Tiger Shark Litters (Galeocerdo cuvier) in progress

Compagno 1984 (FAO Species Catalogue Vol. 4, part 2 p. 503): Ovoviparous, pupping reported in spring and early summer, April to June in the Northern Hemisphere, and probably November to Januarry in Southern Hemisphere. Size of litters very large, 10 to 82. Size at birth between 51 and 76 cm.
Photograph
Litter size
TL embryo
Mass embryo
TL fem. (m)
M fem. (kg)
Capture date
Capture location
Reference
GcNeonateTaiwan.jpg
36
~85
300+
22 July 2000
Victor Lin p.c.
Ten of the 36 term embryos were tagged and released on 16 August 2000 when TL = 85 cm.
  38       >300 12 Jun 2002   Victor Lin p.c.


48       476

19 Jun 2002

 

   Victor Lin p.c.
48 near-term embryos were released
Gc-images/tigersharkembryo.jpg
38
~51
mean
370
May 2004
Victor Lin p.c.
11 embryos were released and 27 were kept alive for sale to aquariums.
They died due to power outage caused by typhoon.
~60       414 23 July 2004
Victor Lin p.c.
Circa 60 near-term embryos were released. No photos of mother shark nor embryos.
38 near-term   3.7 ~200 13 June 2016 Near San-Shen-Tai On 13th, a 370cm, approx. 200kg tiger shark was caught in a set net near San-Shen-Tai. 38 near-term embryos were found and they were sent to a nearby research institute (http://www.tfrin.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=3) and kept in a nursing pool. Researchers there used squid and shrimp to feed them and they started feeding almost right away. So far (15 June 2016) all are still alive. Victor Lin pers. comm.
  37         14 June 2016   On 14th another pregnant tiger shark (no report on details of this shark) was caught in a nearby set net and 37 near-term embryos were found in it. The embryos were sent to the same research institution and so far (15 June 2016) 30 of them have survived. Victor Lin pers. comm.
82     4.45-5.03-5.49   <1948
Cuba
Mentioned in Bigelow and Schroeder (1948). Even Hoodder believes the tiger shark being discussed was a pregnant female with 82 young.
Photograph
Litter size
TL embryo (cm)
Mass embryo
TL fem. (m)
M fem. (kg)
Capture date
Capture location
Reference
Created February 2002; revised June 2016. Back to previous page
Please send comments or corrections to henry@elasmollet.org