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Description
Ginglymostoma unami, more commonly known as the Pacific Nurse Shark, is a newly discovered nurse shark inhabiting the waters of Southeast California and eastern Mexico. These organisms were believed to be Ginglymostoma cirratum until recent discoveries proved their differences. G. unami has pelvic fins that fold towards the origin of the second dorsal fin. This is not seen in G. cirratum, where the dorsal fin actually is found placed anteriorly to the pelvic fins. Also, G. unami has a much shorter distance between the pelvic and anal fins. It comprises less than 1.2 times the bottom of the first dorsal fin, while in G. cirratum it comprises more than 1.4 times of the bottom of the first dorsal fin. G. unami also has teeth with low, blunt ends consisting of 5-6 keels while G. cirratum has sharper teeth with fewer keels.

Taxonomy
Ginglymostoma unami are a member of the ginglymostomatidae family which branches into three different genera; Ginglymostoma, Nebrius, and Pseudoginglymostoma. It was believed that Ginglymostoma cirratum was the same species as Ginglymostoma unami up until recent discoveries. A study conducted in 2015 by Del Moral-Flores, Ramírez-Antonio, and Angulo & Pérez-Ponce de León has revealed the differences between G. unami and G. cirratum

Habitat and Distribution
G. unami live in coastal habitats, and are located in the pacific waters off the eastern coast of Southern California to Costa Rico and Mexico. They have also been seen in the Gulf of California. It was believed that Atlantic and Pacific Ginglymostoma populations were derived from the same ancestor, and became separated into two different species after the closing of the Isthmus of Panama over 4 million years ago. The organism prefers to rest on the bottom of sandy ocean floors, or inside of rock cave. Juvenile sharks usually remain in shallow coral reefs, while mature sharks stay towards deeper rocky areas, up to depths of 80 meters.

Reproduction
The mating habits of the G. unami have been observed as being very similar to those of G. cirratum. Pacific Nurse Sharks, like the Nurse Sharks, are ovoviviparous. This means that the eggs are held inside the mothers body until they are ready to hatch. Nurse sharks reproduce in different ways to most sharks, for instance, the ovulation periods of female sharks can last up to 3 weeks. This allows for a much larger yield of pups. Nurse sharks will also give birth in a safe area, far from predators and danger, in order to increase survival chances of the pups.

Behavior
The Pacific Nurse Shark is a nocturnal creature, dwelling mostly on the sea floor as a bottom feeder. During the day, these organisms have been found sleeping under reefs or within mangroves. During the night, they emerge to hunt organisms that they find on the bottom of the ocean floor.

The G. unami is much more shy, compared to the Atlantic G cirratum, but this is believed to be because of their lack of interaction with as many divers. It is more likely to spot these sharks closer to shore in the warmer months.

IUCN status is not yet assessed.

Diet
G. unami mostly scavenge for their food. Since they dwell on the ocean floor, their diet usually consists of organisms that reside on the ocean floor. They are most commonly seen eating crustaceans and squids who seek shelter in the ocean floor. These can include lobsters, crabs, octopus, and sea urchins