Great White Shark

Fact Sheets from the
Conservation Education Department
Great White Shark
The white shark, Carcharodon car-
charias, also known as the great
white, is probably the most famous
of all the sharks. It belongs to a
family of fast-swimming sharks
called mackerel sharks and is the
largest carnivorous, or meat-eating
fish, on earth today. The largest
Fast Facts
white shark on record, found off
the coast of Cuba, was 6.4 meters
The largest great white shark
(21 feet) long and weighed 3312
found was 21 feet long.
kilograms (7302 pounds). The white
Great white shark pups are
shark's ancestors, now extinct, were
Scientists estimate great white shark populations have
born alive and ready to hunt.
three times its size, with teeth that
declined 80% due to overfishing.
Scientists estimate their
were 16 centimeters (6 inches) long!
population has dwindled by
No Bones About It
80%.
Shark Teeth
Belonging to the group of carti-
Named for their distinctive white
laginous fish, white sharks have no
Key Terms
undersides and large size, great
true bones. Instead they are sup-
white sharks can also be identified
ported by hard tissue called carti-
Cartilage - The hard tis-
by the shape of their teeth, if you
lage, which is the same material that
sue that a shark’s skele-
care to venture that close! Narrow
gives shape to the human ear and
ton is made of.
teeth lie in the front of the bottom
nose. The white shark's eye struc-
jaw and are used to grab and hold
ture is well suited for daytime
Ovoviviparous -
prey. Serrated triangle-shaped teeth
vision.
Pregnant females hold
are found in the top row and are
White sharks are ovoviviparous,
eggs inside their bod-
used to cut prey; the rough edges
which means that they hold eggs
ies until the pups are
help these teeth cut more easily.
inside of their bodies until the
born alive and fully
Behind this front row of teeth lie
young are ready to hatch. The
formed.
numerous other rows, with each
babies, or pups, are born alive, fully
tooth ready to pop into place when
formed and ready to hunt for food.
the one in front of it is lost. After
White shark pups are born with a
grabbing a whole fish or part of a
full set of teeth and may be 1.4
larger animal with their teeth, the
meters (4.5 feet) long at birth. A
shark carries the prey deep under-
white shark can have up to seven or
water until it bleeds to death and
eight pups each weighing 50 to 60
then swallows it whole. Because
pounds.
they can swim at high speeds, white
A wide-ranging shark, the white
sharks are able to feed on fast-mov-
shark makes its home in both the
ing prey like tuna, seals, sea lions,
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, from
whales, bony fish, and even other
the tropics to the polar regions.
sharks. Great whites are also charac-
This shark is usually found in deep-
terized by a pointed snout and a
er water over the continental shelf,
conical head.

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a flat part of a submerged conti-
thoughtless trophy hunters.
Sharks at the National
nent that drops off to the ocean
However, in places where sharks are
Aquarium in Baltimore
floor. However, a white shark will
not protected, they continue to get
occasionally wander into shallow
caught in fisherman's lines and are
You can come nose-to-nose
water quite close to shore to find
still hunted for their fins. Hopefully,
with large sharks - if you dare!
food.
more nations will join in to protect
Sand tiger and nurse sharks
the great white shark in order for
encircle visitors in the 225,000
People and Great White
scientists to continue studying their
gallon Open Ocean exhibit.
Sharks
unique behaviors.
People consider the white shark
For more information about
to be one of the most dangerous
sharks at the Aquarium check
sharks because of its large size,
out www.aqua.org/animals.html
aggressive behavior, and habit of
swimming into shallow water.
Bathers and divers have been
attacked by this shark perhaps
because sharks mistake humans for
other prey. For example, surfers
resting on their boards might look
like a seal from a shark's perspective
below. However, the white shark is
neither as mean or as common as
the movie Jaws would have you
believe. Some divers have even
reported it as a shy creature that
swims away when approached.
Recent research has also shown
that the white shark often rejects
humans as a suitable food source.
White sharks have a preference for
fatty, energy rich food, and can
assess the energy value of a poten-
tial meal in one bite. Humans bitten
once by a white shark are just spat
out; a skinny human doesn't com-
pare to a blubbery elephant seal.
Even so, the white shark is a fish to
be respected and avoided!
Shark Conservation
The number of white sharks has
dwindled in recent years; conserva-
tion of this animal has become a
new concern. Scientists estimate
that their worldwide populations
have declined by 80 percent.
California, South Africa, and
Australia have passed laws in order
to help protect these fascinating
creatures from life-threatening
encounters with misplaced nets and

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