At a glance
- IUCN category
- CR · Critically Endangered
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The sand tiger shark is a large coastal shark with a fearsome, snaggle-toothed look but a generally placid nature. It is assessed as Critically Endangered.
It has one of the lowest reproductive rates of any shark.
Range & habitat
Warm coastal waters worldwide (excluding the eastern Pacific).
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Overfishing and bycatch
- A very low reproductive rate
- Past culling
Why it matters
A slow-breeding coastal shark popular in aquariums, the sand tiger shark is a flagship for shark conservation and the dangers of overfishing low-reproduction species.
Sources
Sources for Sand Tiger Shark
- IUCN Red List — look up Sand Tiger Shark (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the sand tiger shark dangerous despite its teeth?
Its protruding teeth look ferocious, but it is generally a slow, placid shark not considered a significant threat to people; its teeth are suited to gripping fish.
Why is the sand tiger shark Critically Endangered?
Published assessments cite overfishing and bycatch, an extremely low reproductive rate (often only a couple of pups per litter), and past culling. See the IUCN Red List.
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