TIGER SHARK (Galeocerdo cuvieri)

Recognition: The tiger shark is the easiest to identify of the requiem sharks because of its many diagnostic characteristics It has a snout shorter than the width of the mouth, with long labia! furrows around thc corners of the mouth. The shape of the teeth is the best diagnostic characteristic, they have curved cusps with finely serrated edges, a deep notch on their outer margins, and they are similar in both jaws

Color: Color varies from light gray to black above and from bluish or greenish gray above to dirty yellow or white below. Juveniles up to about 180cm (71 in) have a mottled appearance, their dorsal surfaces arc covered with dark spots on a lighter background. In larger sharks, the spots fuse together forming vertical bars or stripes producing a tiger-like appearance, hence the name. In older sharks the stripes tend to fade except in flanks near the tail.

Size: This is one of the largest sharks. Adults 335-425 cm (11-14 ft) are common. The largest specimens are believed to exceed 550 cm (18 ft) and 900 kg (2.000 lb). Such large specimens have become very rare in the last decade because of intensive fishing.

Biology: The tiger shark inhabits warm waters in both deep oceanic and shallow coastal regions. It feeds on all kinds of marine animals: turtles, horseshoe crab, many bonv fishes, smaller sharks, ray egg cases, seagulls, just to name a few. It is also one of the few species of sharks that will scavenge dead animals (including humans). It is known to have attacked divers and swimmers.

Carcass: The characteristic mottled markings of smaller fish, or the vertical dark bars of larger fish, and the presence of a week reinforcing keels around the caudal peduncle distinguish the tiger shark carcass from the other requiem sharks. References