Adult Nurse sharks are usually light yellow to dark brown in colour. The young that are up to 60 cm (24 inches) long have small black spots, with an area of lightness surrounding each spot, covering the entire body. Larger young which are 70-120 cm long (28-47 inches) are capable of limited colour changes. Studies show that Nurse sharks kept out of sunlight become slightly lighter in colour, as compared to Nurse sharks which are exposed to sunlight. Nurse sharks with unusally colours (such as brilliant yellow or milky white) have been reported several times.