Stats

Lifespan: 15-30 yrs
Size: Huge
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Coastal waters
Range: Worldwide
Movement: Swimming
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Critically Endangered

About

This shark patrols sandy coastal waters and reefs across temperate oceans. It swallows air at the surface to maintain neutral buoyancy while hovering motionless.

Life cycle

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

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Carchariidae
Genus: Carcharias
Species: Carcharias taurus