TIGER SHARK Galeocerdo Cuvier

Location worldwide in temperate and tropical waters Nomadic Species, guided by warmer currents can go as far north as Nova Scotia and Iceland, following warm gulf stream most common in Pacific Islands: Hawaii and New Zealand

Habitat notable tolerance for different types, but prefer murky waters near island chains lagoons, coral atolls, river estuaries equally at surface and pelagic

Appearance large wedge-shaped head short snout large jaws and wide mouth characteristic spots and stripes

One of the largest sharks in existence Commonly reach ft/ lbs, but can easily exceed 18 ft

long fins to give lift as it swims long caudal fin wedge-shaped head very large teeth with: curved cusps sharp, serrated edges deep notch

Life Cycle ft at birth very awkward with big head and eel-like body Increase size by 74% in first year males reach maturity at 7-9 ft; females at 8-10 unknown life span, anywhere from yrs

Biology Ampullae of Lorenzini - electroreceptors help shark detect electrical fields in water temperature changes can pick up weakest of muscle contractions sense fields created by currents seen as dark spots around face

Lateral line Allow shark to detect movement and vibration in the water Helps to avoid collisions Suggested that it helps shark avoid severe weather conditions that pose a threat to the shark Tapedum Lucidum reflector system in the eyes that allows them to see at low light levels reflective layer behind retina that lets cells recapture photons of visible light

Behavior nocturnal and mostly loners, hunting at night in shallow waters close to shore known as sluggish, but are one of the strongest swimmers with a voracious appetite curious and can be very, very aggressive moves in s-shaped fashion, with caudal fin the main propelling source

Feeding known scavengers diet: sea turtles, rays, other sharks, bony fishes, birds, dolphins, squid, crustaceans, cephalopods, carrion, and jellyfish among others Known as garbage cans of the sea, especially near harbors and river inlets where trash is dumped bags of potatoes, a sack of coal, sand, rubber tire, dogs, plastic bags, can of spam

Stealth and go towards prey with confidence Circles it and prods it with its snout Combined with teeth serration and shaking its head back and forth, they can tear chunks from animals larger than them Apex predators of the sea, meaning they are at the top of the food chain Necessary for their ecosystem, creating stability when there is an imbalance in the food chain

Reproduction Mating takes place during spring in the northern hemisphere and during winter in the southern hemisphere Breeding is by internal fertilization Litter sizes are typically large, can be anywhere from pups Only shark to be ovoviviparous - eggs develop inside mother receiving nourishment from a yolk sac. Pups hatch inside uterus and are born live soon after. Once the pups are born they are left to fend for themselves, no help from mom typically born in nursery ground, which provides protection

Human Impact 2nd to Great Whites for attacks on humans, but attacks are rare Often dwell in shallow waters where they are bound to come in contact with humans As they are quite curious and aggressive, they must be treated with extreme respect

Stats From there were only 4 fatal shark attacks in the US About 40 attacks per year...30,000 surfing accidents Risks Drowning and other beach-related fatalities - 1 in 2 million Drowning fatalities - 1 in 3.5 million Shark attacks - 1 in 11.5 million Shark attack fatalities - 0 in million Over 100 million sharks are killed per year by humans

Threat Biggest threat is US! Classified as near-threatened species by the ICUN Due to excessive finning and fishing Experts say they are close to or likely to qualify for worse status in the near future, due to continued fishing Luckily, they are generally not in danger of facing extinction

Caught in target and non-target fisheries as by-catch Harvested for fins, flesh, and liver For sport as big game fish, although tagging and release is more common due to new restrictions & regulations Garbage and pollution Control programs using nets and lines to cull sharks - kill them to promote tourism

Conservation Oceana is the largest international organization focused only on ocean conservation. Greenpeace International has just added the tiger shark to its Seafood Red List A list of fish that have a great risk of coming from unsustainable fisheries.

What We Can Do Not littering. Support our congress with any new acts and regulations supporting shark conservation. Write letters, s to our Utah representatives Be informed, it is easy to subscribe to updates or newsletters from organizations, such as Oceana As tiger sharks are apex predators, they are SO vital to keeping our oceans healthy

Sources “Ampullae of Lorenzini.” Accessed 3/16/ “Lateral Line.” Accessed 3/16/ “Tiger Shark.” Accessed 3/20/ Campana, Steven; Joyce, Warren; Zahorodny, Zoey, “Ampullae of Lorenzini.” english/ampul.htm Accessed 3/16/ english/ampul.htm Campana, Steven; Joyce, Warren; Zahorodny, Zoey, “Lateral Line.” lateral%20line.htm Accessed 3/16/ lateral%20line.htm FJ, Ollivier; DA, Samuelson; DE, Brooks; PA, Lewis; ME, Kallberg; AM, Komaromy, 1/7/2004, “Comparative morphology of the tapedum lucidum (among selected species.” Accessed 3/16/ “NOAA Fisheries Fact Sheet Tiger Shark.” Accessed 3/16/ “Galeocerdo cuvier, Tiger Shark.” Accessed 3/8/ “Feature Shark- Tiger (Galeocerdo cuvier).” Accessed 3/16/ “Galeocerdo cuvier.” Accessed 3/8/ “Tiger Shark.” Accessed 3/8/ “Behavior.” Accessed 3/20/ “Reproduction.” Accessed 3/20/ “Attack Statistics.” Accessed 4/14/2011.