Great white shark. Photo, description of the animal

What have we already read about sharks:

Now let's study probably the most famous and bloodthirsty shark.

Big White shark(lat. Carcharodon carcharias)- also known as the white shark, white death, man-eating shark, carcharodon - an exceptionally large predatory fish found in the surface coastal waters of all the oceans of the Earth, except for the Arctic.

This predator owes its name to the white color of the abdominal part of the body, a broken border on the sides separated from the dark back. Reaching a length of over 7 meters and a mass of over 3000 kg, the great white shark is the largest modern predatory fish (not counting the plankton-eating whale and giant sharks).

In addition to its very large size, the great white shark has also gained the notorious fame of a merciless cannibal due to the numerous attacks on swimmers, divers and surfers that have taken place. The chances of surviving an attack by a man-eating shark in a person are much less than under the wheels of a truck. A powerful movable body, a huge mouth armed with sharp teeth and a passion for satisfying the hunger of this predator will not leave the victim of hope for salvation if the shark is determined to profit from human flesh.

The great white shark is the only surviving species of its genus Carcharodon.
It is on the verge of extinction - there are only about 3,500 of them left on Earth.

The first scientific name, Squalus carcharias, was given to the great white shark by Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Zoologist E. Smith in 1833 assigned the generic name Carcharodon (Greek karcharos sharp + Greek odous - tooth). The final modern scientific name of the species was formed in 1873, when the Linnaean specific name was combined with the name of the genus under one term - Carcharodon carcharias.

The great white belongs to the family of herring sharks (Lamnidae), which includes four more species of marine predators: the mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), the longfin mako shark (Longfin mako), the Pacific salmon shark (Lamna ditropis) and the Atlantic porbeagle(Lamna nasus).

The similarity in the structure and shape of the teeth, as well as the large size of the great white shark and prehistoric megalodon led to the fact that most scientists considered them to be closely related species. This assumption is reflected in the scientific name of the latter - Carcharodon megalodon.

At present, some scientists express doubts about the close relationship of carcharadon and megalodon, considering them distant relatives, belonging to the family of herring sharks, but not so closely related. Recent studies suggest that the white shark is closer to the mako shark than to the megalodon. According to the theory put forward, the true ancestor of the great white shark is Isurus hastalis, while megalodons are directly related to sharks of the Carcharocle species. According to the same theory, Otodus obliquus is considered a representative of the ancient extinct branch of Carcharocles, megalodon olnius.

fossil tooth

The great white shark lives around the world in the coastal waters of the continental shelf, the temperature of which is from 12 to 24 degrees C. In colder waters, great white sharks are almost never found. They do not live in desalinated and low-salt seas either. So, for example, they were not met in our Black Sea, which is too fresh for them. In addition, there is not enough food in the Black Sea for such a large predator as the great white shark.

The habitat of the great white shark covers many coastal waters warm and temperate seas of the World Ocean. The above map shows that it can be found anywhere in the middle belt of the planet's oceans, except, of course, the Arctic.

In the south, they are not found further than the southern coast of Australia and the coast of South Africa. The most likely to meet great white sharks off the coast of California, near the Mexican island of Guadeloupe. Separate populations live in the central part of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea (Italy, Croatia), off the coast of New Zealand, where they are protected species.

Great white sharks often swim in small flocks.

One of the most significant populations has chosen Dyer Island (South Africa), which is the site of numerous scientific studies of this species of sharks. Relatively often, great white sharks are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and around Seychelles. Large populations have survived off the coast of California, Australia and New Zealand.

Carcharodons are epipelagic fish, their appearance is usually observed and recorded in coastal waters of the seas, abounding in such prey as fur seals, sea lions, whales, where other sharks and large bony fish live.
The great white shark is nicknamed the mistress of the ocean, as no one can compare with it in terms of the power of attacks among other fish and sea inhabitants. Only a large killer whale terrifies the carcharodon.
Great white sharks are capable of long-distance migrations and can dive to considerable depths: these sharks have been recorded at a depth of almost 1300 m.

Recent studies have shown that the great white shark migrates between Baja California (Mexico) and a place near Hawaii known as the White Shark Cafe, where they spend at least 100 days a year before migrating back to Baja California. Along the way, they swim slowly and dive to a depth of about 900 m. After arriving at the coast, they change their behavior. Dives are reduced to 300 m and last up to 10 minutes.

A great white shark tagged off the coast of South Africa has shown migration routes to and from the southern coast of Australia that it makes every year. The researchers found that the great white shark swims this route in less than 9 months. The entire length of the migration route is about 20 thousand km in both directions.
These studies disproved traditional theories that considered the great white shark to be an exclusively coastal predator.

Interactions have been established between different white shark populations, which were previously considered separate from each other.

The purposes and reasons why the white shark migrates are still unknown. There are suggestions that migrations are due to the seasonal nature of hunting or mating games.

ate a great white shark spindle-shaped, streamlined shape, like most sharks - active predators. A large, conical head with medium-sized eyes and a pair of nostrils located on it, to which small grooves lead, increasing the flow of water to the shark's olfactory receptors.

The mouth is very wide, armed with sharp triangular teeth with notches on the sides. With teeth like an ax, the shark easily cuts off pieces of flesh from prey. The number of teeth in a great white shark, like in a tiger shark, is 280-300. They are arranged in several rows (usually 5). A complete change of the first row of teeth in young individuals of great white sharks occurs on average once every three months, in adults - once every eight months, i.e. the younger the sharks, the more often they change their teeth.

Behind the head are gill slits - five on each side.

The coloration of the body of great white sharks is typical for fish swimming in the water column. The ventral side is lighter, usually dirty white, the dorsal side is darker - gray, with shades of blue, brown or green tones. This color makes the predator inconspicuous in the water column and allows it to more effectively hunt for prey.

Large and fleshy front dorsal fin and two pectorals. The pelvic, second dorsal and anal fins are smaller. The plumage ends with a large caudal fin, both lobes of which, like all salmon sharks, are approximately the same size.

Among the features anatomical structure, it should be noted the highly developed circulatory system of great white sharks, which allows to warm up the muscles, due to which the high mobility of the shark in the water is achieved.
Like all sharks, the great white lacks swim bladder, because of which they have to constantly move in order not to drown. However, it should be noted that the sharks do not feel much inconvenience from this. For millions of years they did without a bubble and did not suffer from it at all.

The usual size of an adult great white shark is 4-5.2 meters and weighs 700-1000 kg.

Females are usually larger than males. The maximum size of a white shark is about 8 m and weighs over 3500 kg.
It should be noted that the maximum size of the white shark is a hotly debated topic. Some zoologists, experts in sharks, believe that the great white shark can reach significant sizes - more than 10 and even 12 meters in length.

For several decades, many scientific works on Ichthyology, as well as the Book of Records, two individuals were named the largest great white sharks ever caught: a 10.9 m long great white shark, caught in southern Australian waters near Port Fairy in the 1870s, and a great white shark 11.3 m long, caught in a herring trap near a dam in New Brunswick (Canada) in 1930. Reports of the capture of specimens 6.5-7 meters long were common, but the sizes indicated above remained record-breaking for a long time.

Some researchers question the validity of the size measurements of these sharks in both cases. The reason for this doubt is big difference between the sizes of record individuals and all other sizes of great great white sharks, obtained by accurate measurements. The New Brunswick shark may not have been a white shark, but a basking shark, as both sharks have a similar body shape. Since the fact of catching this shark and its measurement was recorded not by ichthyologists, but by fishermen, such a mistake could well have occurred. The question of the size of the Port Fairy shark was clarified in the 1970s when shark specialist D.I. Reynolds examined the jaws of this great white shark.

By the size of the teeth and jaws, he established that the Port Fairy shark was no more than 6 meters in length. Apparently, the mistake in measuring the size of this shark was made in order to get a sensation.

Scientists determined the size of the largest specimen, the length of which was reliably measured, at 6.4 meters. This great white shark was caught in Cuban waters in 1945, measured by experts with documented measurements. However, in this case, there were experts who claim that the shark was actually several feet shorter. The unconfirmed weight of this Cuban shark was 3270 kg.

Young carcharadons feed on medium-sized bony fish, small marine animals and mammals. Grown up great white sharks include in their diet larger prey - seals, sea lions, large fish, including smaller sharks, cephalopods and other more nutritious marine life. Do not bypass whale carcasses.

Their light coloration makes them less visible against underwater rocks when they are stalking prey.
The high body temperature inherent in all herring sharks allows them to develop a higher speed when attacking, and also stimulates brain activity, as a result of which great white sharks use sometimes ingenious tactical moves while hunting.

If we add to this a massive body, powerful jaws with strong and sharp teeth, then we can understand that great white sharks can handle any prey.

Great white sharks' food habits include seals and other marine animals, including dolphins and small whales. Fatty food of animals is necessary for these predators to maintain energy balance in the body. The system of blood heating of muscle tissue in great white sharks requires high-calorie food. And warm muscles provide high mobility to the body of the shark.

The tactics of hunting seals by the great white shark are curious. At first, it slides horizontally in the water column, as if not noticing the tasty prey floating on the surface, then, approaching the victim closer, it abruptly changes the direction of movement upwards and attacks it. Sometimes great white sharks even jump several meters out of the water at the time of the attack.

Often, the carcharodon does not kill the seal immediately, but hitting it from below with its head or lightly biting it, throws it up above the water. Then it returns to the wounded victim and eats it.

If we take into account the passion of great white sharks for fatty food in the form of small marine mammals, then the reason for most shark attacks on people in the water becomes clear. Swimmers and, especially, surfers, when viewed from the depths, surprisingly resemble in their movements the prey familiar to great white sharks. This can also explain known fact when, often, a great white shark bites a swimmer and, realizing a mistake, leaves him, sailing away disappointedly. Human bones are no match for seal fat.

You can watch a film about the great white shark and its hunting habits.

There are still many questions and mysteries about the reproduction of great white sharks. No one had to watch how they mate and how the female gives birth to cubs. Great white sharks are ovoviviparous fish, like most sharks.

The female's pregnancy lasts about 11 months, after which one or two cubs are born. For great white sharks, the so-called intrauterine cannibalism is characteristic, when more developed and strong sharks eat, even in the womb, their weaker brothers and sisters.

Newborns are equipped with teeth and everything you need to start active life as predators.
Young sharks grow rather slowly and reach sexual maturity at about 12-15 years of age. It was the low fecundity of great white sharks and long puberty that caused the gradual decrease in the population of these predators in the oceans.

Great white shark, or Carcharodon carcharias - the most large predator from modern sharks. The only surviving species from the genus of Carcharodon, the "White Death", deserves respect for this alone. This sharp-toothed monster leaves no chance for salvation to anyone. Carcharodon prefers coastal waters of the continental plume, where temperatures are higher. However, for individual populations, one of the habitats is the Mediterranean Sea. Although, it would seem that this particular sea is considered one of the safest in terms of attacks on people by man-eating sharks. Should we be afraid of white sharks in the Mediterranean and how do predators behave in these warm waters?
Let's figure it out.

The Mediterranean Sea is connected to the Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar. So, by latest information, the number of "indigenous" populations of white sharks has been reduced here by a factor of three. Unregulated smuggling of carcharodon, as a source of delicacy products - fins, fat, liver, as well as an expensive souvenir - jaws, has led to the fact that white sharks in the Mediterranean are on the verge of extinction. This can lead to catastrophic changes in the entire aquatic system, since it is this species plays the role of police officers in the underwater state.
But, nature took care of its toothy crumbs. Right now, cases of migration of man-eating sharks from the Atlantic have become more frequent - albeit slowly, but they are restoring their numbers.

Should I be afraid of meeting great white sharks in the Mediterranean? It turns out that a person is not the most desirable prey for carcharodon. Our body is too sinewy and too bony to satisfy the appetite of the great white shark, so white sharks prefer fatty tuna instead of homo sapiens. Throughout history, there have been only a few cases of attacks by bloodthirsty killers directly in the Mediterranean Sea, and even those were provoked by people.

The most common victims of white sharks are sport fishermen and divers who dare to swim too close to the predator. It is interesting that it was in the Mediterranean that the "shark phenomenon" was registered - if the carcharodon attacked a person, then it did not tear it apart, as happens in other oceans, but, having tried to bite and realizing that this was not quite appetizing food, let it go and swam away.

Perhaps this behavior of great white sharks is related to ecology, or maybe the reason is the food richness of local waters - there are a lot of fish in the Mediterranean Sea, including 45 species of sharks, almost all of them are potential prey for carcharodon. Therefore, having felt the unusual taste of human flesh, Carcharodon often refuses to eat it.

However, there is an opinion of experts that the great white shark can take the path of cannibalism, having tasted the taste of human flesh during hungry periods. However, the same can be said about other active predators from the shark community.

It is interesting that the last 3 years are characterized by an increase in the meetings of carcharodon with humans in the coastal Mediterranean waters. Usually these pretentious sharks do not swim close to the coasts, preferring more clear waters, however, beaches are now increasingly closed due to the appearance of white sharks. So, vacationers from the beaches of the Cote d'Azur, the Levantine coast, the resorts of Spain, Turkey and Montenegro were evacuated. This does not mean that the beaches were attacked by white-bellied predators, no, just sharks swam closer to the shores than 100 meters. In some cases, great white sharks have simply been confused with dolphins.

Fear of the great white shark in the Mediterranean is also stimulated by a mass of films about killer sharks, as well as isolated cases of attacks, which immediately become the subject of sensational hype in the media, often describing events in unrealistic colors.

So, the whole world went around the shocking news about the death of a cult Italian director from the teeth of Carcharodon, which occurred off the coast of Cyprus. However, no one stipulated that the man decided to try his hand at sport fishing, which is now popular. Trying to catch a great white shark with a bait, he just fell into the sea, where he was bitten in half by huge jaws. Not a single one more death there is no attack by Carcharodon in this area.

The Mediterranean is not a fishing zone. There are not many fishermen here. However, this does not save the white shark from being hunted by humans. Since it is the resort business that is developed, then all the sacrifices are for the benefit of vacationers.
White-bellied beauties are killed for their fins, ribs, and teeth. Fins are a world famous delicacy; often fish are caught, fins are cut off and the unfortunate predator is released to die. Usually such mutilated sharks die in the jaws of their fellows, who take advantage of their helplessness.

Soups are prepared from fins in coastal restaurants, one serving of which costs $ 100. The ribs are used to make souvenir combs, key rings, etc.

A separate item of income is teeth and jaws. For the jaw of Carcharodon on the Italian coast, collectors give up to $ 1,000.

the white shark is the mistress of the sea waters. The Mediterranean, as it turned out, is not the most popular habitat for carchadon populations. However, these waters are also mastered by white-bellied beauties. Calm, low-aggressive, white sharks mediterranean sea different from their brethren. Maintaining ecological balance, these ancient predators decorate the entire aquatic system, and more long years will patrol the waters of the Mediterranean.

And only a man, with his greed and thoughtless cruelty, can stop the existence of this fish necessary for mother nature - the great white shark.

There are many facts confirming such fruits of human activity in relation to many species of living beings in history, all of them are reflected on black sheets International Red Book.

Complex Scientific research showed that a person abusing fishing leads to a decrease in the amount of food for sharks, and the lack of food is main reason their aggressive behavior towards swimmers and surfers. The number of collisions is increasing due to the fact that more people go to the open sea, ignoring the warnings of the authorities, and enter into shark habitats, which leads to skirmishes and collisions with animals. The data shows that 6 out of 10 attacks are provoked by people. For example, emboldened scuba divers are increasingly trying to touch the shark. Very often there are attacks on fishermen who are trying to pull out the shark they have caught.

Well, how do you get out alive from a fight with a shark? Here are some real life examples. Richard Watley, who was swimming, was attacked by a shark in mid-June 2005 in Alabama. He was almost 100 meters from the shore when he felt a strong jolt in his thigh. He realized it was a shark and tried to escape. A second later, the shark received a powerful punch in the nose - all that Richard was capable of, he put into this blow. Having sent the predator into a knockdown, Richard rushed with all his might to the saving shore. But the shark quickly recovered and continued to attack. However, each of her attempts to attack ended in failure: blows to the nose followed one after another, until Richard finally crawled ashore safe and sound. Incidentally, this was the first recorded shark attack on a human in Alabama in 25 years.

So what? A powerful right hook to the nose of a shark - an effective defense? In this case, of course, the person survived, but in most cases, such blows will only annoy the shark, so if you see a shark, then you better freeze and wait for help.

Yes, so far the shark is the number one enemy in the water for humans. But I would like to hope that in the near future a person will invent some kind of remedy against the attack of these bloodthirsty predators. Then, perhaps, a person’s fear of this fish will dissipate and he will appreciate these formidable hunters of our planet.

Sharks have adapted perfectly over millions of years of existence to living in aquatic environment. They can be called the most perfect fish of all types of fish known to man. For a more successful survival, they lack only one thing - care for offspring. After birth, the cubs are left to their own devices. But maybe that's why sharks have become such perfect creatures? Indeed, it is known that in cruel world nature, the strongest or “cunning” species survives. The only enemy of an adult shark is man. Although it does not surpass it in terms of body size and number of teeth, it is able to destroy any, even the largest shark, with one movement of the finger, by pressing the trigger button of the next deadly weapon. So maybe it's time to leave these creatures alone and give our descendants a chance to discover wonderful world white sharks?

White shark attack tactics are varied. It all depends on what the shark has in mind. These formidable predators are very curious animals. The only way for her to study her object of curiosity is to try it “by the tooth”. Scientists call these bites "exploratory bites." It is they who are most often received by surfers or divers floating on the surface, whom the shark, due to its poor eyesight, mistakes for seals or sea lions. After making sure that this "bony prey" is not a seal, the shark can fall behind the person if it is not too hungry, of course.

According to official statistics every year, from 80 to 110 people are attacked by sharks (the total number of recorded attacks of all types of sharks is considered), of which from 1 to 17 are fatal. If we compare, people destroy about 100 million sharks every year.

sources
http://scharks.ru
http://www.akulizm.ru
http://alins.ru

Since ancient times, a person has a keen desire to see all the very best - for example, a photo that depicts the largest white shark. But such a picture is extremely difficult to take.

There are many reasons. Among them are the difficulties of detecting a particularly large predator, choosing the optimal angle, insufficient visibility in ocean water, and the danger that accompanies contact with a shark.

Unlike marine animals, known for their curiosity and contact, she will consider an object unknown to her from the point of view of its edibility / inedibility.

Some individuals of great white sharks still grow to sizes unattainable by another marine predator, the killer whale (Orcinus orca). Killer whales reach a maximum length of 10 meters and a 7-ton weight (they are more "fat"); The maximum length of white sharks has not been precisely established.

Who is the great white shark?

Sizes of the largest white sharks

The exact lifespan of great white sharks is unknown - they can not be observed for a long time.

Scientists consider the greatest age of white sharks to be 70-100 years. If the maximum life span of predators is really equal to a century, then the size of a 100-year-old shark should be simply huge and figures of 10-12 meters will not be at all limiting.

The original photos, where the largest white shark lies dead weight at the feet of fishermen, are dated 1945: the caught shark weighed about 3 tons, its length is 6.4 meters.

True, there is one point here - the bodies of sharks caught and removed from the water quickly lose moisture, i.e. shrivel, decreasing in size and weight. Therefore, the results of measurements taken immediately after the capture of the predator and after some time do not match - the difference can be up to 10%.

Photo: The biggest white shark

For a person, this is just a loss or gain of profit; for marine life, this is a real threat of extinction in any case.

The great white shark can reach large sizes with age and only under favorable conditions: an abundance of food, the absence of enemies and favorable water temperatures. But these opportunities are becoming less and less every year ...

When it comes to animal stereotypes, you can't find a more controversial character than the great white shark. Several powerful myths have taken root in the human mind. We attribute bloodthirstiness and vindictiveness to the predator, so many travelers prefer not to go to the open sea. We consider her a cannibal, but in fact there are much more dangerous inhabitants in the ocean. The reality is that this predator is not even white.

How did the shark get its name?

The great white shark is accustomed to a wide variety of food. And if in her youth she dines mainly on fish, then in adulthood she hunts penguins, turtles, squids and even whales. Aboriginal people from different countries came up with their own nicknames for the formidable predator. During the hunt, when the fishermen drag the immobilized carcass of an animal onto the deck of the ship, they throw the prey on their back and see a perfectly white belly in front of them. It is likely that this circumstance gave rise to official name kind. In fact, the upper part of the predator's body is dark, almost black. It might as well have been called the great black shark.

Disguise

Nature gave the great white shark a dark colored body to help it hunt. When an animal emerges from muddy waters sea depths, unsuspecting victims cannot instantly orient themselves in the situation and do not have time to hide in a secluded place.

Gastronomic preferences of sharks change with age

If you make a list of everything that has ever been found in the stomach of a formidable predator, it will take up a lot of space on paper. Only one thing is clear to oceanologists: the tastes of an animal change with age, as individuals age. While the size of the shark does not exceed two and a half meters, the individual's diet is exclusively fish. When an animal grows in size and reaches sexual maturity, it begins to feed on mammals. Older sharks prefer seals, sea lions and walruses. When they attack from below, at speed, the victim has no chance of salvation.

The possibilities of the sense organs

The great white shark is endowed with a range of senses that complement each other. Before us is a skillful, dexterous and insidious hunter. Maybe that's why people attribute to this predator all the existing earthly sins. The most subtle instrument deserving our attention is the shark's ear.

In 1963, scientists conducted a study off the coast of Miami. A speaker was installed on the edge of the boat, which attracted the predator with sound. The tape recorded low-frequency pulses, similar to those emitted by fish in distress. Very soon, scientists discovered a whole flock of sharks near them. Despite the fact that sharks of other species “participated” in that experiment, there is no doubt that the great white shark has fine hearing.

Also predators are endowed with a good sense of smell. In order to smell the blood, the shark does not need to get too close to its prey. A bleeding victim at a distance of 400 meters can only be saved thanks to his excellent dexterity. Here is a curious fact: scientists have found that the olfactory bulb of the great white shark is larger than the part of the brain responsible for the sense of smell in all its fellow species. If we talk about the vision of a predator, then it cannot be considered ideal. She is especially good at distinguishing contrasts.

Additional Benefits

In addition to the sense organs that are well known to man, the great white shark is endowed with additional advantages. Lateral lines, which are clearly visible along the body of the animal, have the ability to record changes in water pressure. Thus, the shark is always aware of the movements of its prey. Well, after she gets close to the target, electromagnetic fields come to the rescue. According to scientists, all of these tools together make the great white shark an ideal predator.

Suppressing Fear Enables Salvation

Brave travelers, explorers of the deep sea know that when meeting with a formidable predator, you must be able to suppress your fear. According to statistics, in 2013, 76 unprovoked shark attacks on people were recorded in the world, 10 of which were fatal. And only one of these deaths was associated with a great white shark. If we consider the statistics for a decade, then on average a predator attacks people twice a year.

A five-meter female can have up to ten embryos in the womb. Sharks do not spawn or lay eggs, they give birth to live young. And in this they are like people.

The great white shark can live in both very warm and very cold waters. This is made possible by the fact that the arteries and veins run in parallel in several parts of her body. Therefore, the heat that the muscles of the predator produce is stored in the body, and not lost in the ocean.

White shark (Carcharodon carcharias)

general description

The white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which is more correctly called carcharodon, reaches especially significant sizes - the largest of modern predatory sharks. Its back and sides are painted gray, brown or black, and the belly is off-white. The largest specimen of this species measured was 11 m in length, although apparently even larger specimens are sometimes found. The usual size of a white shark is 5-6 m and weighs 600-3200 kg. At the same time, sharks about 4 m long have not yet reached sexual maturity. It is interesting to note that until relatively recently (at the end of the Tertiary period) there were white sharks (the species Carcharodon megalodon), reaching about 30 m in length.

In the mouth of such a shark, eight people could freely accommodate. The modern white shark leads a solitary lifestyle and is found both in the open ocean and offshore. This shark usually keeps near the surface, but can descend into the deep layers of water: one specimen was caught even at a depth of about 1000 m. The white shark is widespread in the warm waters of all oceans, meeting in warm temperate waters. Its occurrences are noted, in particular, in the southern part Sea of Japan, off the coast of Washington state and California, on the Pacific coast of the United States and even off the island of Newfoundland.

This species is characterized by very large (up to 5 cm in height) and wide teeth, which are triangular in shape and roughly serrated at the edges. The very powerful armament of the jaws gives the white shark the ability to inflict terrible damage on its prey and bite through the bones and cartilage of the victims without much effort, and the wide mouth and throat allow this giant shark to swallow very large pieces. Apparently, the white shark is not particularly picky in the choice of food, although most often other sharks were found in the stomachs of captured individuals, which he apparently preys on. In this case, relatively small sharks (sometimes exceeding 2 m in length) are usually swallowed intact, while larger ones, such as a giant shark, are torn to pieces.

The diet of carcharodon also includes relatively small fish (mackerel, sea bass), tuna, seals, fur seals, sea otters, and sea turtles. This shark does not disdain even carrion and garbage: in the stomach of one specimen, caught near Sydney, pieces of a horse, a dog and a leg of lamb were found among other food, and in another, obtained off the coast of South Africa, half a kid, two pumpkins and a bottle of woven case. The white shark is one of the most dangerous sharks for humans. There have been many cases of this shark attacking people in the water, as well as boats.

Totally agree last years more than 100 such attacks have been documented, and this is undoubtedly only a small part of them. Most of the attacks were fatal, and only a few victims were lucky enough to save their lives, escaping with the loss of a limb or other severe injuries. White shark attacks have been noted not only in open waters, but also near the coast - in bays and on beaches. No wonder in Australia this shark is called the "white death". It is assumed that attacks on humans are made only by individual "stray" individuals of this species. So, in 1916, off the Atlantic coast of America (New Jersey), for 12 days, five people were attacked by a shark near the shore. Of these, only one survived. After the white shark was caught in the area, the attacks stopped.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Cartilaginous fish
Superorder: Sharks
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Herring sharks (Lamnidae)
Genus: White sharks (Carcharodon)

Photo: Kurzon, Brocken Inaglory, Hein waschefort

Origin

The great white shark (lat. Carcharodon carcharias) - also known as the white shark, white death, man-eating shark, carcharodon - is an exceptionally large predatory fish found in the surface coastal waters of all the oceans of the Earth, except for the Arctic.

Great white shark This predator owes its name to the white color of the abdominal part of the body, a broken border on the sides separated from the dark back.

Reaching a length of over 7 meters and a mass of over 3000 kg, the great white shark is the largest modern predatory fish (not counting the plankton-eating whale and giant sharks).

The great white shark is the only surviving species of its genus Carcharodon. It is on the verge of extinction - there are only about 3,500 of them left on Earth.

The first scientific name, Squalus carcharias, was given to the great white shark by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Zoologist E. Smith in 1833 assigned the generic name Carcharodon (Greek karcharos sharp + Greek odous - tooth). The final modern scientific name of the species was formed in 1873, when the Linnaean specific name was combined with the name of the genus under one term - Carcharodon carcharias.

The similarity in the structure and shape of the teeth, as well as the large size of the great white shark and the prehistoric megalodon, led to the fact that most scientists considered them to be closely related species. This assumption is reflected in the scientific name of the latter - Carcharodon megalodon.

At present, some scientists express doubts about the close relationship of carcharadon and megalodon, considering them to be distant relatives belonging to the family of herring sharks, but not so closely related. Recent studies suggest that the white shark is closer to the mako shark than to the megalodon. According to the theory put forward, the true ancestor of the great white shark is Isurus hastalis, while megalodons are directly related to sharks of the Carcharocle species. According to the same theory, Otodus obliquus is considered a representative of the ancient extinct branch of Carcharocles, megalodon olnius.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photos: Hermanus Backpackers, Pedro Szekely, Brocken Inaglory

Distribution and habitats

Habitat of the great white shark

The habitat of the great white shark covers many coastal waters of the warm and temperate seas of the World Ocean. The above map shows that it can be found anywhere in the middle belt of the planet's oceans, except, of course, the Arctic. In the south, they are not found further than the southern coast of Australia and the coast of South Africa. The most likely to meet great white sharks off the coast of California, near the Mexican island of Guadeloupe. Separate populations live in the central part of the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea (Italy, Croatia), off the coast of New Zealand, where they are protected species. Great white sharks often swim in small flocks.

One of the most significant populations has chosen Dyer Island (South Africa), which is the site of numerous scientific studies of this species of sharks. Relatively often, great white sharks are found in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Mauritius, Madagascar, Kenya and near the Seychelles. Large populations have survived off the coast of California, Australia and New Zealand.

Carcharodons are epipelagic fish, their appearance is usually observed and recorded in coastal waters of the seas, abounding in such prey as fur seals, sea lions, whales, where other sharks and large bony fish live. The great white shark is nicknamed the mistress of the ocean, as no one can compare with it in terms of the power of attacks among other fish and sea inhabitants. Only a large killer whale terrifies the carcharodon. Great white sharks are capable of long-distance migrations and can dive to considerable depths: these sharks have been recorded at a depth of almost 1300 m.

These studies disproved traditional theories that considered the great white shark to be an exclusively coastal predator.

Interactions have been established between different white shark populations, which were previously considered separate from each other. The purposes and reasons why the white shark migrates are still unknown. There are suggestions that migrations are due to the seasonal nature of hunting or mating games.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photo: Joachim Huber

Anatomy and appearance

The body of a great white shark is spindle-shaped, streamlined. A large, conical head with medium-sized eyes and a pair of nostrils located on it, to which small grooves lead, increasing the flow of water to the shark's olfactory receptors. The number of teeth in a great white shark, like in a tiger, 280-300. They are arranged in several rows (usually 5). The coloration of the body of great white sharks is typical for fish swimming in the water column. The ventral side is lighter, usually dirty white, the dorsal side is darker - gray, with shades of blue, brown or green tones. A large and fleshy dorsal fin, two pectoral and anal are located on the body of a great white shark in the usual places for sharks. The plumage ends with a large caudal fin, both lobes of which, like all salmon sharks, are the same size.

Dimensions

The usual size of an adult great white shark is 4-5.2 meters with a weight of 700 - 1000 kg. Females are usually larger than males. The maximum size of a white shark is about 8 m and weighs over 3500 kg. It should be noted that the maximum size of the white shark is a hotly debated topic. Some zoologists, experts in sharks, believe that the great white shark can reach significant sizes - more than 10 and even 12 meters in length.

Among the features of the anatomical structure, it should be noted the highly developed circulatory system of great white sharks, which allows you to warm up the muscles, due to which the high mobility of the shark in the water is achieved. Like all sharks, the great white lacks a swim bladder, which means they have to keep moving to keep from drowning. Although, it should be noted that the sharks do not feel much inconvenience from this. For millions of years they did without a bubble and did not suffer from it at all.

The great white shark is the only surviving species of its genus Carcharodon. It is on the verge of extinction. The white shark is an orderly and a regulator of the number of other organisms.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photo: Joachim Huber, Brocken Inaglory, Silvestre

Food

Great white sharks are carnivores and feed primarily on fish (including rays, tuna and smaller sharks), dolphins, whale carcasses and pinnipeds such as seals, fur seals and sea lions, and occasionally sea turtles. At times they attack sea otters and attack penguins, although this happens very rarely. It is also known that these sharks are not able to digest food. Most of the diet of the four-meter white shark is made up of mammals. These sharks prefer prey that is high in energy-rich fat. Shark researcher Peter Klimley used seal, pig and sheep carcasses as bait in his experiments. The sharks attacked all three baits, but the sheep carcass was rejected.

The great white shark is that predator, for which only a person poses a real threat. While the white shark's diet overlaps with that of killer whales, they do not compete directly. However, in one famous incident, a female killer whale killed an immature white shark, after which her calf feasted on shark liver. Small herds of dolphins are capable of killing a great white shark through a mob attack in which the dolphins ram the shark.

The reputation of great white sharks as ferocious predators is well deserved, but they are by no means promiscuous eaters (as was once thought). The technique of hunting "from an ambush", when the shark attacks prey from below, is typical for them. Near the now famous Seal Island, in South Africa's False Bay, studies have shown that shark attacks most often occur in the morning, within two hours of sunrise. The reason for this is that at this time it is very difficult to spot a shark near the bottom. The attack success rate is 55% in the first 2 hours, it drops to 40% late in the morning and then the sharks stop hunting.

The hunting technique of the white shark varies depending on the species it preys on. When hunting seals near South Africa, the great white shark ambushes from below and at high speed strikes the seal in the middle of the body. They move so fast that they actually float out of the water. After an unsuccessful attack, she may continue to pursue her prey. As a rule, the attack occurs on the surface of the water.

When hunting northern elephant seals near California, the great white shark immobilizes its prey by biting the hindquarters (which is the elephant seal's main source of movement) and then waits until the prey bleeds to death. This technique is usually used when hunting adults, which can be larger than a shark and are potentially dangerous opponents.

When hunting dolphins, white sharks attack them from above, from behind, or from below to avoid detection with the echolocation that dolphins use.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photos: Godot13, Hector Ibarra, Brocken Inaglory

Behavior

behavior and social status white sharks are not well understood, but a recent study shows that white sharks are more social than previously thought. In South Africa, white sharks appear to have a dominance hierarchy based on size, sex, and privilege. Females dominate males, big sharks dominate smaller sharks, and longtime residents over newcomers. When hunting, white sharks tend to observe a large interval between each other, and they resolve all conflict situations among themselves by resorting to ritual representations. They rarely resort to biting during these battles, although some individuals have been found to have bite marks left by other white sharks. It can be assumed that when someone invades their personal space, the great white shark inflicts a warning bite on the intruder. Some experts think that the white shark inflicts sparing bites on other individuals, thus demonstrating to them its superiority.

The great white shark is one of several shark species that regularly raise their head higher.
sea surface to gaze at other objects such as prey. This behavior has also been seen in at least one group of reef sharks, but in this case it may have been due to human interest (sharks are better at picking up scents this way, as they move faster through air than through water). Sharks are very curious animals and can show a high degree of intelligence and
individuality when conditions permit.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photo: Brocken Inaglory, LASZLO ILYES, Sharkdiver.com

reproduction

Any creature strive to give birth to similar offspring that will continue the existence of a species, genus, family and will not allow this family chain to disappear in the ruthless battle of evolutionary selection. Each generation, according to Charles Darwin's theory, is endowed with more and more reliable survival mechanisms. For many millions of years, sharks, without a second's respite, have defended their right to exist in the seas of our planet. So far, they have done well and are succeeding. What is the mechanism of reproduction of their own kind in these amazing fish?

Sharks, like all cartilaginous fish, reproduce by internal fertilization, when the male reproductive products are introduced into the female's body and fertilize her reproductive products. However, in different species of sharks, the process of reproduction may differ, first of all, in the way the offspring appear from the mother's egg. There are oviparous, ovoviviparous and viviparous sharks.

Oviparous sharks reproduce with eggs enclosed in a hard, sometimes covered with outgrowths, protein shell, on top of which there is usually a horny protective layer. Oviparous polar shark The shell on the eggs is formed during the passage through the oviduct through the albuminous and shell glands of the female. It protects the embryo from dehydration, being eaten by predators, mechanical damage and allows hanging groups of egg clutches on algae. Eggs of ovoviviparous sharks are large and contain a lot of nutritious yolk. Usually from 1-2 to 10-12 eggs are laid at the same time, and only the polar shark lays up to 500 large eggs at a time, resembling goose eggs, about 8 cm long. Polar shark eggs are not enclosed in a cornea, unlike eggs of other oviparous species sharks The embryonic development of the embryos is slow, but the hatched baby shark differs from the adult only in size and is capable of independent life.

More than 30 percent of the species of all known sharks are oviparous. These are mainly benthic representatives of the shark tribe that live off the coast, although there are exceptions (polar shark). The method of reproduction of sharks by oviposition is similar to the reproduction of many reptiles and even birds.

In ovoviviparous sharks, which include most modern species(more than half), the egg develops in the body of the female. There is also the hatching of offspring. This process can be imagined as the birth of a fry from an egg that did not have time to leave the body of the female. At the same time, the cubs hatch and stay inside the mother for some time, being born as a result well developed and adapted for independent existence. In some species of sharks, after using their yolk sac, the cubs eat unfertilized eggs accumulated in the uterus and even eggs from which their brothers and sisters did not have time to hatch. This phenomenon is called "intrauterine cannibalism". Such "cannibals" include sand, herring and some other types of sharks. As a result of such intrauterine selection, the strongest and most developed cubs are born, although their total number in the litter is not large.

A pair of sharks Scientists have not precisely determined the term for bearing offspring in ovoviviparous species of sharks. It is believed that it ranges from several months to 2 years (katran), which is one of the longest gestation periods among all vertebrates.

Apparently, the method of reproduction of offspring by ovoviviparity is, in a rough idea, the transition from reproduction by eggs to viviparity. Although it is quite possible that nature provided just such a mechanism of reproduction for some animal species, however, it was not further developed during evolutionary revision. However, the method of reproduction of offspring by ovoviviparity in sharks and rays has existed for many millions of years and is still used, i.e. is a fairly reliable mechanism of reproduction.

The species of sharks that reproduce by ovoviviparity include, for example, a giant shark, which once every two years brings 1–2 offspring 1.5–2 meters each, a tiger shark, which annually gives birth to up to 50 sharks. This is apparently the highest fecundity among ovoviviparous sharks.

During a live birth, an embryo develops in the body of the female, which receives nourishment from the mother's circulatory system. The yolk sac, after using the yolk, adheres to the wall of the female's uterus, forming a kind of placenta, and the embryo receives oxygen and nutrients from the mother's bloodstream by osmosis and diffusion. This method of reproduction already corresponds to the method of reproduction of higher animal organisms. There are intermediate options between ovoviviparity and live birth.

Slightly more than 10 percent of the existing shark species reproduce by live birth. These include frilled, blue, some species of hammerhead, mustelid, sawtooth and many species of gray sharks. So, for example, the litter of a female frilled shark can have from 3 to 12 cubs, in the blue and hammerheads their number can reach up to three dozen, in the long-finned oceanic - does not exceed ten.

Males have paired testes, which are suspended in the region of the liver on special stretch marks - mesentery. The ducts of the seminiferous tubules of the testes (vas deferens) lie in the mesentery and flow into the renal tubules of the anterior narrow part of the kidney. This part of the kidney does not function as an excretory organ, but is turned into an appendage of the testis. The tubules of the testes of the male shark open into the so-called Wolffian canal, which functions like a vas deferens. In the rearmost part of the vas deferens in mature males, an extension is formed - the seminal vesicle.

The vas deferens of the right and left sides of the body of the male open into the cavity of the urogenital papilla. Next to them, openings of thin-walled hollow outgrowths - seed sacs - also open there. These are the remains of the so-called Müller channels. The ureters also drain into the cavity of the urogenital papilla. The urogenital papilla, with a hole at its apex, opens into the cavity of the cloaca. The formation of male germ cells occurs in the tubules of the testis. Not yet ripened spermatozoa through the seminiferous tubules enter the epididymis of the testis - the anterior part of the kidney - and ripen in its tubules. Mature spermatozoa pass through the vas deferens and accumulate in the seminal vesicles and seminal sacs. When the muscles of the walls of the seminal vesicles and sacs contract, the spermatozoa are squeezed out into the cloaca of the male, and then, with the help of copulatory organs (pterygopodia), they are introduced into the cloaca of the female. Pterygopodia are formed from the rays of the ventral fins of the male; females do not have these formations.

The genital and urinary tracts of females are separated throughout. Females have paired ovaries, which are located in the body of the shark in much the same way as the testes in males. In immature females, the ovaries even resemble the testes of males in appearance.

The Wolff canal in females performs only the function of the ureter. Müllerian canals are laid on the abdominal surface of the corresponding kidney. In most sharks, the anterior ends of the Müllerian canals, which function as oviducts in females, go around the anterior end of the liver and, merging, form a common funnel of the oviduct, which lies at the ventral surface of the central lobe of the liver and has wide fringed edges. In some shark species, each female oviduct ends in a funnel. In the region of the anterior part of the kidneys, each oviduct forms an extension - the shell gland, which is highly developed only in sexually mature individuals. The enlarged posterior portion of the female's oviduct is called the "womb". The oviducts of the right and left sides open into the cloaca with independent openings on the sides of the urinary papilla.

It should be noted some, unpleasant for the female, moment of the process of mating with the male in many species of sharks. Literally male. rapes the female, cruelly holding her during mating with her teeth by the fins and other parts of the body. From such "love caresses" on the body and fins of female sharks, scars and numerous injuries often remain.

Internal fertilization, inherent in all sharks. Large eggs with significant reserves nutrients and strong shell, ovoviviparity and live birth in many species of sharks dramatically reduce the embryonic and postembryonic mortality of offspring. This is very important, because sharks cannot be as careless about reproduction as most bony fish, which breed by laying thousands and even millions (moonfish) of eggs. However, most parent sharks cannot be called caring "ancestors" - newborn sharks who did not have time to hide in time can be eaten with pleasure by a hungry mother.

Interestingly, in some species of sharks, cases of parthenogenesis were noted, when the female gave birth to offspring without the participation of the male. Apparently, this is a kind of protective mechanism against the extinction of the species due to reproduction without the participation of males.

Similar cases have been reported in some aquariums, i.e. while keeping the female in captivity.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photo: LASZLO ILYES, Albert Kok, Dr. Dwayne Meadows

Relationship with people

One of the most dangerous inhabitants of the seas and oceans is the white shark, the video of which is available on the site. The powerful jaws of Carcharodon are armed with sharp triangular teeth. Hard fangs can not only tear flesh, but also crush strong bones.

It is not surprising that this predator can handle not only fish and squid, but also such strong animals as seals and seals. The attacking white shark inflicts a smashing bite, and then, shaking its head from side to side, tries to cause the victim as severe wounds as possible.

Thus, she completely demoralizes her prey, suppressing her will to resist. At the same time, the hunter does not forget about caution and her own safety. When attacking a seal, the shark rolls its eyes to protect them from sharp claws. If the opponent is especially strong, then the carcharodon can release prey after the first powerful bite and wait until the victim is exhausted from blood loss.

Such tactics help the white shark to successfully hunt pinnipeds. Interestingly, young predators learn mainly from their own experience. First, they attack the seals horizontally, but then they realize that it is better to deliver a decisive blow from below. In this case, the cat is much less likely to escape from danger.

The coloring of the Carcharodon helps it to successfully disguise itself before the throw. The great white shark in the video footage of the hunt for sea lions appears completely unexpectedly, jumping several meters out of the water and at the same time capturing the prey with its powerful jaws.

It seems that the seal has no chance of survival at all. However, in reality this is not the case. If a potential victim has noticed an attacking predator in time, it can escape from the attack into the "dead zone" above the dorsal fins of the shark. In this case, the missed Carcharodon loses sight of the prey for a while, and the prey has the opportunity to escape.

Why is the white shark a very dangerous predator?

The white shark is not only the largest, but also one of the fastest among all its close and distant relatives. It develops high speed of movement not only due to its streamlined spindle-shaped body and powerful fins.

A special network of blood vessels allows you to oxygenate the muscles as efficiently as possible. Due to this, at short distances Carcharodon can develop a particularly high speed. However, such jerks require a lot of energy, which requires fatty and high-calorie foods to replenish.

Therefore, it cannot be said that a person is of any gastronomic interest for the great white shark. Typically, Carcharodon attacks on humans are either accidental or provoked.

We can watch a great white shark attacking a caged cameraman in the video. Although the structure is intended for protection, however, with powerful blows of a predator on the bars of the lattice, the scuba diver feels very uncomfortable. But it wasn't the shark that came to the beach, it was the observers with their cage, equipment and baits who invaded the underwater world.

Of course, large selachia are dangerous predators. And the most formidable of them is the white shark, which has a reputation as a man-eating shark. However, in their usual habitat, these predators do not intersect with humans in any way. The white shark gained its sad popularity primarily thanks to horror films, where it is presented as a ruthless bloodthirsty killer.
White sharks and relationships with people

Documentaries filmed in recent years show that this is not at all the case. White sharks in the video lead the usual everyday life, preying mainly on fish and pinnipeds.

If people invade their habitat, then the reaction of predators depends primarily on human behavior. In the video footage, you can see how white sharks react peacefully to scuba divers who behave respectfully towards them.

Photo White shark (click to enlarge):

Photo: Dr. Dwayne Meadows, Dr. Dwayne Meadows

Perhaps the most dangerous and formidable predator of the world's oceans is the white shark. According to scientific classification white sharks belong to the chordate type, the herring family, the class of cartilaginous fish, the superorder of sharks and the order of lamniformes.

What are its characteristics, weight, length, appearance? Where does the white shark live and is it dangerous to humans? This will be discussed in detail below.

Great White Shark Carcharodon

great white shark, known to science also like carcharodon, it is a large predatory fish that lives in all waters of the world's oceans with the exception of the Arctic. This predator got its name due to the white color of the belly, which is clearly separated from gray color back broken line.

Medium the length of the carcharodon exceeds 7 meters, and its weight is at least 3 tons. This rightfully suggests that such a fish is the largest on earth. It can compete only with whale and giant sharks, which are not dangerous to humans and feed mainly on plankton.

But not only the size of the carcharodon terrifies all living things, because such a predatory fish is firmly entrenched in the minds of people as a merciless killer, ready to attack at any opportunity. So, there it is: these gigantic predatory fish known for being attacking lovers aquatic species sports(divers, surfers, swimmers).

And according to statistics, the chances of escaping from such a predator are much less than when falling under the wheels of a truck: if the carcharodon began to pursue and attack its prey, then it does not stop until it finally tastes human flesh.

Interestingly, the great white shark is on the verge of extinction, and there are only about 3500 individuals. As mentioned earlier, this predator belongs to the herring family, this also includes a number of sharks:

ordinary mako;
longfin mako;
Pacific salmon;
Atlantic herring.

Carcharodon is believed to be one of the oldest organisms on the planet, and this opinion was given impetus by the research of scientists who came to the conclusion: the white shark is close relative megalodon, which became extinct 5.5 million years ago. However, at the same time, other scientists believe that the carcharodon is still closer to the mako shark than to the ancient megalodon.

Range of great white sharks

The great white shark can be found in all waters of the world's oceans, where the temperature is not lower than 12 degrees and not higher than 24 degrees. In more cold water these predators are extremely rare. It is also interesting that such a fish lives both in salt water and in low-salt and desalinated water.

An interesting fact: such a predator does not and could not live in the Black Sea. This is due to the fact that the water here is too fresh, besides, there is not enough food in the Black Sea for the survival of this predatory fish.

Carcharodon can be found on the coast USA, Canada, Guadeloupe, Argentina, Chile, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, as well as off the coast of Croatia and Italy, Portugal and North Africa. By the way, in New Zealand this species is protected.

largest population lives off Dyer Island that in South Africa. Scientific studies of these predatory fish are also carried out there.

White sharks settle in the waters of the seas. They feed on fur seals, whales, and large bony fish. And only a large killer whale is capable of terrifying this predator.

Like most other sharks, Carcharodon has a fusiform, streamlined body, a conical head, small eyes, nostrils, and a wide mouth. The teeth of this fish are very sharp. They have a triangular shape, on the sides they have small notches.

The approximate number of teeth varies from 280 to 300 pieces; with their help, the predator easily deals with prey. All Carcharodon Teeth arranged in 5 rows. The change of the first row of teeth occurs in young individuals once every three months, and in adults - once every eight months.

The white shark also has gills, which are located on the sides of the head (5 gill slits on each side). The color is typical for all such fish: belly white, back gray. Thanks to such a transition from one color to another, this predator can easily hunt in the water column and at the same time remain invisible.

On the back of the carcharodon is one fin, two on the chest. The tail has a fin with two lobes of the same size. Carcharodons have a very developed circulatory system, which warms up the muscles and allows the predator to swim quickly.

It is interesting that this fish no swim bladder, because of which she has to be on the move all the time, otherwise she will simply start to sink. But, obviously, such anatomy does not in the least prevent her from living in the depths of the seas and oceans for millions of years.

Dimensions: how much does a white shark weigh and what is its length

For many years, ichthyologists have been researching and arguing about the size of this formidable predator and how much such a fish weighs. One of the largest white sharks was recognized as caught back in late XIX century in Australian waters, which had a length of almost 11 meters.

Another larger specimen was caught off the coast of Canada in the first half of the 20th century. His length was 11.3 meters.

If we talk about the average size of carcharodon, then they are as follows:

medium shark - from 4 to 5.2 meters in length and 700-1000 kg in weight;
big shark- from 6 to 8 meters in length and 3500 kg in weight.

As a rule, females are larger than males. A big shark can be called one whose size is from 6 meters to 7.5 meters. The largest white shark can reach 12 meters in length.

And yet scientific disputes do not stop to this day. Ichthyologists question the facts about the capture of the largest carcharodons, since the difference in size between them and other white sharks is too great.

Scientists believe that the record figures are more likely not for carcharodons, but for giant sharks, thus, which feed on plankton. Moreover, the fact of catching the largest shark off the coast of Australia and Canada was recorded not by scientists, but by ordinary fishermen.

To date, the largest size of carcharodon is considered length 6.4 m and weight 3270 kg.

What does Carcharodon eat?

Juveniles feed on small bony fish, small marine animals and mammals.

More mature individuals hunting fur seals, sea lions, shellfish, big fish, even other sharks and whales.

Due to their coloration, these predators can easily camouflage themselves while hunting, and their high body temperature allows them to move quickly and catch up with your prey. And also, thanks to active movements, active brain activity occurs, thanks to which this predator is able to come up with ingenious strategies during the hunt.

By the way, about attacks on people: very often surfers and swimmers with their body movements remind carcharodons of the same harbor seals, so she can actively attack them.

But here it is worth taking into account the fact that these predatory fish prefer fatty foods. Therefore, after biting a person and tasting it, the shark swims away in disappointment. So the opinion that such predators feed on human flesh is very erroneous.