Description: The Tiger Shark gets its name from dark black spots and vertical bars which run the length of the body. The anterior portion of the body is stout but becomes increasingly slender posterior to the abdomen. The tiger shark has a large head and eyes and a very blunt nose. The mouth is large with long labial furrows. The first dorsal fin is broad and originates behind the pectoral axil. The much smaller second dorsal fin starts anterior to the origin of the strongly recurved anal fin. A ridge is present along the back between the dorsal fins. A low longitudinal keel is present on the caudal peduncle and the upper lobe of the caudal fin is long and thin with a subterminal notch. The jaws have large teeth with curved cusps and finely serrated edges. Each tooth has a deep notch on the outer margin lined with numerous cusplets. Upper and lower teeth are similar in shape and size and decrease in size to the rear of the mouth.
