Tiger shark

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The tiger shark is a large shark of tropical and warm seas, named for the dark stripes along its body. With a blunt snout and strong jaws it eats almost anything, from fish and sea turtles to seabirds. It usually measures 3 to 4 m.

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At a glance

Class: Fish
Lives in: Tropical and temperate seas worldwide, here the Bahamas
Diet: Meat eater (carnivore)
Weight: about 500 kg
Length: about 3.7 m
Lifespan: up to about 50 years
Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN NT)
Habitat: coasts, coral reefs, open ocean

Quick answers

Where does the Tiger shark live?

It lives in coasts, coral reefs, open ocean of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. On the globe you can find it near Tropical and temperate seas worldwide, here the Bahamas.

How big is the Tiger shark?

It grows to about 3.7 m and 500 kg.

What does the Tiger shark eat?

Its diet: meat eater (carnivore).

How long does the Tiger shark live?

It can live up to about 50 years.

Is the Tiger shark endangered?

It is listed as Near Threatened (IUCN NT).

The tiger shark is a big shark of tropical and warm seas, named for the dark stripes along its sides. The stripes are strongest on young sharks and fade as the shark grows. Adults are commonly 3.5 to 4.7 metres long and weigh 300 to 900 kilograms, and exceptional females can pass 5 metres. It has a blunt snout and strong jaws with serrated teeth.

It is a mostly nocturnal, solitary hunter with perhaps the widest menu of any shark, including fish, seals, birds, squid, sea turtles, sea snakes and dolphins. It is nicknamed the garbage can of the sea because it sometimes swallows inedible objects. It is listed as near threatened.

Teeth for turtles

Its curved, saw-edged teeth can cut through the tough shell of a sea turtle, a favourite food. Like other ground sharks it has a nictitating membrane that protects its eye. Only one natural predator is recorded, the orca. Tiger sharks are most common around central Pacific islands, the Caribbean, Indonesia, India, Australia and Hawaii.

Danger and conservation

Among sharks, the tiger shark ranks second only to the great white in recorded fatal attacks on humans, but such events are extremely rare. The sharks are caught for their fins and by fishing, which is why they are near threatened. Scientists tag them to learn where they roam. Scientists tag them to learn where they roam. Tiger sharks are the largest members of their order, the ground sharks.

Fun facts

Nicknamed the 'garbage can of the sea', it eats almost anything; licence plates and tyres have been found in its stomach.
Its stripes fade as the shark gets older.
It is called the garbage can of the sea.
Its teeth are strong enough to crack sea turtle shells.
The orca is its only known natural predator.