Researchers at Turks and Caicos Islands have captured rare footage showing a nurse shark using its pectoral fins to walk and position itself on the sea floor in an attempt to access perceived prey.
But the footage, captured by the nonprofit Beneath the Waves, also reveals an impressive biting technique that involves sucking and simultaneously clamping down with remarkably powerful jaws.
Dr. Austin Gallagher, chief scientist at Beneath the Waves, shared the video last week via Twitter and stated:
“Nurse sharks use their fins to walk and position themselves. Cool behaviors we recorded last week in TCI. Sometimes it’s the small things like this that give me ocean optimism. Likely known before, but does anyone else have similar recent footage? If so, let’s talk!”
Nurse sharks use their fins to walk and position themselves. Cool behaviors we recorded last week in TCI. Sometimes it’s the small things like this that give me ocean optimism. Likely known before, but does anyone else have similar recent footage? If so, let’s talk! pic.twitter.com/TOk7XQS05Q
— Dr. Austin Gallagher (@DrAustinG) February 5, 2021
To be sure, nurse sharks possess unique qualities.
The footage shared by Gallagher shows how they use their stout pectoral fins as limbs for maneuvering. He told For The Win Outdoors that the shark featured in the video was lured to the camera by “a baited remote underwater video station” as part of a research effort supported by the Turks and Caicos Islands government.
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Scientists are studying shark and ray biodiversity and behavior in the country, Gallagher said, adding that the Waitt Foundation and Big Blue Collective also support the research.
Nurse sharks, which inhabit tropical and subtropical waters in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans, can measure 10-plus feet. They’re nocturnal hunters that rest in caves and crevasses during the day.
They’re typically docile when encountered by divers, but will bite if disturbed or threatened.
The Florida Museum states: “Nurse sharks are not generally aggressive and usually swim away when approached. However, some unprovoked attacks on swimmers and divers have been reported.
“If disturbed, they may bite with a powerful, vice-like grip capable of inflicting serious injury. In some instances, the jaws lock and can only be released using surgical instruments.”
Their strong jaws and tiny serrated teeth come in handy as they forage along the bottom for crustaceans, mollusks, and small rays. According to the Florida Museum, nurse sharks have been observed flipping heavy-shelled conches and extracting the meat with their rapid sucking-biting motion.