Tiger Shark

ID points

• Dark tiger-like bars on the sides, strongest in young fish
• Broad blunt head, short snout, very large mouth
• Notched serrated teeth, the same shape in both jaws

Basics

Family

Carcharhinidae

Length

3.0–5.5 m

Depth

0-350 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Temperate & polar

Distribution

Coastal waters of tropical and temperate seas worldwide

Habitat

Coastal reefs and shallow tropical seas

Diet

Almost any marine animal

Easily confused with

Bull SharkStout body with a short blunt snout that looks cut off flatCaribbean Reef SharkStout body, first dorsal fin starting over the rear edge of the pectoral finsGrey Reef SharkA broad black margin along the rear edge of the tail fin, very conspicuous

Fun fact

Young tiger sharks carry striking tiger-like bars along the flanks. Number plates, tyres and human remains have all been found in tiger shark stomachs; it eats more or less anything, and it has one of the highest tallies of attacks on people of any shark.

More in this family

• Blacktip Reef Shark
• Blue Shark
• Lemon Shark
• Oceanic Whitetip Shark
• Silky Shark
• Whitetip Reef Shark