| Main Ref. | Compagno, L.J.V., 1998 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral (shape guide) | elongated |
| Cross section | angular |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | placoid scales |
| Diagnosis |
This large, bulky nurse shark is distinguished by the following features: side of body without lateral ridges; precaudal tail shorter than trunk; spiracles much smaller than eyes; nostrils close to front of snout, with short barbels and nasoral grooves connecting them with the mouth but without circumnarial grooves and folds; snout wedge-shaped in lateral view; two dorsal fins, both with angular apices, the origin of the first about over the pelvic-fin origins and its insertion slightly behind the pelvic-fin insertions; second dorsal fin slightly smaller than first; caudal fin about 1/3 of total length, strongly asymmetrical. Colour tan dorsally, paler ventrally and fins slightly dusky (Ref. 9999, 90102). |
| Ease of Identification | easy to distinguish from other species. |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total |
| Attributes | |
| Fins number | 2 |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal 0 - 0 |
| Ventral 0 - 0 | |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 0 - 0 |
| Adipose fin | absent |
| Attributes | other (see remark); asymmetric |
| Fins number | 1 |
| Spines total | 0 - 0 |
| Soft-rays total | 0 - 0 |
| Pectoral | Attributes more or less normal |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 0 - 0 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal beneath origin of D1 | |
| Spines 0 | |
| Soft-rays 0 - 0 |