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Animal World
Great White Shark — photograph 1
📷 Wikimedia Commons · Free License
IUCN: Vulnerable

Great White Shark

Carcharodon carcharias

KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassChondrichthyes›OrderLamniformes›FamilyLamnidae›GenusCarcharodon
About

The great white shark, also known as the white shark, white pointer, or great white, is a large shark. It is closely related to the mako sharks, the porbeagle, and the salmon shark. It is a robustly built species with a grayish upperside and a white underside. The white shark is one of the largest living shark and fish species, though it is still smaller than the whale shark and basking shark.

It has about 300 triangular, serrated teeth that are continuously replaced. Its massive, fatty liver can reach over a quarter of its body weight, providing buoyancy and storing energy. The species is partially warm-blooded, an adaptation that allows it to remain active in colder waters.

Key Facts
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Habitat
Coastal and offshore waters in all major oceans
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Diet
Carnivore — fish, seals, sea lions, dolphins, whale carcasses
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Size & Weight
Up to 6 m; up to 1,900 kg
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Lifespan
70+ years
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Range
Worldwide coastal and open oceans
FishShark
Photo Credits
#1Wikimedia Commons · Free License
#2Elias Levy · CC BY 2.0
#3Wikimedia Commons contributor · CC BY-SA 4.0
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