# Tiger shark (*Galeocerdo cuvier*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/tiger-shark  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), also called the spotted shark, is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, belonging to the family Galeocerdonidae. It is placed in the genus Galeocerdo, the order Carcharhiniformes and the class Elasmobranchii. The species was named by (Péron & Lesueur, 1822) and is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 4.47 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | 31.5 – 32.6 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Active | At night (nocturnal) |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Elasmobranchii
- order: Carcharhiniformes
- family: Galeocerdonidae
- genus: Galeocerdo
- species: *Galeocerdo cuvier* (Péron & Lesueur, 1822)

Synonyms: *Carcharias fasciatus*, *Carcharias hemprichii*, *Galeocerda cuvier*, *Galeocerdo arcticus*, *Galeocerdo arcticus*, *Galeocerdo cuvieri*, *Galeocerdo fasciatus*, *Galeocerdo obtusus*, *Galeocerdo rayneri*, *Galeocerdo tigrinis*, *Galeocerdo tigrinus*, *Galeus cepedianus*, *Galeus maculatus*, *Squalus arcticus*, *Squalus cuvier*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the tiger shark?

The tiger shark is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Galeocerdonidae in the order Carcharhiniformes.

### What is the scientific name of the tiger shark?

The scientific name of the tiger shark is Galeocerdo cuvier, in the genus Galeocerdo.

### Is the tiger shark endangered?

No, the tiger shark is listed as Near Threatened (NT) in the global IUCN Red List assessment, which is not an IUCN threatened category.

### Who named the tiger shark and when?

The tiger shark's scientific name carries the authority (Péron & Lesueur, 1822).

### What is another name for the tiger shark?

The tiger shark is also called the spotted shark.

### What class does the tiger shark belong to?

The tiger shark belongs to the class Elasmobranchii, within the phylum Chordata and the kingdom Animalia.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/tiger-shark