VNDiscover intriguing facts about the great white shark, the world’s largest predatory fish. Explore its size, habitat, behavior, and more in this informative article with Pest&DiseaseControl.
The great white shark (scientific name Carcharodon carcharias) is the largest predatory fish in the world. They belong to the “warm-blooded” shark family called Lamnidae, or mackerel sharks, which can maintain a higher internal body temperature than the surrounding environment – unlike other “cold-blooded” shark species, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History, USA.
Facts about the great white shark: Females are typically larger than males
How long is a great white shark?
The size of large great white sharks varies, but females can be larger than males. According to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, adult female great white sharks average a length of 4.6 to 4.9 meters, while males typically range from 3.4 to 4 meters, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.
The largest great white sharks can reach lengths of up to 6.1 meters, and there are unconfirmed reports of even larger individuals measuring up to 7 meters, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Adults weigh between 1,800 and 3,000 kilograms, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
What is the biggest great white shark ever recorded?
The largest shark species ever is the megalodon shark (Carcharocles megalodon), now extinct, which could reach lengths of 18 meters or more, although scientists are still debating its exact size.
Facts about the great white shark: How many teeth does a great white shark have?
The great white sharks are the only living members of the Carcharodon genus – derived from “karcharos” in Greek, meaning sharp, and “odous,” meaning tooth. This name was chosen because large great white sharks have 300 triangular, serrated teeth. These sharks have torpedo-shaped bodies, gray skin, and white bellies.
Despite being one of the most well-known shark species, thanks to movies like “Jaws” (1975), great white sharks lead secretive lives, and scientists still have much to learn about this iconic predator.
Facts about the great white shark: Where are great white sharks found?
Large great white sharks have a vast geographic range; they live in most tropical and temperate oceans worldwide and have resident populations offshore from the coasts of the United States, Australia, South Africa, and other countries.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, they are most commonly seen in cooler, temperate waters, swimming both on the surface and at depths greater than 1,200 meters.
Great white sharks migrate and undertake long-distance journeys across vast oceans, possibly in search of food and reproduction. A 2002 study published in the journal Nature found that a juvenile great white shark swam 3,800 kilometers from the central California coast to Kahoolawe Island in Hawaii.
In 2005, researchers tracked a great white shark that swam nearly 11,100 kilometers from the coast of South Africa to Australia before returning. To have enough energy for such long journeys, great white sharks store energy in their liver, which is rich in oils.
Facts about the great white shark: Are great white sharks dangerous?
Large great white sharks occasionally bite and kill humans, although the risk of a shark bite is very low. A 2021 study published in the Royal Society’s Interface journal found that, for a juvenile great white shark, the shape and movement of humans swimming or paddling on surfboards resemble seals – one of their primary food sources. This suggests that attacks may be cases of mistaken identity, at least for juvenile sharks.
“Great white sharks are often portrayed as mindless man-eating killers, but this appears to be far from the truth. Humans are just like food to them,” said Laura Ryan, the lead author of the 2021 study and a postdoctoral researcher at Macquarie University in Australia.
According to the International Shark Attack File of the Florida Museum of Natural History (ISAF), there have been 354 unprovoked attacks by large great white sharks, including 57 fatal encounters, recorded since 1580 – more than any other shark species.
Facts about the great white shark: What does a great white shark eat?
Large great white sharks are opportunistic predators, feeding on a variety of prey, including fish, seals, sea turtles, and seabirds. They use their speed to capture prey. Thanks to their streamlined bodies, they can swim on the surface at speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour.
By hunting prey, great white sharks and other shark species play a vital role in the ocean. They keep prey populations healthy by capturing weaker individuals while preventing those populations from growing too large for their environmental resources.
Facts about the great white shark: What are the great white shark predators?
The only creatures known to prey on adult great white sharks are adult killer whales (Orcinus orca), which can hunt great white sharks to extract their energy-rich livers.
Facts about the great white shark: How do the great white shark mate and give birth?
Scientists still have much to learn about large great white sharks, and much of their mating behavior remains a mystery. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, scientists have studied shark specimens, such as accidentally caught pregnant females, and know that large great white sharks do not lay eggs. Instead, they internally fertilize and gestate the embryos until they give birth.
A 2016 study published in the journal Biology Open found that embryos may consume uterine fluid and undeveloped eggs from when they hatch inside the mother until they are born. According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, when still in the mother’s womb, young great white sharks even swallow their own teeth. They may do this to recycle calcium and other minerals.
The pregnancy process is believed to take about a year, after which a female gives birth to 2 to 10 pups. When the sharks are over 1 meter long, they are considered born and capable of taking care of themselves.
Researchers believe the oldest known female in their study was 40 years old, and the oldest male was 73. This suggests that males can live longer than females, but more research is needed to confirm these findings.
Facts about the great white shark: Are great white sharks at risk of extinction?
According to a 2018 assessment, large great white sharks are vulnerable to extinction, and their numbers are decreasing. Great white sharks are threatened globally due to overfishing by humans. Large great white sharks are also intentionally killed by humans as part of beach protection programs in Australia and South Africa.
