What is the difference between bull sharks and tiger sharks?
Bull sharks and tiger sharks are among the largest sharks in the world. They both can inhabit both fresh and salty waters. They may attack human beings and cause fatal calamities. They have strong teeth for tearing the flesh and are bigger than humans hence can easily attack humans.
The main difference between bull sharks and tiger sharks is that bull sharks attack large mammals while tiger sharks attack human beings.
You May Also Like: Difference between Red and Pink Salmon
Comparison Table (Bull Shark Vs Tiger Shark)
| Characteristics | Bull shark | Tiger shark |
| Size | They are large and stout. | They are lighter and less bulky. |
| Fins | The dorsal fin is smaller and the caudal fin is longer and lower. | Their fins are all long. |
| Color | They are grey on top and white below. | Its color ranges from blue to light green with white or light-yellow underbelly. |
| Vision | They are able to see in high light conditions. | They are able to see in low light conditions. |
| What they feed on | They mainly feed on large mammals. | They feed on anything including human beings. |
| How they kill eat their prey | They eat their prey in short bursts. | They eat their prey whole. |
| Behavior | They regurgitate their food after eating. | They do not regurgitate food after eating. |
| Gestation period | It takes 12 months. | It takes 16 months. |
What is a Bull Shark?
Bull sharks are one of the largest and heaviest sharks in the world. They are mostly found in coastal areas of warm oceans. They can thrive both in fresh and salty waters. Freshwaters are mostly preferred during reproduction.
They are large and stout. The females are larger than the males. They are wider and heavier than other sharks. They are grey on top and white on the bottom. Their second dorsal fin is smaller, the caudal fin is longer and lower than that of the other large sharks. They have small snouts and lack an inner dorsal ridge.
Their diet mainly consists of bony fish and small sharks including bull sharks. They hunt in murky waters where it is hard for the prey to see it coming. They continually bite and attack the prey until it is unable to flee.
They mate during late summer or early autumn. It is often done in freshwater. The gestation period is 12 months and they give birth to 1 to 13 pups. They are viviparous. The eggs are fertilized internally then the females give birth to the offspring. The young ones are free from predators as they grow in the river.
You May Also Enjoy: Difference between Pacu and Piranha
What is a Tiger Shark?
Tiger shark is one of the largest sharks in the world. They are found in the coastal areas where there are warm oceans. They are able to live both in fresh and salty waters. Its behavior is nomadic guided by the warm currents. It stays in deep water that line reefs.
Tiger sharks are dimorphic. There is no gender difference based on size or color. They have unique and sharp teeth that are majorly used for tearing the flesh. The teeth are continually replaced throughout the shark’s life. They have long fins to provide lift as they move through the water. The long upper tail increases the speed of movement.
Their skin is blue to light green in color to enable them to camouflage in water and attack their prey. They eat nearly everything but during the day, they swim deep into the water while during the night they swim close to the shores in order to find what to eat.
They are viviparous animals whereby the eggs are fertilized inside and then the females give birth after the gestation period. The gestation period is 16 months and they give birth to 10 to 80 pups.
Main Differences between Bull Shark and Tiger Shark
- Bull sharks are large and stout while tiger sharks are lighter and less bulky.
- Bull sharks are grey on top and white below while tiger sharks are blue or light green on top and white or light yellow on the underbelly.
- Female bull sharks are bigger than their male counterparts while tiger sharks are dimorphic.
- Bull sharks feed on large mammals while tiger sharks feed on human beings.
- The gestation period for bull sharks is 12 months while the gestation period for tiger sharks is 16 months.
- Bull sharks eat their prey in short bursts while tiger sharks eat their prey whole.
Similarities between Bull Shark and Tiger Shark
- They are both carnivores.
- They are both viviparous animals.
- They both live in the same habitats.
- They both display cannibalistic behavior.
- They are both aggressive.
You May Also Enjoy: Difference between oviparous and Viviparous Animals
In Conclusion
Bull sharks and tiger sharks are among the largest sharks in the world. They may inhabit both fresh and salt waters. They are aggressive and that makes them easier to catch their prey. They may eat their fellows hence they display cannibalistic behavior. The main feature that makes bull sharks be different from tiger sharks is what they feed on.
Sources and References: