Home › Chondrichthyes › Lamnidae › Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
SPECIES PROFILE
Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
Carcharodon
IUCN STATUS
Vulnerable
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Cool and temperate seas worldwide
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Cool coastal and open seas
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Chondrichthyes
ORDER
Lamniformes
FAMILY
Lamnidae
GENUS
Carcharodon
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 6 m; up to 2 tonnes
COLORATION
Grey above, white below with a blunt snout
ADAPTATIONS
Warm-blooded muscles let it burst-hunt seals; senses tiny electric fields
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Cool coastal and open seas
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Cool and temperate seas worldwide
REPRODUCTION
Gives birth to live pups
DIET DETAILS
Seals, fish and other sharks
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Bycatch, finning, culling
💡 Interesting Facts
1
The largest predatory fish, capable of launching clear out of the water to catch seals.
2
South Africa's Gansbaai was long known as the great white capital of the world.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Gansbaai
Mossel Bay
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
May-September
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Join a licensed cage-diving or viewing boat off Gansbaai in winter when sharks patrol the seal colonies.
🐾 You Might Also Want to See...
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
Species
Range
Status
