Species Guide: Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Family: Lamnidae
The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is the largest predatory fish in the world—an iconic apex predator recognized for its powerful presence in marine ecosystems. It inhabits temperate and subtropical oceans globally, playing a critical ecological role at the top of the food chain.
Appearance
The great white shark has a robust, torpedo-shaped body characterized by a conical snout, large pectoral and dorsal fins, and a powerful crescent-shaped tail. Its dorsal (upper) side is gray, blue, or brown, which contrasts sharply with its white underside.
The shark’s teeth are large, broad, triangular, and serrated, making them ideal for slicing through prey.
Notably, great white sharks are regionally endothermic, meaning they can retain metabolic heat to warm vital areas of their bodies, allowing them to remain active in cooler waters.
Diet
Great white sharks are opportunistic carnivores. Juveniles primarily feed on bottom fish, smaller sharks, rays, squid, and schooling fish. As they mature into adults, their diet expands to include sea lions, seals, dolphins, sea turtles, and even whale carcasses. These sharks use their serrated teeth to tear chunks off of large prey, as they do not chew their food.
Habitat
The Great White Shark is found in temperate and some subtropical waters around the world, but it avoids the frigid waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. These sharks are commonly spotted off the coasts of Australia, South Africa, the United States (including California and Cape Cod), Chile, Japan, New Zealand, and in the Mediterranean Sea.
Juvenile great whites typically remain in coastal or estuarine areas, while adults are known to venture into the open ocean (pelagic) zones or near shorelines that are rich in prey.
Behavior
As solitary marine predators, these creatures move efficiently through the water but can also launch explosive bursts of speed when attacking their prey, sometimes leaping out of the water. Their ability to maintain body heat, known as regional endothermy, enhances their hunting skills in cooler waters, making them exceptionally versatile hunters. Although they have a notorious reputation from films like “Jaws,” actual attacks on humans are extremely rare and are usually due to curiosity or mistaken identity.
Biometrics
| Length | 6.4 meters |
| Body Weight | 680-1800 kg |
| Longevity | 40-70 Years |
Natural Predators
As apex predators, great whites have virtually no natural predators. However, they can face competition and occasional predation from orcas (killer whales).
Conservation Status
Global Status: Vulnerable, indicating a high risk of extinction in the wild unless circumstances improve. The population trend is generally declining, although there have been localized increases observed in areas like the Pacific Northeast following protective measures.
Internationally, these species are listed in CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade. They are also protected under various national and regional laws. For example, in the U.S., they are included in Highly Migratory Species management plans, and in California, they have been protected from commercial capture since 1994. Due to their slow growth rate, late sexual maturity (males around 26 years, females around 33 years), and small litter sizes (2–10 pups), recovery is slow, making these populations especially vulnerable.
Global
Conservation Status
References
- Klimley, A.P. and Ainley, D.G. (1996) Great white sharks : the biology of Carcharodon carcharias. San Diego: Academic Press. [Accessed 10/09/2025]
- Curtis, T.H. et al. (2014) ‘Seasonal Distribution and Historic Trends in Abundance of White Sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Western North Atlantic Ocean’, PloS one, 9(6), p. e99240. [Accessed 10/09/2025]
