Ginglymostomatidae

Pacific nurse shark

Ginglymostoma unami

Hiding in Pacific reef caves by day and feeding nightly

• Tropical
• Local endemic species
• Restricted distribution
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• North America
• South America
• Other
• Large
• Tropical fish

The pacific nurse shark (Ginglymostoma unami) is a medium sized shark from the family Ginglymostomatidae. The species is endemic to the Tropical Eastern Pacific, and is not to be confused with its sister species Ginglymostoma cirratum, which is restricted to the Atlantic Ocean. G. unami has the characteristic round, elongated body and fin shape of nurse sharks, which can be useful when identifying them in aerial image data.