Dangerous Tiger Shark: description, photo and video, interesting facts. This shark is easily recognizable by its teeth. Where does the tiger shark live?
The shark belongs to the type of chordates, the class cartilaginous fishes, the superorder sharks (lat. Selacii). The origin of the Russian word "shark" originates from the language of the ancient Vikings, who called the word "hakall" any fish. In the 18th century in Russia, dangerous waterfowl predators began to be called this way, and initially the word sounded like “sharks”. Most of sharks live in salt water, but some species live in fresh water.
Shark: description and photo. What does a shark look like?
Due to species diversity, the length of sharks varies greatly: small bottom sharks barely reach 20 cm, and whale shark grows up to 20 meters and has a weight of 34 tons (the mass of an average sperm whale). The shark skeleton has no bones and consists only of cartilage tissue. The streamlined body is covered with scales with pronounced relief protrusions, the strength of which is not inferior to the teeth, in connection with which the shark scales are called “skin teeth”.
The respiratory organ of the shark is the gill slits located in front of the pectoral fins.
The shark's heart maintains too low a blood pressure, so to stimulate blood flow, the fish must be in motion as often as possible, helping the heart with continuous muscle contractions. Although some species of sharks feel great lying on the bottom and pumping water through their gills.
The shark lacks the swim bladder that all bony fish have.
Therefore, the buoyancy of the shark is provided by a giant liver, which is almost a third of the body weight of a predatory fish, a low density of cartilaginous tissue and fins.
The shark's stomach is very elastic, so it can hold a large amount of food.
For digestion food concentration of hydrochloric acid there is not enough in the gastric juice, and then the sharks turn the stomach inside out, freeing it from undigested surpluses, and interestingly, the stomach does not suffer at all from numerous sharp teeth.
Sharks have excellent vision, exceeding the sharpness of a human by 10 times.
Hearing is represented by the inner ear and picks up low frequencies and infrasounds, and also provides predatory fish with the function of balance.
Sharks have a rare sense of smell and can smell the smells coming through the air and water.
Predators catch the smell of blood in a ratio of 1 to a million, which is comparable to a teaspoon diluted in a swimming pool.
The speed of the shark, as a rule, does not exceed 5 - 8 km / h, although, having sensed the prey, the predator can accelerate to almost 20 km / h. Warm-blooded species - White shark and mako sharks cut through the water column at speeds up to 50 km / h.
The average life expectancy of a shark is no more than 30 years, but sand quatrains, whales and polar sharks can live for over 100 years.
The structure of the jaw of a predator depends on the lifestyle and food consumed. Shark teeth are long, sharp, in the shape of a cone, with which she easily rips the flesh of the victim.
Representatives of the gray shark family are endowed with flat and sharp teeth, which allows them to tear apart the meat of large prey.
tiger shark teeth
The whale shark, whose main diet is plankton, has small teeth up to 5 mm long, although their number can reach several thousand.
Horned sharks, feeding mainly on bottom food, have front sharp small teeth and a back row of large crushing teeth. As a result of grinding or falling out, the teeth of a predatory fish are replaced by new ones that grow with age. inside graze.
How many teeth does a shark have?
Comb-toothed sharks have 6 rows of teeth on the lower and 4 rows on the upper jaws with total 180-220 teeth. In the mouths of white and tiger sharks there are 280-300 teeth, which are arranged in 5-6 rows on each jaw. The frilled shark has 20-28 dentitions per jaw, with a total of 300-400 teeth. The whale shark has 14,000 teeth in its mouth.
The size of shark teeth also varies from species to species. For example, the size of the teeth of a white shark is 5 cm. The length of the teeth of sharks that feed on plankton is only 5 mm.
white shark teeth
Where do sharks live?
Sharks live in the waters of the entire oceans, that is, in all seas and oceans. The main distribution falls on the equatorial and near-equatorial waters of the seas, near coastal waters, especially in reef buildings.
It is worth noting that some species of sharks, such as the common gray shark and the blunt-nosed shark, are able to live in both salty and fresh water swimming in rivers. The depth of the habitat of sharks is on average 2000 meters, in rare cases they go down to 3000 meters.
What does a shark eat?
Shark food is quite diverse and depends on the specific species and range. Most species prefer sea fish. Deep sea sharks eat crabs and other crustaceans.
Great white shark hunts eared seals, sea elephants and cetacean mammals, Tiger shark swallows everything. And only 3 species - largemouth, whale and gigantic sharks eat plankton, cephalopods and small fish.
Shark species, names and photos
The modern classification of these ancient fish that existed hundreds of millions of years ago distinguishes 8 main orders, forming about 450 species of sharks:
Carchariformes (grey, carcharide) sharks(lat. Carcharhiniformes)
This order unites 48 genera and 260 species. The following species are considered typical representatives of the detachment:
- Giant hammerhead shark(lat. Sphyrna mokarran )
It lives in the waters of the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, Caribbean and mediterranean seas. The maximum recorded length of the hammerhead shark is 6.1 m. Front edge Their "hammer" is almost straight, which distinguishes them from other hammerhead sharks. The high dorsal fin is sickle-shaped.
- silk (Florida, broadmouth) shark(lat. Carcharhinus falciformis)
Lives in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, is found in the equatorial and adjacent latitudes of the oceans.
The broadmouth shark is characterized by a rather dark color on the back of various shades of gray, blue, brown-brown with a slight metallic sheen. Colors fade with age. The scales that cover the skin of a shark are so small that they create the effect of their complete absence. In length reaches 2.5-3.5 meters. The maximum recorded weight is 346 kilograms.
- Tiger (leopard) shark (lat. Galeocerdo cuvier)
It lives off the coast of Japan, New Zealand, USA, Africa, India, Australia. The tiger shark is considered one of the most widespread species of sharks on Earth.
These large predators reach a length of 5.5 meters. Coloring leopard shark gray, belly white or light yellow. Until the shark reaches two meters in length, transverse stripes similar to tiger ones are visible on its sides. That's where its name came from. These stripes camouflage predatory fish from their larger relatives. The stripes fade with age.
- bull sharkor gray bull shark (lat. Carcharhinus leucas)
The most aggressive species of sharks, common in tropical and subtropical oceans, you can often find this predatory fish in rivers and canals.
These huge fish have a spindle-shaped oblong body characteristic of gray sharks, the snout is short, massive and blunt. The surface of the body of the blunt-nosed shark is painted gray, the belly is white. The maximum recorded body length is 4 meters.
- blue shark or blue shark (big shark or great blue shark)(lat.Prionace glauca )
It is one of the most common sharks on earth. The habitat of the blue shark is quite wide: it is found everywhere in temperate and tropical waters World Ocean. reaches 3.8 meters in length and weighs 204 kilograms. This species has an elongated slender body with long pectoral fins. Body color - blue, belly-white.
Odd teeth (bovine, horned)sharks(lat. heterodontiformes )
The order includes one fossil and one modern genus, in which the following species can be distinguished:
- Zebra bovine(Chinese bovine, narrowband bovine, narrowband horned) shark (lat. Heterodontus zebra)
It lives off the coast of China, Japan, Australia, Indonesia. The maximum recorded length is 122 cm. The body of the narrow-striped bull shark is light brown or white with wide brown stripes, in addition there are narrow stripes on the sides.
- Helmeted bull shark(lat. Heterodontus galeatus)
A rare species that lives off the coast of Australia. The skin of helmet-shaped bull sharks is covered with large and coarse skin teeth. The color is light brown, 5 dark saddle-shaped marks are scattered along the main background. The maximum recorded length of a shark is 1.2 m.
- mozambican bull(african horned) shark (lat. Heterodontus ramalheira)
The fish has a body length of just over 50 centimeters and lives off the coast of Mozambique, Yemen and Somalia. The base of the anal fin is located behind the base of the second dorsal fin. The main color of this species of sharks is red-brown in color, small white spots are scattered over it. The maximum fixed length is 64 cm.
Polygills (multigill)sharks(lat. Hexanchiformes)
A primitive detachment representing only 6 species of sharks, with the most famous:
- frilled shark(cloaked man) (lat. Chlamydoselachus anguineus)
This shark has the ability to bend its body and attack its prey in a similar manner. The length of the frill can reach 2 m, but is usually about 1.5 m in females and 1.3 m in males. The body is strongly elongated. The color of this species of sharks is even dark brown or gray color. They are distributed from the northern coast of Norway to Taiwan and California.
- Sevengill(ash sevengill shark, sevengill) (lat. Heptranchias perlo)
It has a length of slightly more than 1 meter and, despite aggressive behavior, is not dangerous to humans. It lives from coastal Cuban waters to the coast of Australia and Chile.
The color of this species of sharks ranges from brownish-gray to olive in color, the belly is lighter. Some individuals of the ashy sevengill shark have dark markings scattered along the back, and light edging of the fins is possible. Young sevengill sharks have dark spots on their sides, the edges of the dorsal and upper lobe of the caudal fins are darker than the main color.
lamniform sharks (lat. Lamniformes)
These are large fish endowed with a body resembling a torpedo in shape. The order includes 7 genera:
- Giant (gigantic) sharks (lat. Cetorhinidae)
They have an average length of 15 m, but, despite their impressive dimensions, they do not pose a danger to people. Grey-brown in color with flecks. On the caudal peduncle there are pronounced lateral keels, the tail of sickle-shaped sharks. Giant sharks live mainly in the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, North and Mediterranean Seas.
- Fox sharks (sea foxes) (lat. Alopias)
They are very long top caudal fin equal to the length of the body. Sea foxes have a generally slender body with small dorsal and long pectoral fins. The color of sharks varies from brownish to bluish or lilac-gray, the belly is light. They grow up to 6 m in length, but are shy and try to avoid meeting a person.
common fox sharks in the waters North America and all along the Pacific coast.
- herring(lamp) sharks (lat. Lamnidae)
These are the fastest sharks. A prominent representative of the family is the white shark, which has a body length of up to 6 meters. Thanks to the delicious meat herring sharks are exterminated for commercial purposes, and are also used as objects of sport hunting in warm waters world ocean.
- False sand sharks(lat. Pseudocarcharias)
Pseudocarcharias kamoharai is the only species in the genus. These fish are distinguished by a peculiar body shape resembling a cigar. The average body length is 1 m, predators are not aggressive towards humans, but when caught, they begin to bite. These sharks live in the eastern Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans.
- sand sharks(lat. Odontaspidae)
Family big fish with upturned nose and curved mouth. Slow and not aggressive, they are considered theoretically dangerous to humans, although recorded cases of cannibalism most likely relate to gray sharks, with which sandy sharks are often confused.
Sand sharks are inhabitants of all tropical and many cool seas. The maximum body length of this shark species is 3.7 m.
- largemouth (pelagic)sharks(lat. Megachasma)
Family Megachasma represented by the only a rare species Megachasmapelagios. Representatives of the species of largemouth sharks feed on plankton and are not dangerous to humans. The body length of this species is up to 6 m in length. These sharks swim off the coast of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippine Islands.
- Scapanorhynchus sharks (house sharks) (lat. Mitsukurinidae)
They represent 1 species, which received the popular nickname "shark - goblin" for a long nose in the shape of a beak. Length adult is about 4 m with a weight of just over 200 kg. Rare deep sea view sharks live off the coast of Japan and Australia.
Wobbegong(lat. Orectolobiformes)
A detachment consisting of 32 species of sharks, the brightest representative which is considered a whale shark (lat. Rhincodon typus), growing up to 20 meters in length. A good-natured animal that allows divers to stroke themselves and even ride on their backs.
Most species feed on mollusks and crayfish in shallow water. These sharks are found in the warm waters of the tropical and subtropical zones.
Sawtooth sharks(lat.Pristiophoriformes )
The detachment includes the only family Pylon sharks or Pylon sharks (lat. Pristiophoridae), which are distinguished by a long, flat muzzle with saw-like teeth. The average length of an adult sawnose shark is 1.5 meters. These predatory fish are common in the warm waters of the Pacific and indian ocean and also off the coast South Africa, Australia, Japan and several Caribbean countries.
Katranobraznye (spiky) sharks (lat. Squaliformes)
Numerous order, including 22 genera and 112 species. Unusual representatives of the order are the Southern katran, sea dog, or marigold (lat. Squalus acanthias), which can be found in all seas and oceans, including arctic and subantarctic waters.
flat-bodied sharks (angelfish, squatins) (lat. Squatina)
They differ in a wide, flat body, resembling in appearance. Representatives sea angels have a length of slightly more than 2 meters, lead mainly night image life, and during the day they sleep, buried in silt. They live in all warm waters of the oceans.
The tiger shark is a cartilaginous fish from the gray shark family, which is the most dangerous species of marine animals for humans.
This huge fish gray color lives in coastal waters and does not go deeper than 3 meters. Unfortunately, people from time to time encounter a formidable predator and it ends badly, even to the point of death.
But for a person it happens in exceptional cases, because a toothy fish prefers to swim at a depth of 350 meters. Sometimes the shark was noticed at a depth of 900 meters. Perhaps it goes even deeper, but this is not recorded anywhere.
Representatives of this species of gray sharks are found in all seas in temperate and tropical latitudes. Predatory fish roam, swimming in warm waters from one side of the world to another. Easily crosses the Indian, Atlantic, and even Pacific Ocean. Although the depth of the ocean does not frighten her, nevertheless the fish prefers to be closer to the continents.
The range covers areas such as northern regions Indian Ocean, Caribbean waters and Oceania. A large number of observed off the northwest African coast and near the island of Madagascar. coastal zone of the Australian continent and Persian Gulf for sharks of this species are very attractive. But where they do not swim is the Mediterranean Sea.
Appearance of a tiger shark
This species is the largest representative of its family that lives in the open sea. The body length of the shark is 3-4 meters with a weight of 400 to 600 kg.
Females are usually larger than males. Some female individuals reach a length of 5 meters, but as a rule, the length of the female does not exceed 4.5 meters. Some experts argue that the predator can grow to a size of 7.5 m, weighing 3 tons.
A large female was caught off the coast of Australia, the weight of which reached 1200 kg, and the length was 5.5 m. cartilaginous fish with similar data was no longer found, apparently such a large specimen was an exceptional case.
The body of the fish has a gray tint. Young individuals have a skin of a greenish color along which dark stripes run, resembling a tiger color. From this predator and got its specific name. The stripes gradually disappear when the shark reaches 2 meters in length.
Such stripes are excellent at camouflaging young tiger sharks from larger enemies, including adults of their own species.
Adult fish have a uniform coloration of the upper body. The belly is light yellow or white. The large head is blunt wedge-shaped. The shark's mouth is very large and armed with razor-sharp teeth. Teeth have characteristic appearance- Beveled top and serrated blade. With such teeth bloodthirsty predator easily tears through any flesh. The front part of the body has a thickened appearance and tapers towards the tail, which means it has excellent streamlining. Although, the readings of the speed that the fish can develop are not very high. Max Speed The movement of a shark in the water is 30 km/h.
The tiger shark is a real toothy monster. reproduction
Puberty of predators is comparable to their size. For example, in males it occurs, with a body length of 2.3-2.5 m. To become sexually mature, females must grow 2.5-3 m long. These fish are viviparous.
Fertilization occurs 1 time in 3 years, pregnancy lasts 16 months. A shark can produce from 10 to 80 sharks at a time. Cubs have a length of 51 to 78 cm. Having been born, small tiger sharks immediately begin an independent life.
In the period before giving birth, the mother shark loses its appetite. This circumstance helps to avoid cannibalism. To protect their babies, female sharks huddle in flocks, as cubs are in danger everywhere, and above all, from male tiger sharks.
Survive in ocean depths not easy, however, those who are lucky grow into huge and ferocious predators. There is no exact data on the life expectancy of tiger sharks, but there is evidence that representatives of the species can live for more than 12 years.
Behavior and nutrition of the tiger shark
Predatory fish is omnivorous and is able to deal with everything that produces any movement. The diet of young individuals is made up of mollusks, fish and. When sharks grow up, their diet expands significantly. Their victims are not only fish, but also other types of sharks, seals, sea lions, dolphins and even birds sitting on the water. Sharks love to feast on carrion and garbage, which floats a lot in the coastal zone.
Tiger sharks have an excellent sense of smell. Smell spreads even better in water than in air, and a shark can smell blood from miles away. Much depends on where the undercurrent is directed.
In pursuit of prey, sharks often appear in close proximity to the coast and there is a high probability of a collision with a person. According to statistics for 2011, there were 169 tiger shark attacks on people around the world. 29 of them with lethal outcome. It is very difficult to escape from a shark attack, given its huge strong jaws and sharp teeth.
In order to hunt, sharks never come together in packs. It is common for them to eat their smaller relative. Normally, sharks are rather slow. However, sensing the prey, the fish begins to move quickly and swiftly.
These predators do not have an air bladder and cannot hang in the water because of this. They have to be on the move all the time. The shark chooses caves or the seabed, where it can lie down to rest. Tiger sharks hunt mainly at night.
15.09.2015 11:41
Many tourists planning a holiday in Bali are concerned about their safety. This is due to the inhabitants of the Indian Ocean, which can be dangerous to humans.
The question of the presence of sharks off the coast of Bali is relevant for every tourist who comes here, because the waters of the Indian Ocean, washing the island, are the habitat of many fish. But not all of them pose a danger to people.
The whale shark is the most common among tourists. The basis of her diet is plankton, so you should not be afraid of her. At the same time, it is not recommended to swim too close to her, and especially to her mouth. In the course of its life, this shark absorbs a huge amount of water, so it can accidentally swallow a person swimming nearby. And yet it remains a safe fish. BUT locals can offer you extravagant fishing when a person acts as a bait. This activity is suitable for lovers of extreme sports.
Another herbivorous shark is the coral cat shark. The length of her body is no more than 50-60 centimeters. The color is brown with small darker spots. She was relatively recently seen on the coastal territory of Bali. It was first discovered in 2005 in Jimbaran Bay. FROM predatory fish has nothing in common. The main component of its diet are shrimp-like inhabitants of the ocean, cephalopods and sea worms. People do not attract a cat shark at all, and it itself is unsuitable for human food.
whitetip reef shark
In the coastal waters of Bali, you can meet the whitetip reef shark. Based on the name, it can be identified precisely by the tips of the white fins. She is a representative of gray sharks. Adults can grow up to one and a half, and in the rarest cases, two meters in length.
A meeting with this shark is almost impossible for a tourist, since its usual habitat is water at a depth of about 40 meters, as well as deserted reefs. Crabs, octopuses, as well as all kinds of fish found in these places act as her diet. Attacks on people were extremely rare, and even then only in the case of provocative behavior on the part of a person. The extremely active behavior of this predator is caused only by a wounded fish.
The whitetip shark is of particular value to fishermen. Her liver and meat are very tasty, healthy and nutritious. The main habitat of the family of such sharks is the sea depths near Padang Bay and Tepekong.
Off the coast of the small village of Tulamben, vacationers may encounter such a species of shark as the hammerhead fish. This small-sized fish is the owner of an elongated body and a head of a special shape, which was the reason for its name. For humans, it is not dangerous, it is an extremely peaceful species of sharks. Feeds on small fish and cephalopods.
When planning a vacation in the area of the Bali Islands, you can not be afraid for your life and health, plunging into these waters. There is no predatory species sharks that could harm vacationers.
Most of them are carnivorous, but only a few species are considered serious predators that pose a danger to humans. One such species is the tiger shark. What does this fish look like? Where does she live? We will talk about its features in the article.
Tiger shark: photo, description of appearance
Because of the transverse stripes on the back, they are called "sea tigers". But such a color is present on the body of predators only in young age. Growing up to two meters long, they lose their bright distinctive features and become ordinary gray sharks with pale yellow bellies.
The appearance of these creatures is quite typical. Their body is torpedo-shaped, which tapers towards the tail. The snout of tiger sharks is slightly square, short and blunt. They have a large head with large eyes, behind which are spiracles (gill openings through which water is sucked in and directed to the gills). They have a large mouth with many teeth with beveled tops and serrated edges. They work like blades that cut through the body of the prey.
In terms of size, tiger sharks are one of the largest representatives of their class. Adults on average reach 3-4 meters in length. It weighs approximately 400-600 kilograms. largest shark of this species reached 5.5 meters and weighed one and a half tons.
habitats
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 live in eastern and western coasts Australia and America, in the seas of South and South-East Asia, in the seas throughout East Africa and off the western coast of the Sahara. They were found at a depth of up to 1000 meters, but most often the fish are found near the surface (up to 300 meters) of the ocean or in shallow water. They often come close to the coasts, swim in the estuaries of rivers and marinas.
Predator or trash can?
By nature, tiger sharks are predators, but they can eat anything. Their focus is usually on mollusks, crustaceans, turtles, small and medium fish, 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 eat things that would seem not intended for this. Clothes, license plates, product packaging, bottles and cans are often found in the stomachs of captured sharks. Sometimes they contain the remains of non-swimming animals, which, most likely, ended up unfortunately near the water.
A keen sense of smell allows them to catch even a small amount of blood in order to immediately go towards the “lunch”. They rarely attack immediately. At first, they circle around the object they are interested in, trying to somehow identify it. Gradually narrow the circle, and then rush to the victim. If the prey is of medium size, then the predator swallows it without chewing.
Lifestyle
Among the entire family of carchariformes, only tiger sharks are ovoviviparous. From the eggs, the cubs hatch right in the mother's body and come out 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 protect themselves from possible enemies. At other times, tiger sharks are solitary and rarely form groups. Swimming 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 for about 40-50 years.
Is it dangerous for humans?
One of the common fears in the ocean is the fear of encountering a shark. And it is quite 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 about food and, being too hungry, eats literally everything. Among all types of sharks, the tiger shark ranks second in terms of the number of attacks on people.
However, the image of aggressive and murderous predators is greatly exaggerated due to the horrific stories of their victims, as well as popular culture. According to statistics, the chances of dying from their bite is not so much. So, about 3-4 people die from a tiger shark per year. Bees and ants turn out to be much more dangerous - they take the lives of about 30-40 people a year. It is fair to say that cases of shark attacks without fatality a lot more. Very often they only injure people by biting off individual pieces of meat or body parts.
One way or another, people are not their main target. They can bite if you find yourself in their territory or start to somehow provoke, waving your limbs unnecessarily. They rarely attack calmly swimming divers, but swimmers and surfers floundering in the water are attacked more often, confusing them with a feeding seal or turtle. Other possible reasons hunger, aggression mating season, the smell of blood, as well as simple curiosity. Sometimes they use teeth instead of hands, and with the help of a bite they try to find out what is in front of them.
The tiger shark, with its sharp teeth, powerful jaws and voracious appetite, has long aroused in us a curiosity mixed with overwhelming fears, but justified.
Tiger sharks are better than many adapted to survive in underwater world. They are found in abundance in the warm seas off the coast of both Americas and Africa. Australia and Oceania, and the most "enterprising" predators have been seen more than once in the English Channel and the cold waters of Iceland.
Being excellent swimmers, tiger sharks cover great distances in search of prey, feeling at ease both in shallow water and in estuaries. and on great depths which makes them particularly dangerous to humans.
Some eyewitnesses claim that they saw 9-meter tiger sharks, but, as a rule, their length rarely exceeds 6 m. They got their formidable name not so much for bloodthirstiness, but for striped, like a tiger, marks on the body of young individuals, which, according to gradually disappear with age.
The family of gray sharks, to which the tiger sharks belong, unites 48 species, including the blunt and great blue shark. In turn, this family is included in the order of carcharine-shaped sharks that live in many seas and oceans and represent greatest danger for a person.
Like all its relatives, the tiger shark is a vertebrate animal. however, its skeleton does not consist of bone tissue, as in many fish, but of strong cartilage, much lighter and more flexible than bones.
The tiger shark glides smoothly in the water at the very bottom. In a labyrinth of algae-covered stones, it is easy to hide and unexpectedly ambush an unsuspecting victim.
The shark breathes with gills located on the sides of the head.
Streamlining and balance
An encounter with a huge, torpedo-like tiger shark does not bode well. Her slender body effortlessly glides in the water column, driven by the smooth curves of a powerful tail. located on the belly pectoral fins, high dorsal and powerful caudal fins help maintain balance when moving. Wagging its tail from side to side, it swims forward, changing the speed and direction of movement with the help of its fins. The toothed scales of the tiger shark are smaller and lighter than the scales of other inhabitants of the deep sea, which gives it a huge advantage in speed.Undemanding in the choice of menu, the tiger shark always finds something to profit from. If some giant sharks(for example, whale) feed only on plankton (the smallest plants and animals), then the omnivorous tiger shark without hesitation devours everything that turns up - from crabs and lobsters to fish, small sharks, poisonous rays, sea turtles and even sea lions. From her formidable jaws, neither a seagull crouching on the water, nor a crocodile swimming in the mouth of the river will be healthy. Even a fish-ball, capable of destroying any predator, the tiger shark calmly devours without any harm to itself. (The size of the fish-ball is not more than 30 cm, but in case of danger it swells up, becoming twice as large as usual, and many marine predators die of suffocation, choking on this dangerous prey.)
sea scavenger
For the habit of devouring everything indiscriminately, tiger sharks are often called sea scavengers. Off the coast of many tropical cities, whole flocks of tiger sharks are on duty, picking up any garbage, including bags and cardboard boxes.Following the example of other large relatives, the tiger shark hunts alone, relying entirely on its senses.
A female tiger shark has just caught a fish (the tail of the prey is still sticking out of her mouth). Cruising tirelessly in shallow coastal waters, these predators will always find something to profit from.
Keen hearing picks up the convulsive movements of a wounded fish, and pressure receptors in the ears and along the lateral line respond to the vibrations of the water emanating from a potential prey. The shark has an excellent sense of smell, distinguishing the smell of blood from afar, and excellent eyesight. Finally, nature endowed her unique ability to perceive the insignificant electrical impulses emitted by the nerves of animals. For these purposes, it serves as a kind of "radar", located at the tip of the snout.
Before rushing to the attack, the shark circles around the future prey for some time. Before the throw, the predator covers her eyes with a thin transparent film, and her gills sharply draw in water in order to push it out at the right moment and create additional acceleration. Having overtaken the victim, the shark snatches off a huge piece with sharp teeth like a saw and swims to the side, waiting for it to weaken. This manner of hunting largely explains why the tiger shark is so dangerous to humans. If a wounded swimmer flounders in the water, bleeding, the shark will instantly appear and will not let him out alive.
A newborn baby tiger shark is more likely to survive than many of its relatives, since it develops in the mother's body. Typically, a female tiger shark produces from 10 to 84 cubs (30-50 on average). After mating, the sperm can be stored in the posterior part of the oviducts of the expectant mother for about a year. Mature eggs leave the ovaries and descend into the oviduct, where they are fertilized. The development of the embryos in the mother's body lasts about ten months. Each embryo is in a separate capsule of a substance similar to transparent plastic, and in the process of growth it feeds on the yolk of its egg.
Sharks ready for birth (about 0.5 m long) break the walls of their capsules, go out through the birth canal and set off in search of food. From that moment on, the mother considers her mission accomplished and in the future does not care about her offspring, so many cubs become victims of other marine life.
Representing a serious danger to humans, tiger sharks, however, are the object of commercial and sport fishing. Leather is made from their skins, and the fat is used as fuel. Considerable damage is done to sharks and people's attempts to protect themselves from their sharp teeth. Many predators die of suffocation when entangled in net barriers that are often set up on the beaches of Australia and South Africa to protect bathers.