From Australian Oceans Data Network
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Ecology of the Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Shark Bay.

Created 23/06/2025

Updated 23/06/2025

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Tiger sharks, Galeocerdo cuvier, are apex predators in a variety of nearshore ecosystems throughout the world. This study investigates the biology of tiger sharks in the shallow seagrass ecosystem of Shark Bay, Western Australia. Tiger sharks (n = 252) were the most commonly caught species (94%) compared to other large sharks. Tiger sharks ranged from 148-407cm TL. The overall sex ratio was biased towards females (1.8:1), but the sex ratio of mature animals (> 300cm TL) did not differ from 1:1. Contrary to previous accounts, tiger sharks were caught more often in all habitats during daylight hours than at night. Tiger shark catch rates were highly correlated with water temperature and were highest when water temperatures were above 19°C. The seasonal abundance of tiger sharks is correlated to both water temperature and the occurrence of their main prey: sea snakes and dugongs, Dugong dugon. Stomach contents analysis indicated that sea turtles and smaller elasmobranchs were also common prey. The importance of major seagrass grazers (dugongs and green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas) in the diet of tiger sharks suggests the possibility that these sharks are keystone predators in this ecosystem.

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Additional Info

Field Value
Title Ecology of the Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Shark Bay.
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/4a31c8e5-d152-4d17-baa8-03ed2aff6339
Contact Point
Australian Ocean Data Network
Michael.Heithaus@fiu.edu
Reference Period 22/11/2017 - 18/11/2006
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
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      ],
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  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Australian Oceans Data Network

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Australian Oceans Data Network "Ecology of the Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) in Shark Bay.". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://catalogue.aodn.org.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/ecology-of-the-tiger-shark-galeocerdo-cuvier-in-shark-bay