Tiger Sharks will also eat some odd things they find, including tin cans, shoes and other garbage. When they are young these sharks have stripes, like a tiger, which fade as they age.
Common name: Tiger Shark
Scientific name: Galeocerdo cuvier
Photo: A. Boomer
There are 30 species of sharks in the same group as Tiger Sharks. See if you can find out about some of them.
Sharks
Tiger Shark
Tiger Sharks live close to coasts in shallow waters. They can be found down to depths of 150 m.
Juvenile Tiger Sharks have stripes that fade as they get older.
Tiger Sharks eat bony fishes, turtles, sea snakes, sea birds, jellyfish, seals, dolphins, octopuses and squids. They are scavengers and are even known to eat rubbish.
Tiger Sharks' teeth are curved, shaped like a rooster's comb and heavily serrated. They have teeth with a piercing point and a cutting edge, which helps them hold and cut food into bite-size pieces.
Tiger Sharks can grow up to 6 m long and are considered potentially dangerous to humans.
Tiger Sharks give birth to as many as 80 live young at a time.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003
