General Information

COMMON NAMES: Nurse Shark, Giant Sleepy Shark, Tawny Nurse-Shark; French Requin Nourrice Fauve TRADITIONAL NAMES: Mangō Moeava (MT), Mangō Moemoe-ao (AK), Moemoeava (TS TW), Moemoeau ?s (MH); Other Polynesian - Mao Rohoi (TAH); COMMENT: Name Moemoeao is the same as for Lemon Shark (Negaprion acutidens). GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Tuamotus; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, lagoon and outer reef-slope to 70m; rests on sand SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Injurous bite - serious KEY FEATURES: A large sluggish shark to 3m; obvious nasal barbel with each nostril. Brown to dark grey-brown above; Dorsal fins, similar, close set, on posterior half of body; tail elongate (25% of total body, with a subterminal notch but without a distinct lower lobe. SIMILAR SPECIES: The large barbels are distinctive, along with the size and position of the two dorsal fins.

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present    Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
-					+

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
P	P

Nebrius ferrugineus (Lesson, 1831)
SYNONYMS: Ginglymostoma ferrugineum; Nebrius concolor; Scyllium ferrugineum [O]

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; CHONDRICHTHYES; Orectolobiformes; GINGYLMOSTOMATIDAE

Vouchers:
Tongareva: reported by residents, N.Sims as N. ?concolor (Sims88). Manihiki: reported by residents, N.Sims as N. ?concolor (Sims88).

References:
text p.32 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 7a Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.25,15t Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.40 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 1-03 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 1-03 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....
Species No. 3 Munro (1967) Fishes of New Guinea

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

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