Texas Gulf Coast Fishing

Tiger Shark

Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvier

Description: Its skin can typically range from a blue to light green with a white or light yellow underbelly. The distinguishing dark spots and stripes are most outstanding in young sharks and fade as the shark matures. The tiger shark's head is somewhat wedge-shaped, which makes it easy for the shark to turn quickly to one side. It generally has long fins and a long upper tail; the long fins act like wings and provide lift as the shark maneuvers through water, whereas the long tail provides bursts of speed. A tiger shark normally swims using little movements of its body. Its high back and dorsal fin act as a pivot, allowing it to spin quickly on its axis.
Where Found: NEARSHORE and OFFSHORE
Diet: Its usual diet consists of fish, seals, birds, smaller sharks, squid, and turtles. It has sometimes been found with man-made waste such as license plates or pieces of old tires in its digestive tract. These sharks are often large in size and may encounter humans because they often visit shallow reefs, harbours and canals.
Remarks: The Tiger Shark is the fourth largest predatory shark. Mature sharks average 11 to 14 ft in length and weigh 850 to 2000 lbs. It is found in many of the tropical and temperate regions of the world's oceans. This shark is a solitary hunter, usually hunting at night. Its name is derived from the dark stripes down its body, which fade as the shark matures.