Tiger Shark
From Freepedia
| Tiger shark | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Tiger shark.png | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Galeocerdo cuvier (Péron & Lesueur, 1822) |
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is one of the largest sharks and is common in the mid-Pacific region. The tiger shark hunts alone and its name is derived from the dark stripes across its back, which fade as the shark grows older.
The tiger shark's head is somewhat wedge-shaped, which makes it easy for the shark to turn quickly to one side. A tiger shark may weigh up to one tonne (2,200 lbs). It is usually three to five meters long (ten to sixteen feet), but some specimens have been up to seven meters long (twenty-three feet). It has a long upper tail lobe that helps to provide lift and sudden bursts of speed.
The tiger shark has a very large mouth, with powerful jaws. Its teeth are flat, triangular, notched and serrated. Like most sharks, when a tiger shark loses or breaks one of its teeth, it grows a replacement tooth. The distinctive teeth seem to have evolved to cut through turtle shells, and an adult tiger shark can easily bite through bone.
The tiger shark is a dangerous and deadly predator, known for eating a remarkably wide variety of things. It is known for sometimes being found with detritus such as license plates or pieces of old tires in its digestive tract. It has gained notoriety recently by attacks on divers and surfers in Hawaii.
Related articles
References & external links
- "Galeocerdo cuvier". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. March 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
- MarineBio: Tiger shark, Galeocerdo cuvier
