Their fearsome-looking teeth are an adaptation to gripping fish and other slippery prey.

Statistics
Males average 2.4m and females average 2.6m. The largest recorded was 3.2m.

Physical description
Sand tigers are fairly large, stocky sharks, with blunt snouts and large, unserrated teeth. Their skin ranges from a sandy-brown to grey-brown colour and they have dark spots, which fade as they mature.

Distribution
Sand tigers inhabit the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean sea, although they are rare here.

Habitat
They live at all water levels as well as the surf zone and reefs.

Diet
Sand tigers are sometimes found in groups and have been known to herd prey. They feed on bony fish, rays, other sharks, crustaceans, squid and octopus.

Behaviour
Sand tigers are slow but strong swimmers, and are active at night. They gulp air at the water surface, which they hold in their stomach to achieve buoyancy.

Reproduction
During reproduction, several embryos develop in the mother at different rates. The largest embryo eats the other embryos and eggs so that only one embryo per uterus survives (sand tigers have two uteri).

Conservation status
Sand tiger sharks are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List.