Essay On Tiger Shark

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One of the largest sharks in the world is the tiger shark. The tiger shark’s scientific name is Galeocerdo Cuvier. They are strong, but slow moving, relatively sluggish sharks that spend most of their time near the bottom looking for food. Despite their sluggish appearance, tiger sharks are one of the strongest swimmers of all the Carcharhinid sharks. Once the shark has come close to its prey, a speed burst allows it to reach the intended prey before it can escape (National Geographic).
Tiger sharks are mostly ten to fourteen feet long. Tiger sharks weigh up to 1,400 pounds. Females are larger, and exceptionally big ones can reportedly measure over 16 feet long. The tiger shark is the tenth fastest shark in the world.
The skin of a tiger shark can typically range from blue to light green with a white or light yellow underbelly. This gives the shark the advantage when they are hunting for their prey. When prey looks at the shark from above, the shark will be camouflaged since the water below is darker. And when prey is below the shark and looks up, of course, because of the sun, the shark’s light underbelly will also camouflage the shark. Dark spots and stripes are most visible in young sharks and fade as the shark matures.
The tiger shark’s head is somewhat wedge-shaped, which makes it easy to turn quickly to one side or the other. Tiger sharks also have a sensory organ called a lateral line, which extends on their flanks down most of the length of their sides. The primary role of this structure is to detect minute vibrations in the water. These adaptations allow the tiger shark to hunt in darkness and detect hidden prey easily. A reflective layer behind the tiger shark's retina called the tapetum lucidum allows light-sensin...

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...bony fishes, small sharks, rays, crabs, lobsters, small dolphins, turtles, and squids. They feed cooperatively with other sand tiger sharks, surrounding and herding schooling prey (Monterey Bay Aquarium).
All tiger sharks generally swim slowly, which, combined with cryptic coloration, may make them difficult for prey to detect them in some habitats. They are especially well camouflaged against dark backgrounds. Tiger sharks are very vicious sharks, so they do not have many predators. The Great White Shark is considered a predator. Tiger sharks can be killed by orcas as well. Their hard beaks make a good weapon, which induces blunt end trauma on the shark’s pressure points (National Geographic).
The tiger shark is considered the sacred na ʻaumakua (ancestor spirits) by some native Hawaiian people who think their eyeballs have special powers of visual perception.

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