Knowra Sand tiger shark Sand tiger shark The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) is a large coastal shark with protruding teeth. It gulps air at the surface and holds it in its stomach to regulate buoyancy.
Buoyancy control : The regulation of an object's tendency to float or sink in a fluid. Air held in the stomach lets this shark hover with little swimming effort.
Carcharias : A genus of mackerel sharks containing the sand tiger shark as its sole living species. The sand tiger shark is the living member of this genus.
IUCN Red List : A global assessment system that classifies species by extinction risk. The sand tiger shark is assessed as Critically Endangered globally.
Tiger shark : A large requiem shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, identified by dark vertical bars, especially when young. Despite the shared common name, it belongs to a different shark family.
Ravenous Bay : A shallow coastal bay in South Africa known for seasonal gatherings of sand tiger sharks. It is a well-known site for observing the species in the wild.
Intragastric air : Air swallowed into the stomach and retained temporarily rather than used for digestion. This is the specific mechanism behind the shark's unusual buoyancy control.
Mackerel shark : A shark in the order Lamniformes, a group including makos, threshers, and great white sharks. Sand tiger sharks belong to this order of sharks.
Shark finning : The removal of a shark's fins, often followed by discarding its body at sea. Finning and other fishing pressures have contributed to declines in some populations.
Nurse shark : A bottom-dwelling shark of the family Ginglymostomatidae that often rests on the seabed. Both can rest near the bottom, but nurse sharks have barbels and different feeding habits.
Canyons of the Northeast United States : Submarine canyons off the northeastern United States that provide deep-water habitat for marine life. Sand tiger sharks use these offshore habitats, including foraging areas.
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