Nervous Shark

Carcharhinus cautus

The nervous shark (Carcharhinus cautus) is a small requiem shark in the family Carcharhinidae. Adults reach up to 150 cm with a typical carcharhinid body shape, grey-brown coloration above, white below, and slightly darker fin tips. The species name 'cautus' means cautious in Latin, reflecting this shark's extremely wary behavior around humans. This species inhabits shallow coastal waters, mangrove-lined creeks, and inshore reefs at depths of 0-20 meters in tropical Australia and Papua New Guinea. Nervous sharks feed on small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. They are viviparous, giving birth to litters of 1-6 pups. True to their name, they are one of the most skittish shark species, frequently fleeing from divers at considerable distance. This behavior makes them challenging but rewarding to observe in the wild. They pose no threat to humans and are themselves listed as Near Threatened due to habitat degradation.