Why is it called a tiger shark? Look at the dark bars along its body. The bars look like a tiger's stripes. Young tiger sharks have stripes like a tiger. The stripes fade as the shark grows up.

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

A mother tiger shark gives birth to live young. The young are called pups. She does not lay eggs. At one time she can give birth to 10 to 82 pups. A new pup is about 51 to 76 centimeters (1 to 1.5 feet) long.

Tiger sharks live in tropical and temperate seas around the world. They are often found where rivers meet the sea and in harbors. They are found in the open ocean too. 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.

Words to know

• camouflaged: hard to see
• prey: hunted animals
• shallow: not deep
• pups: baby sharks