Carcharias taurus                                                Photo Fiona Sunquist ©

Sandtigers are large powerful looking sharks ranging in size from four to nine feet with a maximum of about 10.5 feet (3.2 m). They have a flattened conical snout and a long mouth that extends behind the eyes. Sandtigers live at depths ranging from 1.8 m to 191 m (6 feet to 626 feet), and can be found in the surf zone, shallow bays and estuaries and coral reefs.

Sandtigers eat a wide variety of fish, rays, squid, lobsters and other smaller sharks.

During the 8-9 month gestation period, the largest embryo eats all its smaller siblings so that usually only one pup survives in each of the two uteri. Pups are usually about 99 cm (39 inches) long at birth.

Despite their large size and ferocious looking teeth, these sharks are quite slow moving and approachable. They often hang around wrecks and dive sites and are not aggressive unless provoked. They have been known to attack people who are spear fishing and steal fish off stringers.

Sandtiger sharks are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ and must be released if caught.

This link will take you to the species account for the Sand tiger shark at the Ichthyology section of the Florida Museum of Natural History.

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