Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Sand Tiger Shark

SAND TIGER SHARK - Cacharias taurus

The Sand Tiger Shark is a species of shark that inhabits coastal waters worldwide. This shark is known to dwell very close to the shorelines and beaches of North America, hence their name, Sand Tiger shark. Despite a fearsome appearance and strong swimming abilities, it is a relatively placid and slow moving animal. The Sand Tiger Shark enjoys hunting in the surf of waters, and thus has had many instances of accidental attacks upon humans. It is considered the most widely kept shark in public aquariums around the world due to its fairly large size and its higher adaptability to captivity rate than other large sharks.

Description: Sand tigers have many features that distinguish them from other shark species. Their mouth extends beyond their eyes, and they usually swim with their mouth open. Their snout is flattened with a conical shape and their body is stout and rather bulky, with two large dorsal fins that are almost equal in size. The tail is elongated and has a long upper lobe, and the dorsal fins are set back almost beyond the pectorial fins. The pectoral fins are triangular, and the tail is almost one-third as long as the head of the shark. The Sand tiger shark's head is rather pointy, not round and the teeth are smooth edged and sharp-pointed. People normally associate the Sand tigers with the demeanor of being vicious because of their teeth protrude from their mouths when their jaws are closed; however, they are generally quite harmless. The Sand tiger shark usually has a grey back and white underside. It also has grey dorsal fins.
Coloration: Coloration of the sand tiger shark is generally light brown or light greenish – gray above and grayish white below. Many individuals have darker reddish or brown spots scattered on the body.
Size: Average size ranges from 4-9 ft. with maximum length believed to be around 10.5 ft.