Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)- one of the most dangerous and well-known predators of the deep sea. It got its name due to the characteristic dark stripes on the body, resembling tiger color. This the fourth largest predatory shark in the worldsecond only to the great white, Greenland shark, and giant shark.
🔍 Main Features:
✔ Length up to 5.5 meters
✔ It weighs more than 900 kg
✔ Eats almost everything, including waste and metal objects
✔ It is one of the three most dangerous sharks for humans
This shark plays a key role in marine ecosystems by controlling populations of marine animals. However, due to overfishing, its numbers are declining and it is already under threat.
Scientific classification
🔬 Tiger Shark Classification:
✔ The Kingdom: Animals (Animalia)
✔ Type: Chordal (Chordata)
✔ Class: Cartilaginous fish (Chondrichthyes)
✔ Row: Carcharine-like (Carcharhiniformes)
✔ Family: Grey sharks (Carcharhinidae)
✔ Gender: Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo)
✔ View: Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
📌 Interesting!
Title Galeocerdo it comes from Greek, where galeos means " shark”, and cerdo - ”tiger“.
Appearance and dimensions
📏 Main Features:
• Length: 3.2–4.5 m, highscore – 5.5 m
• Weight: 385-900 kg, highscore – 1100 kg
• Life span: 30-50 years old
🎨 Color scheme:
• Gray or bluish-green back
• Dark tiger stripes on the sides (disappear in adult sharks)
• White or light belly
🔍 Differences from other sharks:
• Powerful, streamlined body
• Big blunt head
• Wide mouth with very sharp teeth, similar to saws
• Long tail for quick snaps during hunting
📌 Interesting!
Tiger shark has some of the strongest teeth in the worldthat can cut through even a tortoise shell!
Living environment
🌍 Where does the tiger shark live?
• Warm waters of tropical and subtropical zones
• Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans
• Coral reefs, lagoons, mangroves, open ocean
🏝 Living conditions:
• Optimal water temperature-22-28°C
• It lives at depths from 2 to 300 m.
• Often swims to the shores and islands
📌 Interesting!
Tiger shark doesn't avoid people it can swim near beaches, which makes it dangerous for swimmers.
Lifestyle and behavior
⚡ How does a tiger shark hunt?
• Thanks to its excellent vision and sense of smell, it detects prey in the dark
• Uses electroreceptors to search for victims under the sand
• Attacks quickly, instantly biting off pieces of the body
🦈 Basic behavior:
• Active at Night - Night Hunter
• A solitary predator that rarely swims in groups
• Very curious-explores everything she sees
📌 Interesting!
This shark can swim up to 100 km per day in search of food!
Food
🍽 What does a tiger shark eat?
• Sea turtles
• Dolphins and fur seals
• Other sharks
• Fish, octopus, crustaceans
• Birds that land on water
🔍 Hunting methods:
• Instant Attack-bites off large chunks
• Absorbs everything that enters your mouth, including plastic waste
📌 Interesting!
In the stomachs of tiger sharks, they found car license plates, cans, tires and other items!
Reproduction
👶 How does the tiger shark breed?
• Viviparous-gives birth to fully formed baby sharks
• Pregnancy lasts 14-16 months
• 10-80 cubs are born, each 50-90 cm long
📌 Interesting!
Sharks immediately begin an independent life-their mother does not take care of them.
Human interaction
⚠ Is the tiger shark dangerous?
• One of the three most dangerous sharks (along with the great white and bull shark)
• Many attacks on people are recorded, including fatal ones
• Not afraid to approach divers and boats
🎣 Shark fishing:
• It is caught through meat, skin and liver oil
• Its numbers are declining due to overfishing
📌 Interesting!
Tiger shark it is threatened with extinctionalthough it still does not have full international protection.
Interesting facts
📌 Top 5 Interesting facts about the tiger shark:
1️⃣ The only shark that eats sea turtles by chewing on their shell
2️⃣ It can eat anything-even crocodiles have been found in its stomach!
3️⃣ Her teeth are unique-they cut like knives and grow back
4️⃣ It is considered the "garbage can of the ocean" because of its ability to eat inedible items.
5️⃣ The only one among the dangerous sharks that does not avoid a person, but swims closer
Conclusion
Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) – one of the most dangerous, interesting and best predators of the ocean. She master of hunting and key regulator of the marine ecosystem. But due to human activity, this outstanding shark may disappear.…
🌊 Save the tiger shark-the mistress of the ocean!
