Sand Tiger Shark

sharks · ocean predators · teeth · worldwide

Many different names. Depending on where you are in the world, this shark goes by different names: sand tiger shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, grey nurse shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger. It's the same fish, just with local nicknames.

Shallow ocean dweller. Sand tiger sharks live in subtropical and temperate waters close to shore, hanging out on the sandy ocean floor and around reefs. They never go deeper than about 627 feet down.

Spread across oceans. You can find sand tiger sharks in the waters off Japan, Australia, South Africa, and along the east coasts of North and South America. They used to live in the Mediterranean Sea but haven't been seen there since 2003.

Confusing relatives. Even though it has 'tiger' and 'nurse' in some of its names, the sand tiger shark is not actually closely related to tiger sharks or nurse sharks at all. It's its own unique kind of shark.

Distinctive appearance. Sand tiger sharks have a spiky, ragged look with lots of visible teeth sticking out of their mouth, which is why they're sometimes called 'ragged-tooth' sharks.