Tiger Shark

About Tiger Shark

Squalus cuvier Peron and Lessueur, 1822

Galeocerdo tigrinus Müller and Henle, 1837

The tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, the second largest predatory shark (after the great white shark), is the only member of the genus Galeocerdo. Mature sharks average 3.25 to 4.25 meters (11 to 14 ft) long and weigh 385 to 909 kg (850 to 2000 lb). It is found in many of the tropical and temperate regions of the world's oceans, and is especially common around islands in the central Pacific. This shark is a solitary hunter, usually hunting at night. Its name is derived from the dark stripes down its body, which fade as the shark matures.

The tiger shark is a predator, known for eating a wide range of items. Its usual diet consists of fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid, and turtles. It has sometimes been found with man-made waste such as license plates or pieces of old tires in its digestive tract. It is notorious for attacks on swimmers, divers and surfers in Hawaii and is often referred to as "the wastebasket of the sea".