nurse shark

American  

noun

1. any of several sharks of the family Orectolobidae, especially Ginglymostoma cirratum, occurring in shallow waters from Rhode Island to Brazil and the Gulf of California to Ecuador.

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nurse shark British  

noun

1. any of various sharks of the family Orectolobidae, such as Ginglymostoma cirratum of the Atlantic Ocean, having an external groove on each side of the head between the mouth and nostril

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Etymology

Origin of nurse shark

First recorded in 1850–55; allegedly so called because the male habitually hangs on to the female's fin with his teeth

Example Sentences

Last season, almost 90% of the animals caught in NSW's nets were not target species – including 11 critically endangered, and largely docile, grey nurse sharks.

From BBC

Because nurse sharks have such tough skin, I use a mallet to tap the tag into the cartilage at the base of the dorsal fin.

From Scientific American

Scientists have known nurse sharks have used the waters off the Tortugas as a breeding ground since at least the late 19th century, but the question of whether the sharks returned to the area lingered.

From Seattle Times

In 1984, she helped campaign to make the grey nurse shark the first protected shark species in the world.

From New York Times

On the roof above the reef, Anna Garcia, holding a blue and white target shaped like a football, lowers herself into the water on a mechanical platform and calls out for Mikey the nurse shark.

From Washington Times