Tiger sharks are one of the largest ocean predators and the largest member of the Carcharhinidae family with a sizeable blunt nose on the end of a wedge-shaped head.
Tiger sharks are large with a sizeable, blunt nose on the end of a wedge-shaped head. They are one of the largest predators in the ocean.
Adults range from 3.25 to 4.25 meters in total length, although tiger sharks of 6 to 7.5 meters (25 feet) in length have been documented. Individuals larger than 5 meters, or 16 feet, in total length are rarely seen. Female tiger sharks average 2.92 meters in length and are smaller than males, which average 3.20 meters in length.
Adult tiger sharks typically weigh 385 to 635 kilograms, with the largest sharks reaching 862 kilograms.
The tiger shark is the largest member of the Carcharhinidae family, commonly referred to as requiem sharks. Carcharhiniformes is the most species-rich order of sharks with more than 270 species including the small catsharks and hammerhead sharks. Members of this order are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eyes, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, and five gill slits. This family consists of mostly slender but powerful mid- to large-sized sharks and includes some other well-known sharks, such as the blue shark (Prionace glauca), lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris), and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
• Image | ©️ Albert Kok, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-SA 4.0)
• Sources | (Compagno, 2002; Draper, 2011; Ebert, Fowler, & Compagno, 2013; Ferreira & Simpfendorfer, 2019; Heithaus, et al., 2007; Holmes, et al., 2015; Pratt, Jr., 1988; Randall, 1992; Read, 2010; Simpfendorfer 1992; Whitney & Crow, 2007; The Wikimedia Foundation, 2020)
