Its favorite foods include fishes, crabs and squid. Most often caught during the cooler months, this shark can be as much as 12 feet in length. Young are sometimes 3 feet long at birth. Some remain throughout the year. Reaching a maximum length of nearly 8 feet, this shark accounts for about 60 percent of the state's commercial catch.
Stripes tend to fade as they grow older.
One of the largest Florida sharks, it can be 18 feet long and weigh more than 1000 pounds. Known to attack humans. Young are found near shore, especially in the spring. Sometimes forms large schools. Often basks quietly near the surface on calm days.