Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Dive deeper into the shark species found at Clearwater Marine Aquarium as we celebrate shark awareness this week! 🦈 You may be familiar with larger nurse sharks, but have you seen the much smaller short-tail nurse shark species? Although they are part of the same family and may appear somewhat similar, these are very distinct species! Short-tail nurse sharks only grow up to 2.5 feet in length compared to the Atlantic nurse sharks that can reach 10-14 feet. The critically endangered short-tail nurse shark is found in shallow coastal waters in the Western Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, where they have been declining due to coral reef habitat loss. Similar to their larger cousins, short-tail nurse sharks are mainly nocturnal and bottom dwellers. You can see the fascinating short-tail nurse sharks in the Sea Cavern on your next visit to CMA! Tip: visit early in the morning or later in the day to see them when they're most active!
Donate and support CMA at HelpCMA.org!
© 2025 Clearwater Marine Aquarium
We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
facebook.com/ClearwaterMarineAquarium
instagram.com/cmaquarium
twitter.com/CMAquarium
tiktok.com/@cmaquarium
cmaquarium.org
Dive deeper into the shark species found at Clearwater Marine Aquarium as we celebrate shark awareness this week! 🦈 You may be familiar with larger nurse sharks, but have you seen the much smaller short-tail nurse shark species? Although they are part of the same family and may appear somewhat similar, these are very distinct species! Short-tail nurse sharks only grow up to 2.5 feet in length compared to the Atlantic nurse sharks that can reach 10-14 feet. The critically endangered short-tail nurse shark is found in shallow coastal waters in the Western Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, where they have been declining due to coral reef habitat loss. Similar to their larger cousins, short-tail nurse sharks are mainly nocturnal and bottom dwellers. You can see the fascinating short-tail nurse sharks in the Sea Cavern on your next visit to CMA! Tip: visit early in the morning or later in the day to see them when they're most active!
Donate and support CMA at HelpCMA.org!
© 2025 Clearwater Marine Aquarium
We believe in preserving our environment while inspiring the human spirit through leadership in the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of marine life; environmental education; research; and conservation. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
facebook.com/ClearwaterMarineAquarium
instagram.com/cmaquarium
twitter.com/CMAquarium
tiktok.com/@cmaquarium
cmaquarium.org
