Great White Shark
Great White Shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Animalia
VULNERABLE

Stats

Lifespan
Up to 70 yrs
Size
Huge
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Social
Solitary
Biome
Coastal ocean
Range
Worldwide
Movement
Swimming
Breeding
Live Birth
Defense
Speed
Status
Vulnerable

About

A large mackerel shark found in coastal surface waters of all major oceans, instantly recognised by its torpedo-shaped body, slate-grey back and stark white underside. It can detect a single drop of blood in 100 litres of water and pick up tiny electrical fields from prey using ampullae of Lorenzini in its snout.

Life cycle

  1. 1.
    newborn pup
    A pup is born free-swimming and fully formed, hunting on its own from the first day.
  2. 2.
    juvenile
    A juvenile shark patrols shallow nursery waters, taking small fish and avoiding larger predators.
  3. 3.
    subadult
    A near-adult shark moves to deeper water and takes larger prey, approaching mature size.
  4. 4.
    adult
    Fully grown and ranging widely.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Chondrichthyes
Order
Lamniformes
Family
Lamnidae
Genus
Carcharodon
Species
Carcharodon carcharias