Rare “Walking” Feeding Behavior Recorded in Nurse Sharks

Since the first modern sharks appeared roughly 100 million years ago, these animals have had plenty of time to get creative in mastering the art of hunting. Protruding jaws, stunning prey, filter feeding, and even breaching out of the water have all been observed methods of feeding. Now, a rare feeding behavior has been recorded in nurse sharks for the first time, and it resembles walking.

Through collaboration with scientists from The University of Exeter, our team at Beneath The Waves documented the first video evidence of a feeding behavior called pectoral positioning in nurse sharks. During this behavior, the shark bends or arches one or both pectoral fins, touches the tops of the fins to the seafloor, and then pushes off of the seabed to maneuver into a more favorable position to suction out food. Pectoral positioning has previously only been seen in three families of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates, and rays) that include bamboo sharks, sleeper rays, and smooth skates, making this a notable discovery.

Read the full study, "Opportunistic camera surveys provide insight into discrete foraging behaviours in nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum)," recently published in the journal Environmental Biology of Fishes: https://link.springer.com/article/10....