Massive Tiger Shark Caught On TX Beach
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August 10, 2021Wildlife Crossings Program Advances
August 11, 2021
Tim McKneely of Georgetown caught a massive tiger shark while fishing specifically for monster sharks on a Texas Lower Coast beach.
The fish was caught on cut cow-nosed ray that was ran out 300 yards.
The fight took 1.5 hours and the fish which was released after taking photos measured 144 inches (12 feet!).
Big tiger sharks are not super common on Texas beaches but they are present and this year several big tigers have been reported from the Middle to Lower Coast.
The Texas state record tiger shark was caught in 1992 by Chap Cain III. it measured 162 inches and weighed 1,129 pounds. Congrats to McKneely and his successful catch-and-release of the trophy shark of a lifteime.
Tiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
Dorsolateral view of a tiger shark.
Size
To about 18 ft (5.5 m).
Distinguishing Characteristics:
- Dorsal surfaces of juveniles covered with dark blotches on bluish- or greenish-gray to black background; blotches fuse to form tigerlike vertical bars or stripes as shark grows; coloration fades to gray and stripes become less distinct in adults
- Snout blunt and wide, much shorter than width of mouth; long labial furrows around corners of mouth reaching eyes
- Teeth serrated with deep notch on outer margins, similar in both jaws
- Interdorsal ridge low
Distribution
Cape Cod to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.
Habitat
Coastal waters close inshore to the outer continental shelf; offshore including oceanic island groups.
Similar Species
Characteristic teeth and markings of tiger shark distinguish this species from other Atlantic sharks.
Tiger Shark Profile Courtesy NOAA
