Tiger Shark: Characteristics And Nutrition
The tiger shark has a menacing name, but while it is certainly a carnivorous and hunter animal, it is not as bad as it sounds. Its name, in fact, is simply due to the stripes on the back.
Characteristics of the tiger shark
The tiger shark is one of the largest shark species; although on average it reaches about three meters in length, specimens close to five have been sighted. Typically, it weighs around 600 kilograms, but the largest tiger shark ever encountered weighed in at over 1000 kilos.
Although it may seem like a huge animal, it is only a first impression: it has a large head, there is no doubt, but its body is slimming towards the dorsal fin. The caudal fin is thin and narrow in relation to the head.
This fish owes its name to its colors: on the upper part of the body it has darker stripes reminiscent of those of dolphins. In the rest of the body they are blue or gray, while the belly and the lower part of the fins are white.
This gives him an almost perfect camouflage: to hunt, he uses the surprise effect. This is thanks to a blue body with stripes that allows it to camouflage itself with the seabed and not be perceived by its prey.
The tiger shark’s snout is quite peculiar: it is wide, but flat, which gives it an almost rectangular appearance. It has nasal cavities that protrude forward, and which are located almost in the upper part of the muzzle. Like many other sharks, it has a large mouth with several rows of teeth positioned almost frontally.
Another curiosity of this animal is that if it loses a tooth, it will always be able to grow another one to replace the front one.
In addition to the dorsal fin, it has two front side fins. The tail fins have a sickle-like shape, and the upper one is much more developed. It also has four posterior fins: a small dorsal and three ventral fins of different sizes.
Feeding the tiger shark
The tiger shark is a carnivorous animal and is a hunter. Its diet is very varied and it feeds on the animals it finds: fish, univalves, squid, turtles. .. even marine mammals such as seals or dolphins. It may even go as far as hunting some seabirds. It is undemanding and has a great variety of prey available to feed on.
Despite its size and the power of its mouth, it does not have an elaborate hunting strategy: it is all limited to the surprise factor. The tiger shark attacks from below using its ability to camouflage with the seabed. It positions itself under its prey, blinds it and only when it is sure that it will take it by surprise, and that it cannot escape, it attacks.
The presence of the tiger shark is essential for the fauna of certain coral reefs and underwater prairies. With its diet, but also with its threatening presence, it prevents many fish and larger animals from staying too long in these places and degrading the ecosystem.
Habitat of this marine animal
The tiger shark is present in almost all the seas of the planet, as long as there are warm waters. It is found mainly in the coasts of the Pacific Ocean, between Japan and New Zealand, but it is also possible to see it in the Indian Ocean and even in the Atlantic; it surrounds the coasts of America and the north and center of Africa.
In general, it loves warm waters close to the coast. It is not an animal of great depths, as part of its prey are found on the surface or almost on the surface.
Threats of the tiger shark
The tiger shark is believed to be under threat and not in danger of extinction. There are many other species of its family that are at a much greater risk of disappearing. However, several countries have banned its hunting and initiated measures to prevent its population from dwindling.
The tiger shark is not a threat to humans. There are barely a dozen attacks a year worldwide, and most are not fatal; it turns out that if he attacks a human it is by mistake. When the animal realizes that it is not the prey it was expecting, it lets go and lets it go.
It turned out, in fact, that in captivity it tolerates very well the presence of divers inside the tanks. The sub coral reefs often encounter with tiger sharks, which allow him to swim alongside them and even take pictures.
Despite its ominous name, the tiger shark is almost always harmless to humans. Its name derives from the stripes that mark its back, and not from an intimidating character. Humans are not part of this animal’s diet and if an attack occurs against them, it is almost always by mistake.
