Modern science knows more than 500 species of sharks. Most of them are carnivorous, but only a few species are considered serious predators that pose a danger to humans. One such species is the tiger shark. What does this fish look like? Where does she live? We will talk about the features of her lifestyle in the article.
Tiger shark: photo, description of appearance
Because of the transverse stripes on the back, they are called "sea tigers". But such a coloring is present on the body of predators only at a young age. Growing up to two meters long, they lose their bright distinctive features and become ordinary gray sharks with pale yellow bellies.
The appearance of these creatures is quite typical. Their body is torpedo-shaped, which tapers towards the tail. The snout of tiger sharks is slightly square, short and blunt. They have a large head with large eyes, behind which are spiracles (gill openings through which water is sucked in and directed to the gills). They have a large mouth with many teeth with beveled tops and serrations.along the edges. They work like blades that cut through the body of prey.
Tiger sharks are one of the largest in their class. Adults on average reach 3-4 meters in length. It weighs approximately 400-600 kilograms. The largest shark of this species reached 5.5 meters and weighed one and a half tons.
Habitats
Tiger sharks are thermophilic. They prefer shallow waters as well as warm sea currents that they follow during the cold season. Their range covers the seas of the tropical and subtropical zones.
Sharks live off the eastern and western coasts of Australia and America, in the seas of South and Southeast Asia, in the seas of all of East Africa and off the western coast of the Sahara. They were found at a depth of up to 1000 meters, but most often the fish are found near the surface (up to 300 meters) of the ocean or in shallow water. They often come close to the coasts, swim in the estuaries of rivers and marinas.
Predator or trash can?
By nature, tiger sharks are predators, but they can eat anything. Their focus is usually on mollusks, crustaceans, turtles, small and medium fish, small sharks, various pinnipeds and whales. They can even attack birds sitting on the surface of the water.
An interesting feature of this species is its unpretentiousness in food. They can catch other tiger sharks, pick up carrion from the seabed, and also eat things that would seem not intended for this. In the stomachscaught sharks are often found in clothes, license plates, product packaging, bottles and cans. Sometimes they contain the remains of non-swimming animals, which, most likely, ended up unfortunate near the water.
A keen sense of smell allows them to catch even a small amount of blood, so that they can immediately go towards "dinner". They rarely attack immediately. At first, they circle around the object they are interested in, trying to somehow identify it. Gradually narrow the circle, and then rush to the victim. If the prey is medium in size, then the predator swallows it without chewing.
Lifestyle
Among the entire family of carchariformes, only tiger sharks are ovoviviparous. From the eggs, the cubs hatch right in the mother's body and come out when they grow up. So, they are born already independent individuals, and after about five years they become sexually mature.
Pregnancy lasts up to 16 months, so females form flocks to defend themselves from possible enemies. At other times, tiger sharks are solitary and rarely form groups. Swimming in search of prey, they look huge and clumsy. But this is a misleading impression. Having identified the victim, they reach speeds of up to 20 km / h, easily maneuver and even jump out of the water when necessary. They live for about 40-50 years.
Is it dangerous to humans?
One of the common fears in the ocean is the fear of meeting a shark. And it is quite justified, because it is one of the largest marine predators, "equipped"powerful jaws and sharp teeth. For humans, the tiger shark is dangerous because it often swims close to the shallows. In addition, she is not too picky about food and, being too hungry, eats literally everything. Among all types of sharks, the tiger shark ranks second in the number of attacks on people.
However, the image of aggressive and murderous predators is greatly exaggerated thanks to the horrifying stories of their victims, as well as popular culture. According to statistics, the chances of dying from their bite is not so much. So, about 3-4 people die from a tiger shark per year. Bees and ants turn out to be much more dangerous - they take the lives of about 30-40 people a year. It is fair to say that there are many more non-fatal shark attacks. Very often they only injure people by biting off individual pieces of meat or body parts.
Anyway, people are not their main target. They can bite if you find yourself in their territory or start to somehow provoke, waving your limbs unnecessarily. They rarely attack calmly swimming divers, but swimmers and surfers floundering in the water are attacked more often, confusing them with a feeding seal or turtle. Other possible causes are hunger, aggressiveness during the mating season, the smell of blood, and simple curiosity. Sometimes they use their teeth instead of hands, and bite them to try to find out what is in front of them.
