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 have no parental investment as mothers do not help their pups survive or find food or shelter. Male tiger sharks also play no role in the lives of their offspring.
Instead, tiger shark pups are born fully developed and independent with traits that help them survive without parents. This includes camouflage patterning and coloration to provide protection against predators, teeth to help capture prey, and speed to avoid predators. Tiger sharks also have relatively fast growth rates during early life stages. At birth, they range from 51-90 centimeters in total length and weigh 3 to 6 kilograms.
Tiger shark pups are born with tiger-like stripes on their back and a lightly colored yellow or white belly which allows them to blend in with the environment. These stripes fade as the juveniles reach adulthood, which is around 6 to 8 years.
• Image | ©️ Mark Rosenstein, Some Rights Reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)
• Sources | (Dill, Heithaus, & Walters, 2003; Draper, 2011; Heithaus, Dill, Marshall, & Buhleier, 2002; Heithaus, Hamilton, Wirsing, & Dill, 2006; Wirsing, et al., 2007)
