Cartilaginous fish · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae

Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

Its extraordinarily varied diet and opportunistic habits have earned it the nickname 'garbage can of the sea': it will eat practically anything it comes across.

Weight

385 kg – 635 kg

Size

3 m – 4.2 m

Lifespan

25 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

OceanCarnivore Variable activity Solitary Near Threatened Fish Ocean

57countries 27parks 23dive sites9same family

Fun facts

alimentaciónIts diet is extremely varied and opportunistic; car number plates and the remains of land animals have both been found in its stomach.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - cartilaginous skeleton (chondrichthyan fish)
Habitat & environment: Tropical and warm-temperate coastal and open waters worldwide, from estuaries to the open sea
Birth weight: 51 - 90 cm long at birth
Size at birth: 51 - 90 cm long at birth
Sexual maturity: Male: 7-10 years (~2.9-3 m) | Female: 7-12 years (~3.3-3.45 m)
Gestation / incubation: 13-16 months
Litter / clutch size: 10 to 82 pups per litter (most commonly 26-36), on a three-year breeding cycle

Sources consulted: California State University Long Beach fact sheet; Australian Museum; Shark Research Institute; A-Z Animals; Animal Diversity Web; Bimini Shark Lab; PMC (Hawaii growth study); FishBase