The eastern Pacific nurse shark, separated from the Atlantic one in 2015 on anatomy rather than on anything visible in the water.
To about 3 m, brown, with a broad flat head, barbels at the mouth and two large dorsal fins set well back. It was separated from the Atlantic nurse shark as recently as 2015, on the basis of anatomy and genetics rather than on anything visible in the water, so the eastern Pacific animal is this and the Caribbean one is Ginglymostoma cirratum.
It lies under ledges by day, often several together, and feeds at night by suction. It is placid and it bites when handled, and it grips. In the Galapagos it is a bottom animal on rocky reef and is easy to approach.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.