Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Order: Lamniformes

Family: Lamnidae

Genus: Carcharodon

Species: Carcharias

The Great White Shark holds the title for the largest carnivorous fish alive today. At a length of between 15-20 feet it is nearly the largest predator in the sea, dwarfed only by the Killer Whale (Orca) and the 60 foot Sperm Whale. However, fossilized jaws that date back to 4 million years ago have been found which indicate that one of Great White Shark’s ancestors, Carcharodon Megalodon grew up to 50 feet and weighed over 40 tonnes. Sadly this monster of the deep became extinct because it could not adapt to the climate change during the Ice Age 1.75 million years ago,

Unlike whales, sharks do not have a thick layer of blubber to protect them from the cold so they cannot hunt up in the Polar Regions. The Great White Shark lives and hunts in warm temperate seas along the coastline. This map shows the main areas around the world where Great White Sharks live.

Hunting Grounds for the Great White Shark

The Great White Shark preys mostly on Seal Lions, which are also found at most of the locations on the map. However, there is a lot of tourism at such places and there are lots of swimmers and surfers in particular which occasionally have the misfortune to be the victim of Shark attacks. The Great White is usually the main culprit.

Adaptations

The Great White Shark has many adaptations that allow it to be such an efficient hunter. Without these, it would not be the deadly killing machine that it is.

• Specialized sensory organs called Ampullae of Lorenzini inside the shark’s snout can pick up electrical currents of as little as 0.005 millivolts. The shark can pick up the electric signals of any living creature nearby.
• With a distinct sense of smell, the Great White can detect a drop of blood in the water several kilometres away. This usually means that there is an injured animal that would make an easy meal for one of the ocean’s top predators.
• Great Whites have a good camouflage being dark coloured on top and light coloured below. This makes it hard for other animals to see them.
• The “bump and bite” technique is commonly used with Great Whites. The shark uses its powerful tail to generate sudden bursts of speed and then attacks its prey from below. By biting the tail or the flippers, this cripples the prey so that it cannot escape. The first bite is often fatal and the shark usually comes back to its prey once it has bled to death.
• As well as having powerful muscles to propel it at lightning fast speeds, it has a very streamlined shape to give it even more speed
• Such a food dependant predator cannot risk having an injury. When making an attack, the shark roles it eyes far back into their sockets at the last minute to prevent injury.
• Due to its bloodthirsty nature, the Great White Shark is able to grow back any teeth that fall out when making an attack

The Great White Shark really is an awe inspiring predator of the deep that we cannot let become extinct. We need to start taking more care over our ecosystems on land and in the sea.