Although the total number of tiger sharks worldwide is unknown, they’re known to have a decreasing population trend and have declined 30% over the past 3 generations of 53-68 years.

The tiger shark relies on Ampullae of Lorenzini electromagnetic receptors on the end of its nose and lateral lines on both sides of the body to perceive its environment and to hunt prey.

Tiger sharks live longer in the wild than in captivity, averaging 27 years and a maximum age estimated at 37 years.

Tiger sharks have no parental investment, so pups are born fully developed and independent with traits that help them survive without parents such as camouflage patterning, teeth, and speed.

Tiger sharks share a commensal relationship with remoras, small suckerfish that attach to the sharks for transportation and protection while feeding on materials dropped by the predators.

Tiger sharks have serrated teeth, making it easy to tear flesh and crack the bones and shells of their prey.

The tiger shark is the only species of the Carcharhinidae family that is lecithotrophic viviparous, giving birth to 26-33 live young in a protective nursery after a gestation of 13-16 months.

The tiger shark uses its heterocercal tail as its primary source of propulsion, moving in an S-shaped fashion.

There is regional variability in the size and age that tiger sharks sexually mature and males mature earlier than females, at 25-30.5 m. compared to females at 27.4-34.5. in length.

The tiger shark is found in the epipelagic zone of 0-200 meters and occasionally makes longer-distance excursions into the mesopelagic zone of 200-1,000 meters.