Alternate name: White Shark
Family: Lamnidae, Mackerel Sharks view all from this family
Description A large, stout, spindle-shaped shark with a pointed snout. Blue or brownish above, turning abruptly white on lower side and onto belly; dusky spot behind pectoral fin. Teeth serrate; upper teeth broadly triangular. Gill openings rather large but not extending onto back or belly. Second dorsal and anal fins small. Origin of anal fin well behind second dorsal. Origin of first dorsal over free rear tip of pectoral fin. Caudal fin lunate, with upper and lower lobes nearly equal in size. Large lateral keel on each side of caudal peduncle but no secondary keels on caudal fin base. Total length (TL) commonly to 17'5" (5.3 m); maximum recorded TL 21' (6.4 m).
Warning A voracious predator known to attack humans, this shark is sometimes considered the most dangerous shark in the world. Forty-one attacks on humans by White Sharks occurred off California between 1950 and 1982, but only four of these were fatal.
Similar Species Mako sharks (genus Isurus) are similar but have smooth-edged teeth and more slender bodies, with first dorsal origin well behind pectoral fin base, and lack spot behind pectoral fin.
Habitat Coastal waters, usually near surface. May make long migrations across open seas.
Range Temperate waters of all oceans. On Atlantic Coast south from s. Newfoundland to Brazil (reported to Argentina), as well as Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba, and Lesser Antilles. On Pacific Coast from Alaska south to Gulf of California.
Discussion The Great White Shark (officially called just the White Shark) feeds on a variety of fish, including other sharks, as well as sea lions, birds, sea otters, sea turtles, carrion, and, occasionally, undigestible garbage. Little is known about its reproduction, although it probably retains the eggs in the uterus until they hatch; intrauterine cannibalism is likely. The young are about 5' (1.5 m) long at birth. Females are rarely seen. The White Shark can grow quite massive--a 21-foot (6.4 m) specimen taken off Cuba weighed 7,100 pounds (3,220 kg)--but reports of a 36-foot (11 m) White Shark are certainly erroneous. This fish is occasionally caught by commercial fishermen, and the flesh is reportedly quite palatable.
