Short-tail nurse shark

The short-tail nurse shark (Pseudoginglymostoma brevicaudatum) is a small orectolobiform shark in the family Ginglymostomatidae and the only member of the genus Pseudoginglymostoma. It lives in the tropical western Indian Ocean between latitudes 0 and 27 degrees south, with documented records off Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar and Mozambique and unconfirmed sightings near the Seychelles and Mauritius. The maximum recorded length is 75 centimetres. It is a little-known bottom shark of the inshore continental and island shelves, whose tough skin suits it to lying among coral reefs, and it can survive many hours out of water. Unlike its ovoviviparous relatives it has been seen laying eggs in captivity, and in 2024 an aquarium trial found captive animals favoured krill and mussels, although the natural diet remains unknown. The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered.