Species: Carcharias taurus, Sand Tiger, Sand Tiger Shark

Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810

Sand Tiger, Sand Tiger Shark

A stout shark; snout very short, flattened; eyes small, without nictitating eyelids, below prominent head ridges; mouth long and angular, extending behind eye; teeth long, slender, smooth, with very small point on each side of long, slender central point, at least in front teeth; 3 rows of large central teeth; five large gill slits, none over pectoral fin; two similar-sized dorsal fins, base of first dorsal just in front of pelvic fin and well behind pectoral fin, second dorsal about same size as 1st dorsal and anal fins; tail fin short, lower lobe short, large terminal notch on upper lobe; no keels on tail base; large pit on upper tail base.

Light grey-brown above, white below, body with round or oval, yellow or yellow-brown spots.

Size: 318 cm; to 40 years.

Near the bottom around reefs and on soft bottoms

Depth: 0-191 m, usually 15-25 m.

In all warm seas except the E Pacific; the E US to the Gulf of Mexico; also S Brazil to Argentina.