Here is a shark that has stripes. Let's find out why it is called a tiger shark. Look for the dark bars along its body. The tiger shark gets its name from them, because the bars look like a tiger's stripes. Young tiger sharks have stripes like a tiger, and the stripes fade as the shark grows up.

A mother tiger shark gives birth to live young, called pups. She does not lay eggs. A female carries her pups for a year or more, up to about 16 months, before they are born. She can give birth to 10 to 82 pups at one time. A newborn pup is about 51 to 76 centimeters (1 to 1.5 feet) long.

An adult tiger shark is commonly 325 to 425 centimeters (10 to 14 feet) long. It commonly weighs 385 to 635 kilograms (850 to 1,400 pounds). As of November 2026, some tiger sharks have been recorded at 550 centimeters (18 feet) long. Tiger sharks can live for more than 30 years.

Tiger sharks eat many different kinds of food. Their food includes sea turtles and birds. A tiger shark's large teeth have curved tips. The edges are serrated, like a saw. Tiger sharks hunt mostly at night. At night, they often move into shallow water to feed. A tiger shark is well camouflaged. It can use short bursts of speed once its prey is within range.

Tiger sharks live in tropical and temperate seas around the world. They are often found where rivers meet the sea and in harbors, as well as in the open ocean. Tiger sharks are often seen at the surface. As of November 2026, they have been reported at 350 meters (1,085 feet). Tagged sharks have dived deeper than 1,000 meters. Tiger sharks fitted with tracking tags swam at least 16 kilometers in a single day.

Words to know

• pups: baby sharks
• camouflaged: hard to see
• serrated: like a saw

The short version

The tiger shark gets its name from the dark bars along its body, which look like a tiger's stripes. Young tiger sharks have stripes, and the stripes fade as the shark grows up. An adult is commonly 325 to 425 centimeters (10 to 14 feet) long. Tiger sharks live in tropical and temperate seas around the world.

Quick facts

• Young tiger sharks have stripes like a tiger, and the stripes fade as the shark grows up.
• An adult tiger shark is commonly 325 to 425 centimeters (10 to 14 feet) long.
• A female tiger shark carries her pups for a year or more, up to about 16 months, before they are born.
• Tiger sharks can live for more than 30 years.
• Tiger sharks hunt mostly at night.