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tiger shark

File:Tiger_shark.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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tiger shark

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Also known as Galeocerdo cuvier

species of fish

AI overview

A tiger shark is a large species of fish found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters around the world. It's notable because it's one of the ocean's major predators and plays an important role in maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Species

Near Threatened

tiger shark

Species

  1. PhylumChordata
  2. ClassElasmobranchii
  3. OrderCarcharhiniformes
  4. FamilyGaleocerdonidae
Habitatmarine, brackish
Observations2,643

Maximum longevity: 50 years (wild)

via IUCN

~21 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a species of ground shark, and the only extant member of the genus Galeocerdo and family Galeocerdonidae. It is a large predator, with females capable of attaining a length of over 5 m (16 ft 5 in). Populations are found in many tropical and temperate waters, especially around central Pacific islands. Its name derives from the dark stripes down its body, which resemble a tiger's pattern and fade as the shark matures.

The tiger shark is a solitary, mostly nocturnal hunter. It is notable for having the widest food spectrum of all sharks, with a range of prey that includes crustaceans, fish, seals, birds, squid, octopus, sea turtles, sea snakes, dolphins, and even smaller sharks. It also has a reputation as a "garbage eater", consuming a variety of inedible, man-made objects that linger in its stomach. Tiger sharks have only one recorded natural predator, the orca. It is considered a near-threatened species because of finning and fishing by humans.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “tiger shark” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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