Tiger Shark
DeGrandis
Ashley DeGrandis
Oceanography
December 12, 2008
Prof. Eric Stern
The Wastebasket of The Sea
The Tiger shark, also known as the “wastebasket of the sea”(National Geographic), is the fourth largest predatory shark in the ocean, measuring between twenty and twenty five feet long and can weigh more than 2000 pounds. They have dark, vertical stripes on their bodies which is the reason they are named tiger sharks. According to National Geographic, these stripes fade lighter as the shark grows older, and eventually disappears with age. The head of the tiger shark is somewhat wedge-shaped which greatly helps the shark to turn quickly from one side to the other. Like other sharks, they have small pits on the side of their upper bodies which hold electrical sensors that are called the ampullae of lorenzini. This enables them to easily detect small or minute muscle movements of other sea creatures. Being able to detect such small movements allows these shark to easily hunt at night in the darkness. According to Encyclopedia of Life, the tiger shark has a thin reflective layer in their eye, behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum which allows light-sensing cells a second chance to capture photons of viable light which greatly enhances vision in low light conditions. This shark also has long fins and really long upper tail. The extremely long fins act as wings which provides a lift for the sharks body as it maneuvers through water. The long tail provides a great increase in speed and can be extremely helpful when hunting. This shark usually swims gracefully, using very little movements. The teeth of the tiger shark are extremely strong and are specialized to easily chew through flesh, bone, and other substances that can be hard to get through. According to studies done by the Tiger Shark Research Program, these sharks have been reported to have eaten substances such as the shells of sea turtles. Their teeth have dissimilar shapes which creates jagged
Ashley DeGrandis
Oceanography
December 12, 2008
Prof. Eric Stern
The Wastebasket of The Sea
The Tiger shark, also known as the “wastebasket of the sea”(National Geographic), is the fourth largest predatory shark in the ocean, measuring between twenty and twenty five feet long and can weigh more than 2000 pounds. They have dark, vertical stripes on their bodies which is the reason they are named tiger sharks. According to National Geographic, these stripes fade lighter as the shark grows older, and eventually disappears with age. The head of the tiger shark is somewhat wedge-shaped which greatly helps the shark to turn quickly from one side to the other. Like other sharks, they have small pits on the side of their upper bodies which hold electrical sensors that are called the ampullae of lorenzini. This enables them to easily detect small or minute muscle movements of other sea creatures. Being able to detect such small movements allows these shark to easily hunt at night in the darkness. According to Encyclopedia of Life, the tiger shark has a thin reflective layer in their eye, behind the retina called the tapetum lucidum which allows light-sensing cells a second chance to capture photons of viable light which greatly enhances vision in low light conditions. This shark also has long fins and really long upper tail. The extremely long fins act as wings which provides a lift for the sharks body as it maneuvers through water. The long tail provides a great increase in speed and can be extremely helpful when hunting. This shark usually swims gracefully, using very little movements. The teeth of the tiger shark are extremely strong and are specialized to easily chew through flesh, bone, and other substances that can be hard to get through. According to studies done by the Tiger Shark Research Program, these sharks have been reported to have eaten substances such as the shells of sea turtles. Their teeth have dissimilar shapes which creates jagged
Cited: Http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/tiger-shark.html." Tiger Shark. National Geographic. 12 Dec. 2008 h . Luscombe, Richard. "Surge in fatal shark attacks." Surge in fatal shark attacks blamed . on global warming. 10 May 2008. Observer. 13 Dec. 2008 . . . Meyer, Carl. "Tiger shark research program." Tiger Research program. 2005. Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources. 10 Dec. 2008 . TenBruggencate, Jan. "Details of attack point to tiger shark." Details of attack of tiger shark. 17 Dec. 2008 .