Tiger Shark
Also known as: Galeocerdo cuvier (scientific name)
Definition
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is a large solitary predator of tropical and temperate seas, the only living species of its genus and family, named for the dark vertical stripes that fade as the animal matures. Females can exceed five meters in length. In Philippine waters it appears occasionally, more often as fishery bycatch than as a tourism subject, and it is valued ecologically as an apex predator and scavenger. (Wikipedia)
Identities
| Source Type | Identity |
|---|---|
| Wikipedia | Tiger shark |
| Wikidata | Q188212 |
| DBpedia | N/A |
| ProductOntology | N/A |
| Wiktionary | N/A |
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) | N/A |
| MeSH | N/A |
| NCBI Taxonomy | Galeocerdo cuvier |
| AGROVOC | N/A |
| Google Scholar | tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier Philippines movement ecology |
| ConceptNet | fish |
| OpenCyc | N/A |
Also Known As
- Galeocerdo cuvier (scientific name)
Examples and Analogies
- The garbage collector of the reef: With one of the broadest diets in the sea, from sea turtles to carrion, the tiger shark ecologically resembles a municipal waste crew, consuming weak, dead, and overabundant animals and keeping ecosystems clean.
- A loner with a commute: Satellite tagging elsewhere shows tiger sharks crossing entire ocean basins, so a shark seen off a Philippine seamount may be a transient visitor on a route spanning thousands of kilometers.
Usage Scenarios
1. Bycatch Documentation
Fisheries observers and landing-site surveys record occasional tiger sharks in longline and net fisheries, data used in national shark reports and international stock assessments.
2. Marine Education
Aquaria-free education campaigns in coastal schools use the tiger shark’s scavenger role to teach ecosystem function, countering the maneater stereotype.
Strategies
- Encourage release of live incidentally caught tiger sharks, since their slow reproduction makes each mature female disproportionately valuable to the population.
- Fold tiger shark records into regional tagging databases so Philippine sightings contribute to Indian and Pacific Ocean movement maps.
- Promote non-consumptive shark valuation, such as dive tourism at sites where large sharks reliably appear.
Security and Safety Measures
- Swimmers and divers should avoid areas where fishing operations are actively discarding offal, which can attract large sharks close to shore.
- Spearfishers should string catches on trailing floats rather than belts and exit the water promptly if a large shark appears, and never harass or corner one.
Historical Context
The tiger shark’s fearsome reputation was cemented by mid-twentieth-century marine writing and film, even as its genuine biology revealed a slow-growing, wide-ranging scavenger ill-suited to heavy fishing pressure. Decades of unregulated shark landings worldwide, including in Southeast Asia, led to population declines that brought tiger sharks under international trade scrutiny and into national shark conservation policy discussions in the Philippines.
Challenges and Controversies
Slow Recovery
Tiger sharks mature late and produce relatively few young, so even modest continued bycatch can hold populations down for decades, frustrating management targets.
Fear versus Conservation
Coastal communities that view large sharks as threats sometimes resist protection measures, requiring patient public engagement that balances legitimate safety concerns with ecological values.
Related Topic
Oslob Whale Sharks