Monday 27 June 2016

Great White Shark

Source: Kids Konnect
Other names for this lethal predator include: White Death, Great Pointer or White shark.

Kingdom          Animalia

Phylum            Chordata

Class                Chondrichthyes

Subclass           Elasmobranchii

Superorder       Selachimorpha

Order                Lamniformes

Scientific Name Carcharodon Carcharias

Type                Fish

ANATOMY
Source: NSW Government
It is well-known for its size, reaching upwards of 6.4m (21 ft) in length. Females are larger than males. Their weight limit is approximately 3,000 kg (7,000 lb). It is the fourth largest shark, following the megamouth shark, the basking shark and the whale shark.

It's famous for its dark to light grey upper body and all white lower half. To a seal swimming on the surface, the shark would resemble the murky depths below it and if seen from below, the stark white belly would resemble the light from above, known as countershading.
Source: Mirror UK

It has a long pointed conical snout, similarly sized upper and lower lobes of the tail and a mouth filled with serrated teeth. The jaws of the sharks are lined with rows of teeth just beneath the gum. It is composed of nearly pure muscle, with very little fat. It stores fat in the liver for emergency use or for travelling long distances without eating.

BEHAVIOUR
The Great White’s behaviour is not well known. But some have been found to have bites matching other Great Whites, suggesting that a proximity warning is given with a light bite. Spy hopping is frequently done as the shark breaks the surface of the water and looks above the ocean for prey. Research suggest that it has to do with smelling for prey, as smell travels faster through air than water.

They also breach whereby they, usually while attacking, charge from below the prey at up to 40kmph (25mph). This results in huge sharks breaking the surface of the water while grabbing the prey, flying up to 3 m (10 ft), above the water.
 
Source: The Animal Globe
DIET
They are carnivorous, preying on nearly any fish in the ocean, but preferably fat rich animals. Juvenile (younger than 15) sharks hunt and eat small fish because the cartilage in their jaws isn’t mineralized to withstand the force for a stronger bite. Older sharks are able to hunt larger prey, such as elephant seals, sunfish and even whales. They also scavenge food, consuming off the dead carcasses of, for example, whales. This particular species is warm-blooded and although it doesn’t keep a constant body temperature, it needs to eat a lot of meat to regulate its temperature. 

HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION
Their distribution is widespread, found in every ocean and sea across the world. They are commonly found as far north as the Upper Atlantic and Pacific, just south of Arctic waters and as far south as the southern tip of Australia. The Great White is considered native to the Mediterranean states, United States, sub-Saharan coastal states, South America and the Australian states. They stay close to coastal shelves, preferring to hunt off the coastline. They spend their time in temperate waters all over the world, but have made fleeting trips into colder water in the north.


Source: Animal Fact Guide
REPRODUCTION
Sharks reach reproductive maturity at 15 years. Females are ovoviviparous (they hatch their eggs internally then give birth once their pups are strong enough). Pups are oophagous (they eat the weaker eggs while gestating). After mating the female develops several eggs which hatch in her womb. They give birth between spring and summer and have specific breeding grounds. They have anywhere between 1-5 pups. Pups are roughly 1 ft. long when they are born and weigh around 5kg. Their jaws are strong enough to kill within their first month of life.

CONSERVATION STATUS
Their numbers have steadily declined, though there is no exact number of population size. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, their status is currently Vulnerable but it is on the cusp of being labelled endangered due to overfishing.


Source: HD Desktop Wallpapers
REFERENCES
http://www.animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/great-white-shark/