LOCAL fishermen recently caught two nurse sharks in Dapeng Bay in eastern Shenzhen, the Daily Sunshine reported yesterday.

The 2.5-meter, 110-kilogram sharks were caught by fishermen on a boat anchored at Yantian aquatic wharf Saturday afternoon.

A marine-life expert with Shenzhen Sea World surnamed Zhao said the sharks were male, healthy and aged between 3 and 5. The sharks are mild tempered and seldom attack humans, Zhao said.

The report said the fishermen who caught the sharks intended to sell them to a seafood restaurant in Yantian District for profit, but were stopped by border police.

"I saw an unfamiliar fish-like animal in a water tank at the wharf when patrolling with my colleague, and reported the matter to my supervisor," said Chen Yixin, a border police officer.

Chen said the fishermen lied to him that the sharks were raised by themselves. They admitted later that the sharks were caught in waters off Dapeng Bay.

The sharks will be returned to the sea soon, Chen told the Daily.

Zhao said the sharks might be trying to find shelters from Typhoon Neoguri when they were caught.

Nurse sharks are nocturnal animals, spending the day in large inactive groups of up to 40 individuals and hunting at night. Their diet consists primarily of crustaceans, molluscs, tunicates and other fish, particularly stingrays.

In 2001, a nurse shark was caught by fishermen in the waters of Xiaomeisha. It now lives in the Sea World park.

(Mu Zi)

Border police officers relocate one of the two nurse sharks in a water tank in Yantian District on Friday. Xuan Hui