Tiger Shark Identification Guide

Key identification features

• Blunt, wide, rounded snout that is short relative to the head
• Dark vertical bars or blotches along the flanks, boldest on juveniles and subadults and fading with age
• Low ridge of skin running along the midline between the two dorsal fins (interdorsal ridge)
• Large first dorsal fin positioned well forward, closer to the pectoral fins than to the second dorsal
• Long upper lobe on the tail fin, giving an asymmetrical, sickle-like outline
• Heavy, robust body reaching 3.5-5 m in large adults

Common look-alikes

• Bull shark: lacks both the bar pattern and the interdorsal ridge, and has a more rounded, blunter snout with no ridge between the dorsals
• Sandbar shark: much taller, more triangular first dorsal fin set higher and no vertical bars
• Sand tiger shark: ragged, protruding teeth visible even with the mouth closed, plus a more slender build without bars

Where you'll see one

Tiger sharks range through tropical and warm-temperate seas worldwide, patrolling continental shelves, reef edges, seagrass flats, and river mouths, often moving between deep offshore water and shallow coastal habitat.