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Sand Tiger Shark

Carcharias taurus

 

Sand Tiger Shark

 

SAND TIGER SHARK ID GUIDE 

 

Maximum size

Females up to 9.8 feet (3.0 m) and males up to 8.4 feet (2.6 m)

Range

Worldwide on continental shelves.  In the Western Atlantic, inshore in warm temperate and subtropical waters from the Gulf of Maine to Florida, Northern Gulf of Mexico and around the Bahamas and Bermuda.  Also in Southern Brazil and Argentina.

Diet

Feeds on a wide variety of prey including bony fishes, rays, and smaller sharks as well as squid, crabs, and lobsters.

Depth Range

Shallow coastal or coral reef waters down to at least 625 feet (191 m) deep.

Ecology

Inhabits surf zones, shallow bays, and coral  and rocky reefs where it swims at or near the bottom as well as in the water column and at the surface.

Fishing Interest

Sand tiger sharks are fished across their range, both recreationally and commercially, and the species is now vulnerable to population decline.