118 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



Figure 42 



Family Eulamidae, Requiem Sharks. 



Genus Galeocerdo, Tiger Sharks. Spiracles present and easily 

 seen ; caudal peduncle with a low long skin ridge on each side ; 

 labial furrow on upper jaw as long as snout in front of mouth. 



Figure 42. Galeocerdo cuvier, Tiger Shark; Leopard Shark. 



Description: Trunk heaviest opposite the first dorsal and taper- 

 ing rearward ; a low ridge along the mid-line of the back between 

 the two dorsals and a low ridge along each side of the caudal 

 peduncle; snout noticeably short and very broadly rounded; 

 spiracle easily visible as a slit; longest gill opening about 1-1/5 

 as long as horizontal diameter of ey°; upper jaw with a well- 

 marked furrow, extending from corner of mouth to about opposite 

 the front edge of the eye, and furrow on lower jaw about 1/2 that 

 long; teeth 9 to 12 on each side in each jaw, the uppers similar 

 and very characteristic in shape ; their edges finely serrate toward 

 the tip but coarsely so toward the base. Second dorsal about 1/2 

 as long as first and 1/3 as high; caudal very distinctive in outline, 

 with a very slender pointed tip and a narrow sharp-pointed lower 

 lobe a little more than 1/3 as long as the upper lobe; anal similar 

 to second dorsal and below it; pectoral about 1/2 as long as the 

 distance from end of snout to fifth gill opening, with moderately 

 concave distal margin and narrowly rounded corners. 



Color: Gray or grayish brown above; a paler shade of the same 

 below ; small specimens up to 5 or 6 feet long are more or less 

 prominently marked with darker brown spots, often fusing irregu- 

 larly into oblique or transverse bars ; these fade with growth, 

 large ones often being but faintly marked or even plain colored. 



Size: While only 18 to 20 inches at birth, this is one of the larger 

 sharks at maturity with adults averaging about 12 to 14 feet. 

 Occasionally it is as long as 18 feet and is reputed to grow con- 

 siderably larger still. Thev may be expected to weigh 700 to 850 

 lbs. at 11 to 12 ft., 850 to 1,300 lbs. at 12 to 13 ft., and 1.000 to 1,400 

 lbs. at 13 to 14 ft., depending on fatness and (for gravid females) 

 on the stage of development of the embryos. 



Habits: Found indifferently far out at sea and close inshore, 

 and even on flats in a few feet of water. Except when in pur- 

 suit of food, this is rather a sluggish shark. When so stimulated, 

 however, it is one of the most vigorous and strong-swimming. 

 One of the most voracious of its kind, its diet ranges from crabs 

 and small fish to large fish, sea turtles and seals. It also has a 

 great tendency to frequent the entrances to harbors or waters near 

 canning factories and slaughter houses from which waste is 

 dumped. Its larger, saw-edged teeth are extremely efficient cutting 

 instruments. It is a common habit for it to bite great chunks 

 from other sharks that it may find entangled in nets. It is well 

 known as a scavenger, feeding on offal of any kind. In West Indian 



