Modern science knows more than 500 species of sharks. Most of them are carnivorous, but only some species are considered serious predators that pose a danger to humans. One of these species is a 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 their 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 distinctive features and become ordinary gray sharks with pale yellow belly.
The appearance of these creatures is quite typical. Their body has a torpedo shape that tapers towards the tail. Snout of tiger sharks is slightly square, short and dull. They have a large head with large eyes, behind which there are spatter (gill openings, through which water is sucked in and goes to the gills). They have a large mouth with many teeth with beveled tops and serrations at the edges. They work like blades dissecting the body of prey.
In terms of size, tiger sharks are one of the largest representatives of their class. Adult individuals reach an average of 3-4 meters in length. It weighs about 400-600 kilograms. The largest shark of this species reached 5.5 meters and weighed one and a half tons.
Habitat
Tiger sharks are thermophilic. They prefer shallow depths as well as warm sea currents, which they follow in the cold season. Their range covers the seas of the tropical and subtropical zones.
Sharks inhabit the eastern and western shores of Australia and America, in the seas of South and Southeast Asia, in the seas of all eastern Africa and along the western coast of the Sahara. They were found at a depth of up to 1000 meters, but most often fish are at the surface (up to 300 meters) of the ocean or in shallow water. They often come close to the coasts, swim in estuaries of rivers and marinas.
Predator or trash can?
By their nature, tiger sharks are predators, but they can eat anything. The focus of their attention, as a rule, is mollusks, crustaceans, turtles, small and medium sized small fishes, 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 have something that, it would seem, is not intended for this. In the stomachs of caught sharks, clothes, license plates, packages of goods, bottles and cans are often found. Sometimes they contain the remains of non-swimming animals, which, most likely, unsuccessfully ended up next to the water.
The acute sense of smell allows them to catch even a small amount of blood in order to immediately go to meet the "dinner". They rarely attack right away. At first, they circle around an object that interests them, 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 whole family of carchariformes, only tiger sharks are ovoviviparous. From eggs, the young hatch directly in the mother's body and go outside 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 live alone and rarely form groups. Sailing 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 about 40-50 years.
Is it dangerous to humans?
One of the common fears in the ocean is the fear of encountering a shark. And he is very justified, because it is one of the largest marine predators, "equipped" with 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 in food and, being too hungry, eats literally everything in a row. Among all species of sharks, the tiger ranks second in the number of attacks on humans.
However, the image of aggressive and thirsty killings of predators is greatly exaggerated due to the terrifying stories of their victims, as well as popular culture. According to statistics, the chances of dying from their bite are not so many. So, about 3-4 people die from a tiger shark per year. Bees and ants are much more dangerous - they kill about 30-40 people in a year. It is fair to say that there are many more fatal cases of shark attacks. Very often they only injure people by gnawing off individual pieces of meat or parts of the body.
One way or another, people are not their main goal. They can bite if you find yourself in their territory or start provoking somehow by unnecessarily waving your limbs. They rarely attack calmly swimming divers, but bathers and surfers floundering in the water are attacked more often, confusing them with a nutritious seal or turtle. Other possible causes are hunger, aggressiveness during the mating season, the smell of blood, and also simple curiosity. Sometimes teeth serve them instead of hands, and with the help of a bite they try to find out what is in front of them.