it is found widely along coastlines in the indo-pacific , preferring reefs , sandy flats , and seagrass beds from very shallow water to a depth of 70 m ( 230 ft ) .

with a cylindrical body and a broad , flattened head , the tawny nurse shark is quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark ( ginglymostoma cirratum ) of the atlantic and east pacific , from which it can be distinguished by its pointed-tipped dorsal fins and narrow , sickle-shaped pectoral fins .

the maximum recorded length of the tawny nurse shark is 3.2 m ( 10 ft ) .

nocturnal in habits , the tawny nurse shark tends to spend the day resting in piles of two dozen or more individuals inside caves or under ledges .

at night , it is an active-swimming predator that uses a powerful suction force to extract prey from inside holes and crevices .

the diet of this species consists mainly of octopus , though they also take other invertebrates , small bony fishes , and rarely sea snakes .

it is aplacental viviparous , meaning the embryos hatch from egg capsules inside the mother .

it is the only carpet shark in which the embryos are oophagous , feeding on eggs produced by the mother while inside the uterus .

the litter size may be as small as one or two , based on the large size of near-term embryos .

compared to the nurse shark , the tawny nurse shark has a more placid disposition and will often allow divers to touch and play with it .

however , it should be accorded respect due to its powerful jaws and sharp teeth .

this species is caught by commercial fisheries across most of its range for meat , fins , liver oil , leather , and fishmeal .

it is also esteemed as a game fish off queensland , australia , and is known for its habit of spitting water in the faces of its captors .

the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) has assessed the tawny nurse shark as vulnerable , with subpopulations in several areas already diminished or extirpated .

tawny nurse shark

australia : tawny shark , spitting shark , rusty shark , rusty catshark , sleepy shark , madame x .
en - tawny nurse shark , fr - requin nourrice fauve , sp - gata nodriza atezada .
small fish and invertebrates are among the prey items of the tawny nurse shark . photo © klaus jost
fao names : en – tawny nurse shark ; fr – requin nourrice fauve ; sp – gata nodriza atezada .
' other’ species are tawny nurse , blacktip reef , tiger , scalloped hammerhead and great hammerhead .
overview of various pacific coral reef sharks , notably the blacktip reef shark , gray reef shark , and nurse shark .
five new species of pedibothrium ( tetraphyllidea : onchobothriidae ) from the tawny nurse shark , nebrius ferrugineus , in the pacific ocean .
tawny nurse sharks are gray - brown to brown in color along the dorsal surface . photo © doug perrine
there are 5 species of tapeworms documented in the spiral intestines of the tawny nurse shark taken from the waters off australia and french polynesia .
the tawny nurse shark is ovoviviparous , with females giving birth to up to eight live young that have hatched within the uterus ( 4 ) .
five new species of pedibothrium ( tetraphyllidea : onchobothriidae ) from the tawny nurse shark , nebrius ferrugineus , in the pacific ocean . - pubmed - ncbi
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the tawny nurse shark has a more calm disposition compared to other nurse sharks and adventurous scuba divers have been known to touch them . a few non - fatal attacks have been recorded . these occurred when they were being ‘handled’ by divers . due to their large size and strength , the tawny nurse shark should be regarded as potentially dangerous and treated with respect .
this nurse shark found in the indo - pacific region should not be confused with the nurse shark ( ginglymostoma cirratum ) of the atlantic and eastern pacific oceans . although at first glance these two species closely resemble each other , on closer inspection the tawny nurse shark can be easy distinguished by the pointed apices of its pectoral , dorsal , and anal fins as well as its narrowly falcate pectoral fins . the tawny nurse shark is also a more active swimming species than g . cirratum .
with their cylindrical body and broad , flattened head , the tawny nurse shark is quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark ( ginglymostoma cirratum ) but can be distinguished by its pointed - tipped dorsal fins and narrow , sickle - shaped pectoral fins .
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arkive video - tawny nurse shark feeding on and investigating dead turtle
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the movie opens with footage of zebra sharks , but moves on to show tawny shark behaviour and feeding .
teshima , k . , m . toda , y . kamei , s . uchida and m . tamaki . 1999 . reproductive mode of the tawny nurse shark .
parasites there are five species of tapeworms ( pedibothrium sp . ) documented from the spiral intestines of the tawny nurse shark taken from the waters off australia and french polynesia .
given that tawny nurse shark pups are born at an average length of between 40 to 60cm , it was clear that these large females were pregnant by their distinctively bulging stomach . the tawny nurse shark is the only member of the carpet shark family which exhibits intrauterine cannibalism ; once the pups have used up their yolk supply , they will feed on other eggs within the uterus .
the biology of the nurse shark , ginglymostoma cirratum , off the florida east coast and the bahama islands .
predators there are no species that regularly prey on nurse sharks . however some larger sharks are known to feed occasionally on nurse sharks found in the atlantic ocean . remains of nurse sharks have been found in lemon shark and tiger shark stomachs , and attacks on nurse sharks by bull sharks and great hammerhead sharks have been observed on this closely related species .
…the wobbegongs ; and ginglymostomatidae , the nurse sharks . one species of nurse shark , ginglymostoma cirratum , reaches a length of more than 4 metres ( 13 feet ) . …
often used as an attractive display animal in aquaria , the tawny nurse shark is a tough , hardy shark that easily adapts to captivity . it is kept at public aquaria facilities throughout europe , japan , singapore , and the united states .
responding to a related posting , [
i believe that the name nurse shark comes from some place in the south pacific where they called it a plurse shark . the name was then slurred into nurse shark .
] , i had the following thoughts .
verification of multiple species of pedibothrium in the atlantic nurse shark with comments on the australasian members of the genus .
the tawny has a cylindrical body with a broad , flattened head , with a squarish snout and tiny eyes . they are quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark that is found in the atlantic and east pacific . the tawny nurse shark has a couple of features that distinguish them from other nurse sharks . the most obvious is their sickle shaped pectoral fins . the less apparent anatomical difference , unless a diver touches the shark , is their soft skin . their greek name ‘nebrius’ can be translated to ‘skin of a fawn . ’
within the first few days of surveying in chagos , our fish and benthic surveyors have had multiple encounters with large and often pregnant tawny nurse sharks ( nebrius ferrugineus ) .
a tawny nurse shark ( nebrius ferrugineus ) lies in a small cave on a reef in raja ampat , indonesia . this beautiful region is known for its prolific marine life and world class scuba diving and snorkeling .
inhabiting the waters above the continental shelves in most warm and temperate regions—which is sometimes referred to as the gray nurse shark .
tawny nurse sharks can reach a maximum length of 10 . 4 feet ( 320 cm ) . born at 15 . 7 up to 23 inches ( 40 - 60 cm ) .
tawny nurse shark ( nebrius ferrugineus ) scientific name : nebrius ferrugineus , higher classification : nebrius , rank : species , kingdom : animalia , phylum : chordata , class : chondrichthyes , subclass : elasmobranchii , order : orectolobiformes , family : ginglymostomatidae , genus : nebrius , type : fish , * * the tawny nurse shark ( nebrius ferrugineus ) is a species of carpet shark in the family ginglymostomatidae , and the only extant member of the genus nebrius . it is found widely along coastlines in the indo - pacific , preferring reefs , sandy flats , and seagrass beds from very shallow water to a depth of 70 m ( 230 ft ) . with a cylindrical body and a broad , flattened head , the tawny nurse shark is quite similar in appearance to the nurse shark ( ginglymostoma cirratum ) of the atlantic and east pacific , from which it can be distinguished by its pointed - tipped dorsal fins and narrow , sickle - shaped pectoral fins . the maximum recorded length of the tawny nurse shark is 3 . 2 m ( 10 ft ) . more info : urltoken
a tawny nurse shark ( nebrius ferrugineus ) attracted to a dive light during a feeding session for tourism in the northern ari atoll of the republic of maldives . currently the republic of maldives has completely banned shark fishing in the country to conserve their population and maintain shark tourism which attracts a large number of tourists each year . it has been studied in several locations that a living shark could yield much larger revenue throughout their lifetime than a dead one at fish markets . currently tawny nurse shark is listed as vulnerable in the iucn red list of endangered species . photo : © sirachai arunrugstichai
tawny nurse sharks have few natural predators if humans are not included . if they are unfortunate , they may fall prey to other sharks such as bull sharks , great hammerheads and tiger sharks .
they have short small mouths with fan - shaped serrated teeth . the tawny nurse shark ' s name was presumably derived from its ability to suck up prey using a powerful sucking motion with its throat , just like a baby being nursed .
the mating season runs from late june to the end of july . nurse sharks are
during day lies motionless unless closely harassed . will bite if provoked . nurse sharks are opportunistic and become regular visitors to shark feeds .
tawny nurse sharks are ovoviviparous ( aplacental viviparous ) . young feed inside the uterus on large infertile yolky eggs . litter size is uncertain , one to four , depending upon competition in the uterus .
this shark ' s narrow range and limited dispersion as well as low reproductive rates make it especially susceptible to the effects of overfishing . reef habitats and local food webs have been damaged from dynamiting and poisoning in portions of its range , further increasing the tawny nurse shark ' s vulnerability . there have been reports of local extinctions in waters around india and the gulf of thailand due to increased fisheries catch along with destruction of habitat . at this time , the tawny nurse shark is still abundant off of australia where fishing impact is much less .
this nurse shark is quite docile , allowing itself to be touched by divers , however there are a few non - fatal attacks on humans attributed to this species . due to its strong jaws and sharp cutting teeth , the tawny nurse shark should be regarded as potentially dangerous and treated with respect . it is a favorite species for observation by ecotourists in waters off thailand and the solomon islands .
the tawny nurse shark is widely distributed across the indian and west and central pacific oceans , ranging from the red sea , east africa and the arabian gulf to southern japan , south through indonesia to australia ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 5 ) .
it is worth noting in passing that the nurse shark of the central and western south pacific and indian oceans is not the familiar ginglymostoma cirratum of the atlantic and eastern pacific , but the tawny nurse shark , nebrius ferrugineus ( = n . concolor ) . although the nurse and tawny sharks superficially resemble one another , the latter is readily distinguished from the former by the pointed apices of its pectoral , dorsal , and anal fins , narrowly falcate pectoral fins , and laterally compressed teeth in the sides of the jaw . these differences have long been regarded as evidence that these orectoloboid sharks warrant different genera .
some aquariums have tried to exhibit much larger sharks , such as the white shark and whale shark .
a sickle - fin lemon shark takes a tuna head from a shark handler . photograph : tom vierus
age of association between the nurse shark , ginglymostoma cirratum , and tapeworms of the genus pedibothrium ( tetraphyllidea : onehobothriidae ) : implications from geography .
a comparison of mode of attachment and histopathogenicity of four tapeworm species representing two orders infecting the spiral intestine of the nurse shark , ginglymostoma cirratum .
the common atlantic nurse shark is generally a light tan to dark brown colour . juveniles may be a dark gray with small black spots that are lost as the animal grows . nurse sharks possess two dorsal fins and an anal fin . in
nurse sharks are able to respire while stationary by pumping water through their mouths and out gills .
possibly , some bygone observer watched a shark giving birth to live young and thought the shark was giving nurse . possibly the use of the word sprang from the old notion that a shark would protect its young by taking them into its mouth .
need a unique gift idea ? consider an annual whale shark adoption to help fund our whale shark study .
the international union for conservation of nature ( iucn ) is a global union of states , governmental agencies and non - governmental organisations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species . the tawny nurse shark is classified as vulnerable ( vu ) on the iucn red list .
the tawny nurse shark is heavily fished commercially . the meat is used as fishmeal , its liver is rendered for oil and vitamins , and fins are sought for the oriental sharkfin trade . their skin is thick and ‘hide - like’ , and is used for the manufacture of purses .
a new species of pedibothrium ( cestoidea : tetraphyllidea ) from the short - tail nurse shark , pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum ( elasmobranchii : orectilobiformes ) from southwest madagascar .
fishes ( including surgeonfishes and siganids ) . while foraging the tawny shark moves along the bottom and explores depressions , holes and crevices in reefs . when it detects prey it places its small
records of these sharks biting their tormentors , and clamping tightly onto them . because of its size and strength , the tawny shark should be regarded as potentially dangerous and treated with respect .
a blacktip reef shark cruises over the reef at the shark reef marine reserve , fiji . photograph : tom vierus
lockenloia sanguinis n . gen . , n . sp . ( nematoda : dracunculoidea ) from the heart of a nurse shark , ginglymostoma cirratum , in florida .
nurse sharks are sometimes preyed upon by other sharks , such as tiger ( galeocerdo cuvier ) and lemon sharks ( negaprion ) . most nurse shark species are not well studied , but ecologists suspect that human activity has caused the populations of some nurse sharks to shrink . for example , populations of tawny nurse sharks ( n . ferrugineus , which often rest in caves and under reef escarpments ) near thailand are thought to have decreased as a direct result of blast fishing and through pestering by divers , whereas shorttail nurse sharks ( p . brevicaudatum , which inhabit the western indian ocean ) are declining because of a combination of habitat destruction , fishing , and capture as bycatch ( being accidentally caught by anglers ) .
the tawny nurse shark is a large shark with a broad flattened head , snout rounded or truncated . mouth in front of eyes with long nasoral grooves . nostrils with barbels . small spiracles behind eyes . small gill slits , two spinless dorsal fins . precaudal tail much shorter than head and body . unpatterned , juveniles will have a few dark spots .
this is a continental and insular shelf species restricted to a narrow band of shallow water from intertidal waters to depths of up to 70 m ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ( 4 ) . the tawny nurse shark lives on or near the bottom in lagoons , or close to coral and rocky reefs ( 2 ) . like other nurse sharks , this species uses crevices and caves for shelter ( 5 ) .
adults and juveniles feed on a wide diversity of benthic marine invertebrates including cephalopods , crustaceans , and sea urchins . the tawny nurse shark also feeds on small fishes including surgeonfish , queenfish and rabbitfish , as well as occasionally sea snakes . during its search for prey , this nurse shark swims along the bottom and explores holes and crevices along reefs . upon detection of prey , it uses suction to draw out - of - reach prey items into its mouth with great force .
the nurse shark has two rounded dorsal fins , rounded pectoral fins , an elongated caudal fin , and a broad head . nurse sharks are brownish . adults can grow up to 4 . 3 m ( 14 ft ) and weigh up to 330 kg ( 730 lb ) .
nurse sharks range in length from about 75 centimeters for the short tail nurse shark to 4 meters in length for the other types of nurse sharks . the average weight of a 240 centimeter long nurse shark is 330 pounds . they are generally dark in color or have dark scattered spots along their bodies . they have broad heads , no grooves around the outer edge of their nostrils , and relatively fat or stout bodies and tails . their anal fins are slightly behind their second dorsal fins and just in front of their caudal fins . anal fins are absent in some families of sharks .
teshima , k . , y . kamei , m . toda and s . uchida . 1995 . reproductive mode of the tawny nurse shark taken from the yaeyama islands . okinawa . japan with comments on individuals lacking the second dorsal fin . bull . seikai nat . fish . res . inst . , ( 73 ) : 1–12 .
the most remarkable feature of the tawny nurse shark is probably its curious ability to change colour between grey and sandy brown depending on the colour of its surroundings ( 3 ) . the tawny nurse shark is uniformly grey to tan - brown on its upper surfaces , paling slightly on the belly ( 2 ) ( 4 ) . juveniles can be distinguished from adults by the presence of small dark spots on the skin ( 4 ) . this large shark has a broad , flattened head with a squarish snout and tiny eyes ( 3 ) . there are two angular dorsal fins close to the tail , the pectoral fins curve backwards , and the long , narrow tail has a large upper lobe and almost no distinct lower lobe ( 4 ) ( 5 ) .
grillotia similis ( linton , 1908 ) comb . n . ( cestoda : trypanorhyncha ) from nurse sharks in the florida keys .
nurse sharks prefer to dwell near the sea floor in the warm , shallow waters of the western atlantic and eastern pacific oceans .
however , since nurse sharks attain lengths in excess of ten feet they are far too large to be kept in home aquaria .
the tawny nurse shark was first described as scyllium ferrugineum by lesson ( 1831 ) . however this name was later changed to the currently valid scientific name of nebrius ferrugineus ( lesson 1831 ) . synonyms include ginglymostoma concolor rüppell 1837 , ginglymostoma ferruginea lesson 1831 , ginglymostoma ferrugineum lesson 1831 , ginglymostoma muelleri günther 1870 , ginglymostoma rueppellii bleeker 1852 , nebrius concolor rüppell 1837 , nebrius doldi smith 1953 , nebrius macrurus garman 1913 ) , nebrodes concolor ogilbyi whitley 1934 , nebrodes macrurus garman 1913 , and scymnus porosu s ehrenberg 1871 . the genus name nebrius originates from the greek
nebris , - idos
, meaning skin of a fawn . the species name , ferrugineus , is derived from latin , referring to the brown coloration of this shark . the tawny nurse shark is a member of the family ginglymostomtidae .
he fijian shark culture and mythology is one which deeply appeals to me . the shark is revered by many fijians , and legend has it that
tawny nurse sharks are quite commonly encountered by divers . you may see them lying on a sandy floor or huddled together in their favourite cave or crevice during the day , or witness them hunting on a night dive . nurse sharks are easily recognised by their elongated caudal fin ( tail ) and barbels ( thin , fleshy , whisker - like organs on the lower jaw in front of the nostrils that sense taste and touch ) .
our improved understanding of shark behavior has led to scientists abandoning the term “shark attack” altogether , replacing it with “human - shark interactions , ” or “shark bites . ” it is important to realize that shark bites are extremely rare . you are 75 times more likely to be struck by lightning and 33 times more likely to be bitten by a dog than you are to be killed by a shark . but before you go swimming , you still need to know how to behave if you see a shark .
english language common names are tawny nurse shark , giant sleepy shark , madame x , nurse shark , rusty catshark , rusty shark , sleepy shark , spitting shark , and tawny shark . other common names include aarau ( kumak ) , bagea ( ro ) rodo ( gela ) , bákoa ( kirabati ) , brun nursehaj ( danish ) , chlarm ( khmer ) , cucut buta ( malay ) , endormi ( french ) , gata nodriza atezada ( spanish ) , geelbruine verpleegsterhaai ( dutch ) , hiu bisu ( jawa ) , hiu gedebong ( bali ) , hiu gedok ( bali ) , ma ' o rohoi ( tahitian ) , moemoeao ( samoan ) , moron ( malayam ) , nadammiyaru ( malayam ) , nek aarau ( kumak ) , nidammiyaru ( mahl ) , paab ( carolinian ) , pating ( tagalong ) , requin dormeur ( french ) , requin nourrice ( french ) , requin nourrice fauve ( french ) , requin - dormeur fauve ( french ) , reuse - vaakhaai ( afrikaans ) , rohoi ( tahitian ) , sunera ( marathi ) , and tubarão - de - leite tostado ( portuguese ) .
nurse sharks live in warm waters . they range from the eastern pacific ocean , eastern and western atlantic ocean to the indian ocean .
the teeth of nurse sharks are always sharp and effective because new rows of teeth develop constantly to replace older , worn down teeth .
the scientific name for the nurse shark sounds like something bilbo baggins might have said to summon elves to his rescue : ginglymostoma cirratum . actually the name is a mix of greek and latin and means
curled , hinged mouth
to describe this shark ' s somewhat puckered appearance .
size , age , and growth the maximum reported size of the tawny nurse shark is 10 . 5 feet ( 320 cm ) total length ( tl ) . the sex of this specimen caught in indonesian waters is unspecified . maturity is reached by males at lengths of approximately 7 . 4 feet ( 225 cm ) tl and by females around 7 . 6 feet ( 230 cm ) tl .
nurse sharks are commonly caught in small - scale local fisheries in some parts of its range , and are incidentally captured in many coastal fisheries ( 1 ) ( 2 ) . its tough , thick hide makes good leather , the flesh is consumed by humans and used for fishmeal , and oil is extracted from the liver ( 2 ) . the nurse shark is also captured for the aquarium trade , and is occasionally the target of spear fishermen ( 1 ) . as the nurse shark grows slowly and matures late , this exploitation can cause populations to decline rapidly and recover slowly ( 6 ) . the threat of overexploitation is compounded by the impact of humans on the coastal and reef habitats of the nurse shark ( 1 ) ( 6 ) . coral reefs are a particularly vulnerable habitat , being impacted by pollution , sedimentation , global climate change and disturbance from tourism ( 1 ) . extreme population reductions have already been recorded in the southern western atlantic , and it is possible that the nurse shark is declining , unnoticed , in other areas where there is a lack of data ( 1 ) . for this reason , the world conservation union ( iucn ) has classified the nurse shark as data deficient ( 1 ) .
there are now more than 10 , 000 shark pictures and sections on shark evolution , biology , and conservation . there is a large library of reviewed shark books , a constantly updated shark taxonomy page , a monster list of shark links , and deeper in the site there are numerous articles and stories about shark encounters . elasmodiver is now so difficult to check for updates , that new information and pictures are listed on an elasmodiver updates page that can be accessed here :
on one occasion , a large individual swam directly over our fish transect line , giving us a good estimate of the length which was close to 3m ( the maximum recorded length of the tawny nurse shark is 3 . 2 m ) . several of these large females have been observed swimming with the company of a single juvenile ( ~ 1 m ) which may be a year old pup of hers .
. nurse sharks can reach a length of 4 . 3 m ( 14 ft ) and a weight of 330 kg ( 730 lb ) .
tawny nurse sharks are found on sandy flats , rocky and coral reefs , seagrass beds , bottom substrate in lagoons and in the surf zone . they have been known to be in depths that range from intertidal water that barely covers their body , up to 70m . however , they are most frequently found between 5 - 30m .
another tactic used by this species is brute force . a 3m tawny nurse shark was filmed extracting a speared fish from under a coral head by wedging its body under the bommie and lifting its head and body to raise the entire coral structure ! the shark continued this behaviour until it was able to get close enough to suck the fish from the coral head . the bommie was estimated to weigh in excess of 450 kilogrammes ! dive the world obviously does not condone the tactics used by the film maker , however it does illustrate the strength and tenacity of this shark .
partial response plot for generalised linear models of log - transformed total shark abundance ( a - c ) and grey reef shark abundance ( d - f ) .
, the ancient shark god , provides protection for the people when at sea .
whysharksmatter talks about sharks and shark week on dr . kiki ' s science hour
on the shark dive you will be able to experience the breathtaking sight of up to eight species of sharks : blacktip reef sharks , whitetip reef sharks , grey reef sharks , silvertip sharks , tawny nurse sharks , sicklefin lemon sharks , bull sharks and the occasional tiger shark . in addition , you can also encounter giant groupers , maori wrasse , rainbow runners , giant trevally , java morays , eagle rays and more than 400 species of tropical reef fish , as documented by our 2010 census .
the origin of the name
nurse shark
is unclear . it may come from the sucking sound they make when hunting for prey in the sand , which vaguely resembles that of a nursing baby . or it may derive from an archaic word , nusse , meaning cat shark . the most likely theory though is that the name comes from the old english word for sea - floor shark : hurse .
nurse sharks are frequently encountered by divers , and most encounters are without incident . since nurse sharks are slower - moving fishes and are relatively tolerant of human beings , recreational divers seeking the thrill of a ride may grab them by the tail or by the dorsal fin . such encounters often end with a shark bite . once the bite is established , nurse sharks are reluctant to let go , and many small sharks either have been killed to remove them from the human victim or have been “worn” to a hospital for removal and treatment . bites can be severe because of the crushing power of their strong jaws . most attacks attributed to nurse sharks are provoked by humans , according to the international shark attack file maintained by the florida museum of natural history at the university of florida .
diving with sharks , often in combination with food baiting / provisioning , has become an important product of today’s recreational dive industry . whereas the effects baiting / provisioning has on the behaviour and abundance of individual shark species are starting to become known , there is an almost complete lack of equivalent data from multi - species shark diving sites . in this study , changes in species composition and relative abundances were determined at the shark reef marine reserve , a multi - species shark feeding site in fiji . using direct observation sampling methods , eight species of sharks ( bull shark carcharhinus leucas , grey reef shark carcharhinus amblyrhynchos , whitetip reef shark triaenodon obesus , blacktip reef shark carcharhinus melanopterus , tawny nurse shark nebrius ferrugineus , silvertip shark carcharhinus albimarginatus , sicklefin lemon shark negaprion acutidens , and tiger shark galeocerdo cuvier ) displayed inter - annual site fidelity between 2003 and 2012 . encounter rates and / or relative abundances of some species changed over time , overall resulting in more individuals ( mostly c . leucas ) of fewer species being encountered on average on shark feeding dives at the end of the study period . differences in shark community composition between the years 2004–2006 and 2007–2012 were evident , mostly because n . ferrugineus , c . albimarginatus and n . acutidens were much more abundant in 2004–2006 and very rare in the period of 2007–2012 . two explanations are offered for the observed changes in relative abundances over time , namely inter - specific interactions and operator - specific feeding protocols . both , possibly in combination , are suggested to be important determinants of species composition and encounter rates , and relative abundances at this shark provisioning site in fiji . this study , which includes the most species from a spatially confined shark provisioning site to date , suggests that long - term provisioning may result in competitive exclusion among shark species .
nurse sharks live off of sandy beaches , mud and sand flats , and from the intertidal zone on coral and rocky reefs to depths of 70 meters .
further information on gymnorhynchus isuri ( trypanorhyncha : gymnorhynchidae ) from the shortfin mako shark .
reefquest centre for shark research text and illustrations © r . aidan martin copyright | privacy
) . the term ' nusse ' or ' nurse ' was later extended to describe any large fish , especially a shark . although the spanish and dutch had been poking about the south pacific since about 1520 and 1642 , respectively , the english didn ' t begin exploring this region in earnest until 1768 , with the first voyage of captain james cook . therefore , english use of the term ' nurse ' to refer to a shark predates earliest british contact with south pacific islanders .
i would suggest that the etymology of the term ' nurse shark ' is pretty much as traced by lineaweaver and backus ( 1970 ) — see my post of 1 / 24 / 98 for a discussion . use in english of the name ' nuse ' or ' nurse - fish ' dates back to the 1550 ' s , when it was apparently used for what we now know as the spiny dogfish (
they are hardy and thrive in captivity which unfortunately sees them kept in aquariums across the globe , where they are often handfed . they can be feisty when on the end of a fishing line and have been known to ‘spit’ water in the faces of their hunters . tawny nurse sharks are one of the few species of shark to produce sound . when threatened , and out of their natural aquatic environment , they make grunting sounds between ‘spitting’ streams of water .
reproduction the tawny nurse shark has an aplacental viviparous ( ovoviviparous ) mode of reproduction . there is no embryonic nourishment from the placental structure within the mother ' s uterus ; the embryos feed off yolk contained within the egg case in which it grows . it appears that the tawny nurse shark practices oophagy on relatively large , cased nutritive eggs and is the first orectoloboid known to have uterine cannibalism . however , it is unknown if the fetuses of this species eat on other fetuses ( adelphophagy ) . in captivity , females lay cased eggs on the bottom substrate but these do not develop and may be nutritive and unfertilized . due to the confusion caused by the appearance of free eggs , this species was at one time considered to be oviparous . this species gives birth to litters of up to 8 pups , each measuring approximately 15 . 8 - 23 . 6 inches ( 40 - 60 cm ) in length at birth .
reproductive modes of elsmobranchs . shark news 9 : 1 - 3 ( june 1997 ) .
orders out of chaos - molecular phylogenetics reveals the complexity of shark and stingray tapeworm relationships .
whale shark ( rhincodon typus ) biology and ecology : a review of the primary literature .
nurse sharks have been observed resting on the bottom with their bodies supported on their fins , possibly providing a false shelter for crustaceans which they then ambush and eat .
whale sharks are not the only sharks you can expect to see around exmouth . reef sharks , mainly white tip reef sharks , are regular sightings at many dive sites , particularly on the navy pier . last summer there were over 20 whitetip sharks at the site , with up to 10 all reposing on the sand in one small area . quiet approach and observation allows divers to get within metres of these sharks ; often the first and closest underwater encounter with sharks for many of our divers . other sharks we have recorded seeing include grey nurse , tawny nurse , grey shark , oceanic white tip , bronze whaler and cat sharks .
for any shark diver , the species which are regular visitors to the reef come close to nirvana . to get an idea of how diverse the area is , of shark and man , a recent film by david diley , not only tells the story of the srmr but is a stunning showcase of the reef’s most regular visitors , including white - tip reefs , black - tip reefs , grey reefs , tawny nurse , sickle - fin lemons , silver - tip reefs , tigers , and – the species most consider to be the main attraction – bull sharks .
little has been documented about the life of young tawny nurse sharks . large females have been observed in the chagos archipelago ( about 500 km south of the maldives ) in the company of a single juvenile ( less than 1m long ) which may be a year old pup of hers . juveniles are known to rest on their pectoral fins , which are rolled under their bodies . it is thought that the space under the bodies of these predators may be mistaken for a home by a shelter - seeking fish or shrimp , unfortunately for the poor unsuspecting individual they become the tawny ' s next meal .
tawny nurse sharks have barbels , powerful jaws and sharp comb - like teeth that overlap . they have approximately 30 rows of teeth in their upper jaw and 27 rows in their lower jaw . they range in colour from yellowish , reddish , to greyish brown on top , and off - white on their belly . there are no ridges present on the body . their caudal fin ( tail like ) is moderately long , measuring over a ¼ of the total length of the shark .
a common description of the origin of the name nurse shark suggests that the sound they make when feeding at the surface resembles a nursing animal . however , the name is likely derived from the word nusse , a middle english form of the word nurse . nusse may have originated from the slurring of the middle english word huss , which was itself used in the 1500s to describe cat sharks or other large fish that were probably sharks .
for these reasons , responding to shark bites ( fatal or non - fatal ) by wishing all sharks dead , spreading panic or actually hunting down and killing sharks is irresponsible and unwise . instead , we should think like achmat hassiem , a south african shark attack survivor and adorned paralympian . he became a shark conservationist after his right leg was bitten off by a great white shark .
nurse sharks eat a variety of foods . their diet includes small fishes , shrimps , octopus , sea snails , crabs , lobsters , squid , sea urchin , and corals .
occurring along continental and insular shelves , the tawny nurse shark resides at depths ranging from the intertidal to depths of at least 230 feet ( 70 m ) but more commonly from 16 - 98 feet ( 5 - 30 m ) . it is observed on or near the bottom substrate in lagoons , sandy areas in close proximity to reefs , off sandy beaches , and along the outer edges of coral and rocky reefs . although this species is primarily nocturnal , it is sometimes active during daylight hours . it often hides in caves and crevices as well as in more exposed areas , this nurse shark has even been observed piled across or on top of each other in aggregations . it has a limited home range , returning to the same area every day after foraging for prey items .
the nurse shark inhabits inshore tropical and subtropical waters , where it is found at depths of less than one meter down to 130 metres ( 2 ) . it is frequently found on rocky and coral reefs , and in channels between mangroves keys and sand flats ( 2 ) .
mean depth of observation differed between species , with five species ( tawny nurse , tiger , white tip reef , black tip reef and grey reef ) observed predominantly on shallow sites ( < 40 m ) and three species ( silvertip , scalloped and great hammerheads ) observed mainly on deeper sites . 95 % confidence intervals for the mean depths indicate that the two groups occupied significantly different depth ranges ( fig 4 ) .
in the present study , we evaluate data from the shark reef marine reserve , a multi - species shark feeding site in fiji [ 16 ] , [ 17 ] . up to eight different species of sharks can be encountered at shark reef , namely bull sharks carcharhinus leucas , whitetip reef sharks triaenodon obesus , blacktip reef sharks carcharhinus melanopterus , tawny nurse sharks nebrius ferrugineus , silvertip sharks carcharhinus albimarginatus , sicklefin lemon sharks negaprion acutidens , c . amblyrhynchos and g . cuvier . since 2003 , parts of shark reef have been declared as a no - take zone that is visited 3 to 4 times per week by a single dive operator [ 17 ] . previous research from this site has shown that the number of c . leucas , the numerically dominant species at the shark reef marine reserve , increased over the years , but decreased over the course of a calendar year [ 9 ] , [ 16 ] . in 2006 , a competitor dive operator started to conduct shark feeding dives on the neighbouring lake reef ( fig . 1a ) , mostly on the same days and times when dives on shark reef take place .
the whale shark , rhincodon typus , is a livebearer : 300 embryos found in one ‘megamamma’ supreme .
it wouldn’t have occurred to me that the lack of females featured in shark week was an issue until i started a non - profit to fund shark research . at events , i met young girls that were being told by other kids that , “only boys like sharks” and being discouraged from following their passion . i realized that if your only experience with shark research / conservation is shark week – like it is for most kids – you may believe that shark science is a career only for men . the reality is , shark science is comprised of many women who live every week like it’s shark week . i wanted to find a way to connect the two groups , and so the gills club was born !
the nurse shark is included as a vulnerable species in the official list of endangered animals in brazil , fisheries are managed within united states ' waters , and the colombian government is considering a ban on the nurse shark fishery along with an extensive habitat protection campaign ( 1 ) . however , in regions outside of the western atlantic , the lack of data makes it difficult to assess the status of populations , and subsequently to implement appropriate conservation measures . measures recommended include the regulation of spear - fishing and the marine ornamental fish trade , compulsory release of incidentally caught sharks , and the establishment of no - fishing areas encompassing mating and breeding grounds ( 1 ) . countries should be motivated to take action to prevent over - fishing of the nurse shark as it is likely to be far more valuable alive for dive - tourism than as fisheries products ( 6 ) .
nocturnal by nature , the tawny nurse shark is most commonly seen during the day resting in caves or under ledges . by night , these predators use their large pharynx as a powerful suction pump to rapidly suck in reef organisms from inside holes and crevices . food of this shark includes corals , crabs , lobsters and other crustaceans , sea urchins , and reef fish including surgeonfish ( acanthuridae ) , queenfish ( carangidae ) and rabbitfish ( siganidas ) . these sharks may be one of the few animals that specializes in preying upon octopus , which may explain the timid nature of the abundant octopus we have observed hiding in reef crevices .
since the 1950s lemon sharks and the common atlantic nurse shark have been used in experiments to test the ability of sharks to learn . experiments performed in the 1960s showed that nurse sharks could be trained to respond to a sound signal from a bell and could remember the training after a several - month break between training sessions . other experiments conducted by the u . s . navy showed that they could be trained to retrieve a ring thrown into a pool by a trainer .
' plurse ' sounds rather like an example of the pidgin english widely spoken throughout much of melanesia , suggesting the possibility that it was the south pacific islanders who slurred the english word ' nurse ' and that ipso facto the english term for the shark in question predates the south pacific one .
the geographical range of the tawny nurse shark ranges includes waters off of south africa , mozambique , mauritius , seychelles , chagos archipelago and madagascar to red sea , maldives , persian gulf , india , malaysia , indonesia , singapore , thailand , viet nam , china , taiwan ( province of china ) , japan ( ryukyu islands , southern honshu ) , philippines ( luzon ) , papua new guinea , australia ( western australia , northern territory , and queensland ) , new caledonia , new ireland , samoa , palau , marshall islands , and tahiti .
a new genus and species of tetraphyllidean cestode from the spadenose shark , scoliodon laticaudus , in malaysian borneo .
attachment site specificity and the tapeworm assemblage in the spiral intestine of the blue shark ( prionace glauca ) .
your last resort if you actually get bitten would be to defend yourself by punching or kicking at the shark’s nose or clawing at its eyes and gills , then exiting the water as soon as the shark retreats .
with all of the improvements promised for 2015’s shark week , i do hope that rich ross plays close attention to this blog and that 2016 will feature the much more diverse and exciting reality of modern shark science .
the tawny nurse shark resides in inshore waters that are heavily fished and is often captured in demersal trawls , gill nets , and baited hook and line throughout much of its range outside of australia . in australian waters , this species is taken in small numbers as bycatch in gillnets and meshing . off queensland , australia it is fished recreationally as a big game fish and are prized as powerful fighters . the flesh is marketed as fresh or dried salted for human consumption while the fins are shipped to the asian shark fin market . its liver may also be utilized for vitamins and oil , the offal processed into fishmeal , and the thick hide used for leather .
this has been described as a much more docile species than its close relative , ginglymostoma cirratum , and apparently usually allows humans to touch and play with it without biting . however , there are a few non - fatal attack records of these sharks biting their tormentors , and clamping tightly onto them . because of its size and strength , the tawny shark should be regarded as potentially dangerous and treated with respect . this is a tough , hardy shark that readily survives in captivity .
they are thought to take advantage of dormant fish which would otherwise be too fast for the sharks to catch ; although their small mouths limit the size of prey items , the sharks have large throat cavities which are used as a sort of bellows valve . in this way nurse sharks are able to suck in their prey with a short , violent influx of water . nurse sharks are also known to consume
maximization of evolutionary trends for placental viviparity in the spadenose shark , scoliodon laticaudus . env . biol . fish .
a new species of calliobothrium ( tetraphyllidea : onchobothriidae ) from the whiskery shark , furgaleus macki , in australia .
effects of large - scale anthropogenic development on juvenile lemon shark ( negaprion brevirostris ) populations of bimini , bahamas .
named the best shark dive in the world by diving legends ron and valerie taylor , the fiji shark dive has been experienced by countless diving icons , professional photographers and cameramen , industry professionals and clients alike . this is the original and unmatched product featuring fiji’s unique and highly experienced crew of shark divers – much copied but never equalled !
in order to determine changes in species composition and relative abundances at the shark reef marine reserve , we asked the following questions : 1 ) did species composition and / or encounter rates change over time at the shark reef marine reserve ? 2 ) are there seasonal and / or long - term changes in relative abundance of the different shark species at the feeding site ? 3 ) does the presence of a competitor operator conducting shark feeds at a nearby reef have an effect on shark abundance at the shark reef feeding site ? in answering these questions , our results provide baseline data on the long - term trends in relative abundance and seasonal cycles , and help elucidate whether the numbers of the eight species of sharks visiting the shark reef marine reserve changed over the years . additionally , our data provide important fisheries - independent information on shark populations that can supplement long - term monitoring and serve for conservation purposes .
very little is known about most shark mating rituals , and the same holds true for the nurse shark . the atlantic nurse shark has been observed mating on the ocean floor . in general , the male inseminates the female with his claspers ( these are located between the male ' s pelvic fins ) . during mating he turns his claspers foward and inserts one into the female and transfers his sperm . nurse sharks can be either oviparous or ovoviparous . in oviparous organisms the eggs develop and hatch on the outside of the body . the pups , as baby sharks are called , hatch out of a leathery protective covering with the yolk attached and stay on the ocean floor until they fully mature . in ovoviparous creatures the eggs develop on the inside of the body and hatch within or immediately after extrusion by the parent . the yolk of these pups are hatched inside the uterus before the pups are developed , and they too have leathery eggs . these sharks have from 20 - 30 pups at a time . nurse sharks grow about 13 centimeters in length and 2 - 3 kilograms a year . they do not reach sexually maturity until they are from 15 to 20 years old .
to help divers find the best places to encounter the different species of sharks and rays that live in shallow water but it has slowly evolved into a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark diving and shark photography .
the tawny shark embryos are oophagous , unique among carpet sharks , meaning that while they are still inside the mother’s uterus they feed on eggs produced by the ovary . generally 1 to 4 pups are born ( however up to 8 live young have been recorded ) and each measures about 40 cm . juveniles can be distinguished from adults by the presence of small dark spots on their skin .


kootenichela deppi is an extinct arthropod described from the middle cambrian of the kootenay national park , canada .

it belongs to the " great appendage arthropods " .

kootenichela appears to be the sister taxon of worthenella , from cladistic analysis .

the species name deppi comes from the actor johnny depp , after his role as edward scissorhands in the film of the same name .

david legg , the discoverer of kootenichela , said : " when i first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species i could not help but think of edward scissorhands .

even the genus name , kootenichela , includes the reference to this film as ' chela ' is latin for claws or scissors .

in truth , i am also a bit of a depp fan and so what better way to honour the man than to immortalise him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea ? " kootenichela appears to be a primitive arthropod .

it has an elongated body composed of at least 29 segments of similar shape and appearance .

on the head , there are large eyes supported by stalks and an appendage resembling an antenna .

the appendages bound to the trunk are poorly sclerotised .

it was approximately 4 centimetres ( 1.6 in ) long .

most prominent are the claw-like , spinose cephalic appendages , which seem to suggest affinities with the " great appendage " arthropods .

kootenichela

this 505 - million - year old extinct arthropod was named kootenichela deppi for actor johnny depp .
the 505 - million - year - old fossil , named kootenichela deppi , is a distant ancestor of lobsters and scorpions .
the latest species to be named after hollywood royalty is a 505 - million - year old extinct arthropod now called kootenichela deppi for actor johnny depp .
the 505 million - year - old ' kootenichela deppi ' - a nod to lead actor johnny depp - is an ancestor of lobsters and scorpions .
“just imagine it : the prawns covered in mayonnaise in your sandwich , the spider climbing up your wall and even the fly that has been banging into your window and annoyingly flying into your face are all descendants of kootenichela deppi . current estimates indicate that there are more than one million known insects and potentially 10 million more yet to be categorized , which potentially means that kootenichela deppi has a huge family tree , ” dr legg said .
dr legg believes that kootenichela deppi would have been a hunter or scavenger . its large edward scissorhands - like claws with their elongated spines may have been used to capture prey , or they could have helped it to probe the sea floor looking for sea creatures hiding in sediment .
“when i first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species i could not help but think of edward scissorhands . even the genus name , kootenichela , includes the reference to this film as ‘ chela ’ is latin for claws or scissors . in truth , i am also a bit of a depp fan and so what better way to honour the man than to immortalize him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea ? ” explained dr legg , who has described kootenichela deppi in a paper published in the journal of paleontology .
kootenichela deppi belongs to a group known as the ‘great - appendage’ arthropods , or megacheirans , which refers to the enlarged pincer - like frontal claws that they share . the ‘great - appendage’ arthropods are an early relation of arthropods , which includes spiders , scorpions , centipedes , millipedes , insects and crabs .
even the genus name , kootenichela , includes the reference to this film as ‘chela’ is latin for claws or scissors . in truth , i am also a bit of a depp fan and so what better way to honour the man than to immortalise him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea ? ”
even the genus name , kootenichela , includes the reference to this film , as ' chela ' is latin for claws or scissors ,
legg added .
in truth , i am also a bit of a depp fan and so what better way to honour the man than to immortalise him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea ?
kootenichela deppi lived in very shallow seas , similar to modern coastal environments , off the cost of british columbia in canada , which was situated much closer to the equator 500 million years ago . the sea temperature would have been much hotter than it is today and although coral reefs had not yet been established , the creature would have lived in a similar environment consisting of sponges .
kootenichela deppi was about 1 . 5 inches ( 4 cm ) long with an elongated trunk for a body and millipede - like legs , which it used to scuttle along the sea floor with the occasional short swim . it also had large eyes composed of many lenses like the compound eyes of a fly . they were positioned on top of movable stalks called peduncles to help it more easily search for food and look out for predators .
“when i first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species i could not help but think of edward scissorhands . even the genus name , kootenichela , includes the reference to this film as ‘chela’ is latin for claws or scissors . in truth , i am also a bit of a depp fan and so what better way to honour the man than to immortalise him as an ancient creature that once roamed the sea ? ”
a scientist has discovered an ancient extinct creature with scissor hand - like claws in fossil records and named it in honour of a movie star .
the 505 million year old fossil called kooteninchela deppi ( pronounced koo - ten - ee - che - la depp - eye ) , which is a distant ancestor of lobsters and scorpions , was named after the actor johnny depp for his starring role as edward scissorhands - a movie about an artificial man named edward , an unfinished creation , who has scissors for hands .
kooteninchela deppi is helping researchers to piece together more information about life on earth during the cambrian period when nearly all modern animal types emerged .
kooteninchela deppi lived in very shallow seas , similar to modern coastal environments , off the cost of british columbia in canada , which was situated much closer to the equator 500 million years ago . the sea temperature would have been much hotter than it is today and although coral reefs had not yet been established , kooteninchela deppi would have lived in a similar environment consisting of sponges .
the researcher believes that kooteninchela deppi would have been a hunter or scavenger . its large edward scissorhands - like claws with their elongated spines may have been used to capture prey , or they could have helped it to probe the sea floor looking for sea creatures hiding in sediment .
kooteninchela deppi was approximately four centimetres long with an elongated trunk for a body and millipede - like legs , which it used to scuttle along the sea floor with the occasional short swim .
it also had large eyes composed of many lenses like the compound eyes of a fly . they were positioned on top of movable stalks called peduncles to help it more easily search for food and look out for predators .
the researcher discovered that kooteninchela deppi belongs to a group known as the ‘great - appendage’ arthropods , or megacheirans , which refers to the enlarged pincer - like frontal claws that they share . the ‘great - appendage’ arthropods are an early relation of arthropods , which includes spiders , scorpions , centipedes , millipedes , insects and crabs .
david legg adds : “just imagine it : the prawns covered in mayonnaise in your sandwich , the spider climbing up your wall and even the fly that has been banging into your window and annoyingly flying into your face are all descendants of kooteninchela deppi . current estimates indicate that there are more than one million known insects and potentially 10 million more yet to be categorised , which potentially means that kooteninchela deppi has a huge family tree . ”
in the future , david legg intends to further his research and study fossilised creatures from the ordovician , the geological period that saw the largest increase in diversity of species on the planet . he hopes to understand why this happened in order to learn more about the current diversity of species on earth .
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dr david legg , a paleontologist with the department of earth science and engineering at imperial college london , has discovered an ancient creature with scissor hand - like claws and named it after the actor johnny depp for his portrayal of edward scissorhands in the 1990 film about an artificial man who has scissors for hands .
bibliographic information : david legg . 2013 . multi - segmented arthropods from the middle cambrian of british columbia ( canada ) . journal of paleontology 87 ( 3 ) : 493 - 501
juvenile australopithecus climbed trees , 3 . 32 - million - year - old foot fossil shows
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celebrity names will be preserved for posterity in film reels , heaps of tabloid magazines and taxonomy textbooks , too .
a fossil of the organism , a distant ancestor of lobsters and scorpions , has pinchers that recalled edward scissorhands , the misunderstood monster played by depp in the eponymous 1990 tim burton movie , according to the researcher who named it . [ starstruck : species named after celebrities ]
when i first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species i could not help but think of edward scissorhands ,
david legg , who studied the creature as part of his doctorate research at the imperial college london , said in a statement .
the fossil was found in kootenay national park in british columbia , canada , which would have been much closer to the equator 500 million years ago , during the cambrian period .
legg believes kooteninchela deppi , which measured just 1 . 5 inches ( 4 centimeters ) in length , would have scuttled across the sand in a shallow sea environment , hunting or scavenging for food . its large claws have elongated spines , which may have been used to capture prey or probe the seafloor for meals hiding under the sediment .
it also had large , fly - like eyes with many lenses nestled atop movable stalks to look out for food and avoid predators , the researcher said .
depp is far from the first celebrity to get a taxonomic tribute . from beyonce to arnold schwarzenegger to roy orbison , the rich and famous have sometimes had entire species named after them , an honor once reserved for scientists .
kooteninchela deppi is a primitive relative of today ' s arthropods , a group that includes spiders , scorpions , centipedes , millipedes , insects and crabs .
just imagine it : the prawns covered in mayonnaise in your sandwich , the spider climbing up your wall and even the fly that has been banging into your window and annoyingly flying into your face are all descendants of kooteninchela deppi ,
legg added .
his description of the species was published this month in the journal of paleontology .
follow megan gannon on twitter and google + . follow us @ livescience , facebook & google + . original article on live science .
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full reference : d . legg . 2013 . multi - segmented arthropods from the middle cambrian of british columbia ( canada ) . journal of paleontology 87 ( 3 ) : 493 - 501
smarter homes are better for the planet . here ' s how to get on board
an ancient species has been named after edward scissorhands because of the shape of its claws .
an artist ' s impression has been released of the newly - discovered creepy - crawly by imperial college london .
its fossilised remains show it had sharp claws , triggering comparisons with the 1990 film .
the animal would have lived in shallow seas similar to modern coastal environments off the coast of british columbia in canada .
phd student david legg said :
when i first saw the pair of isolated claws in the fossil records of this species i could not help but think of edward scissorhands .
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euhyparpax is a genus of moths of the family notodontidae , the prominents .

there are two species : euhyparpax amatame ( dyar , 1916 ) euhyparpax rosea beutenmüller , 1893

euhyparpax

euhyparpax rosea beutenmüller , 1893 ; bull . amer . mus . nat . hist . 5 ( 2 ) : 19 ; tl : colorado , custer co . , west cliff
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upcoming events 2018 bugguide gathering in virginia july 27 - 29 : registration and discussion photos of insects and people from the 2015 gathering in wisconsin , july 10 - 12 photos of insects and people from the 2014 gathering in virginia , june 4 - 7 . photos of insects and people from the 2013 gathering in arizona , july 25 - 28 photos of insects and people from the 2012 gathering in alabama photos of insects and people from the 2011 gathering in iowa photos from the 2010 workshop in grinnell , iowa photos from the 2009 gathering in washington
greer , apache county , arizona , usa july 18 , 2013 size : wingspan approx . 40mm
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ribaldia dyar , 1916 ; proc . u . s . nat . mus . 51 ( 2139 ) : 22 ; ts : ribaldia amatame dyar
ribaldia amatame dyar , 1916 ; proc . u . s . nat . mus . 51 ( 2139 ) : 22 ; tl : mexico , hidalgo , guerrero mill
[ nacl ] ; hodges , 1983 check list of the lepidoptera of america north of mexico check list lep . am . n of mexico
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lafontaine , j . d . and b . c . schmidt . 2010 . annotated check list of the noctuoidea ( insecta , lepidoptera ) of north america north of mexico . zookeys 40 : 1 - 239 .
described in the 19th century , the species has been found in only one or two locations in the last 40 or 50 years . stochastic events such as development , fires , or alien weed impact could also eliminate populations of the moth .
due to latency between updates made in state , provincial or other natureserve network databases and when they appear on natureserve explorer , for state or provincial information you may wish to contact the data steward in your jurisdiction to obtain the most current data . please refer to
known from only type locality ( custer county ) in central southern colorado and from near silver city , grant county , new mexico ( opler , 2000b ) .
the small range is susceptible to stochastic events such as fire , invasive alien plants , or inadvertent management actions that might be to the species ' detriment .
( 250 - 20 , 000 square km ( about 100 - 8000 square miles ) ) known from only type locality ( custer county ) in central southern colorado and from near silver city , grant county , new mexico ( opler , 2000b ) .
probably an oak feeder like the related h . aurora ( schweitzer , pers . comm . , 2002 ) .
a location where the species occurs , or has recently occurred , where there is potential for persistence or continued recurrence . minimally a place where an adult or larva has be been verified associated with suitable habitat and foodplant . verification standards vary by species and location but sight records should not be the basis for new eos . a few species , most notably datana , are much easier to identify from specimens or photos of last instar larvae ( see forbes , 1948 ) than from adults . wagner et al . ( 1997 ) and wagner ( 2005 ) are also useful for larvae . many species can be identified from either stage and except for some datana the larvae do not have to be last instars . genitalia dissection will sometimes be necessary with single adult specimens or even small series and obviously for such species photographs are not acceptable .
when possible base boundaries on vegetation structure , foodplant distribution in area or other known habitat features . see habitat and food comments fields for species - specific information on what constitutes habitat when mapping occurrences . note in particular care must be taken for the few that specialize on tree or shrubs that are localized within large forests .
when multiple habitat patches occur in a large community complex such as a barrens or savanna or in a landscape feature like a ridgeline or canyon , regard all as one metapopulation .
there are no real data but experience generally suggests habitats are either fully occupied or vacant at least over periods of a few years and usually in every generation . occurrences are usually hundreds of hectares to dozens of square kilometers . occurrences even of globally rare species can be more than 10 kilometers in at least one dimension - - at least in new jersey . all of this argues for large separation distances within suitable habitat . adult males are powerful fliers but heavily laden females probably are not . very few species feed as adults and so they probably do not live long . individual movements are probably modest , a few kilometers or less . long distance strays are virtually unknown . this suggests a short distance across unsuitable habitat . clearly some species recognize and respond to habitat features , for example all known occurrences of heterocampa varia in new jersey are clearly mostly in the 500 to 10 , 000 + hectare range but strays of males out of habitat are rare and of females unknown even with potential foodplants ( oaks ) ubiquitous . datana ranaeceps also rarely is found out of habitat there even though its foodplant is much more widespread and this moth seems absent from virtually all ( dozens to few hundred hectare ) habitat patches more than about 10 kilometers from the true pine barrens region in new jersey . h . varia appears to be absent from the willow grove lake preserve in new jersey even though there is a large population in nearby similar xeric oak woodland which would have been no more than about 10 - 20 kilometers separated originally , although more now . one does not usually find the forest species in residential areas more than a kilometers from woods . females at least apparently do not cross unsuitable habitat often . many species are very heavily egg laden and deposit eggs in rather large masses rather quickly after mating and so probably do not disperse them widely . some clostera and datana are extreme examples but females of heterocampa sometimes and schizura probably always also lay eggs in masses , although often in more , smaller masses . this also supports short distances over unsuitable habitats . do not use the 2 kilometer distance with substantial ( > 100 hectare ) occupied habitat patches separated by areas of marginal habitat .
most notodontidae are widespread woodland or forest moths and typically they are not localized within such places unless the foodplant is . for species where there is some understanding of what actually is suitable habitat , few if any , observations suggest consistent partial occupancy but as noted some do require certain vegetation features ( often sparsely wooded to open scrub of some sort ) in addition to foodplant . notodontids seem to reliably occupy all available habitat where they are present at all , although they may of course be temporarily absent from patches within larger habitats ( especially datana ) . this radius is certainly unrealistically low for most species in large expanses of habitat but some limit is needed . if the habitat does not appear to be a large scale forest or woodland type , do not use this radius . for example some datana and a few others do sometimes occur in small habitats , but in such cases these should be obvious based on the foodplant .
use the generic guidelines for the application of occurrence ranks ( 2008 ) . the key for ranking species occurrences using the generic approach provides a step - wise process for implementing this method .
zoological data developed by natureserve and its network of natural heritage programs ( see local programs ) and other contributors and cooperators ( see sources ) .
beutenmueller , w . 1893 . bulletin of the american museum of natural history 5 : 19 .
draudt , m . 1940 . notodontidae . pages 901 - 1070 in a . seitz . the macrolepidoptera of the world . volume 6 , part 2 . alfred kernen , stuttgart , germany .
ferguson , d . c . , c . e . harp , p . a . opler , r . s . peigler , m . pogue , j . a . powell , and m . j . smith . 1999 . moths of north america . jamestown , nd : northern prairie wildlife research center home page . online . available : urltoken ( version 07jan2002 ) .
neumoegen , b . and h . g . dyar . 1894 . a preliminary revision of the lepidopterous family notodontidae . transactions of the american entomological society 21 : 179 - 208 .
opler , p . a . 2000a . notodontidae of north america . draft working document . abi contract number : zoo - 010100 .
opler , p . a . 2000b . unpublished notes on notodontidae in museums including american museum of natural history ; gillette museum of arthropod biodiversity - - colorado state university ; national museum of natural history ; and california insect survey - - university of california at berkeley .
packard , a . s . 1895 . monograph of the bombycine moths of american north of mexico . part 1 . notodontidae . national academy of sciences , memoir 7 - 390 , 7 maps .
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