The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), or dry cleaner, belongs to the family Carcharhinidae and has circumferential presence in tropical and temperate seas. Although they can appear throughout the Brazilian coast, they are more common in the northern and northeastern regions and are still rarely seen.
According to the FishBase species table [1], the tiger shark is distributed along the western Atlantic coast: from the United States to Uruguay, through the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. In the East Atlantic: on the coast from Iceland to Angola. While in the Indo-Pacific, it can be found in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea and West Africa to Hawaii, from north to south of Japan to New Zealand. In the eastern Pacific, it is described to be distributed in Southern California, from the United States to Peru, including the Galapagaos Island region, Ecuador. In this Animal Expert article, we’ve collected the most important information about the tiger shark: its characteristics, its food, its habitat and everything you need to know about it!
- Easily recognizable.
- The popular name of the tiger shark comes precisely from its striking physical characteristics: a back (back) that varies from dark gray.
- To a bluish gray to a grayish brown with dark rectangular spots resembling side bars.
- Reminiscent of the tiger.
- Showers.
- The flanks are also bell grey.
- As are the fins.
- The white belly.
- However.
- This pattern tends to disappear as the shark develops.
The species is also known for its long and robust body, rounded snout, short and lower than the height of the mouth. At this time, it is also possible to repair the juices of the visible lips up to the direction of the eyes, which have a nictitating membrane (known by many as the third eyelid).
The teeth are triangular and toothed, resembling a can opener. That’s why they are able to drill meat, bones and hard surfaces as easily as the turtle shell, for example.
Among shark types, dry cleaners are the 4 largest on the planet when they reach adulthood. Although an unproven report indicates that a tiger shark caught in Indochina weighed 3 tons, according to records, a tiger shark can reach 7 m in length and weigh up to 900 kg, even if the average measurements are between 3.3 and 4.3 m weighing between 400 and 630 kg. At birth, the cubs are between 45 and 80 cm long. Females are generally larger than males.
Hunting, although it is a species that is used to swimming alone, when the food supply is wide, the tiger shark can be found in urban areas. On the surface, where it tends to live, tiger sharks do not swim fast unless stimulated by blood and food.
In general, the fame of the tiger shark tends to be more “aggressive” than others like the great white shark, for example. Females are responsible for caring for offspring until they can survive on their own and can therefore be considered more “aggressive”.
In terms of the number of shark attacks against humans, the tiger shark ranks second after the white shark. [3] Although they are curious animals, even known for their peaceful coexistence with experienced divers, they must be respected. They are considered harmless because they only attack when they feel uncomfortable.
The tiger shark is a quintessential carnivore animal, but anything ahead, meat or not, can be caught by it: rays, fish, game, molluscs, crustaceans, turtles, seals and other marine mammals. Debris, metal parts, human body parts, clothing, bottles, pieces of cows, horses and even whole dogs have already been found in their stomachs, according to Shark guide in Brazil. [2]
Not all sharks breed in the same way, but the tiger shark is an ovoviviparous species: females lay eggs that develop inside their bodies, but when eggs hatch, the offspring leaves the mother’s body by birth. Males reach sexual reproduction when they are about 2.5 m long, while females are 2.9 m long.
In the southern hemisphere, the mating season of the tiger shark is between November and January, while in the northern hemisphere it takes place between March and May. After gestation, which lasts between 14 and 16 months, a female tiger shark can breed in a range of 10 to 80 pups, with an average of 30 to 50 years. The maximum reported age of a live tiger shark was 50 years.
Tiger sharks are relatively tolerant to different types of marine habitats, but enjoy frequenting the murky waters of coastal areas, which explains the rate of incidence of the species in beaches, ports and coral areas. They are often seen on surfaces, but can also swim up to 350 m deep for shorter periods.
The species migrates seasonally according to the water temperature: in general, warm waters in summer and return to tropical seas in winter. For these migrations, they can travel long distances in a short time, always swimming in a straight line.