Nurse shark

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/nurse-shark

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Ginglymostoma cirratum
2. What is the lifespan?Estimated to live up to 25 years in the wild
3. What does a nurse shark look like?A nurse shark has a long, cylindrical body and big paddle‑shaped fins. It has a small mouth with three‑pointed teeth and rough skin that helps it move smoothly. Near its mouth are sensory barbels that help it feel for food.
4. Why do nurse sharks sleep on the ocean floor?Nurse sharks live on the sea floor and rest in caves or ledges during the day. They sleep there to stay safe from predators and to keep warm. At night they wake up to hunt.

Benthic: Relating to or occurring at the bottom of a body of water.
Oviparous: Reproducing by laying eggs that hatch outside the body.
Dermal Denticles: Microscopic, tooth-like scales covering shark skin, providing protection and improving hydrodynamics.
Suction Feeding: A feeding mechanism involving rapid expansion of the oral cavity to create negative pressure and draw in prey.