Davies, 2008 [22155]
  • Gnathia maculosa Ota & Hirose, 2009 [22155]
  • Gnathia nubila Ota & Hirose, 2009 [22155]
  • Gnathia teruyukiae Ota, 2011 [13079] [22155]
  • Gnathia trimaculata Coetzee, Smit, Grutter & Davies, 2009 [17188] [22155]
  • Praniza javana Koehler, 1884 [23898]


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