Great White Shark

Distribution: Cosmopolitan Size: Up to 6.4 m Weight: Up to 3400 kg Sexual maturity: 10–12 years Diet: Carnivorous Social life: Solitary IUCN red list status: Vulnerable Great white sharks are one of the most well-known cartilaginous fishes in the world. Their powerful bodies are supported by a cartilaginous skeleton, unlike the bony skeletons of most other vertebrates. The maximum size of the great white shark is still debated, with estimates of around six meters, possibly reaching up to 640 cm or more. This cosmopolitan species is found in a wide range of seas and oceans, with concentrations in temperate waters. Occupying the top of the marine food chain, great white sharks predominantly feed on fish but also consume turtles, mollusks, crustaceans, and marine mammals like seals and sea lions. Great white sharks are ovoviviparous, with females giving birth every two to three years rather than annually. Parturition appears to occur from spring to late summer in warm-temperate coastal waters. Despite the extensive media attention the great white shark (*Carcharodon carcharias*) receives, relatively little is known about its biology. Interestingly, sharks have six senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing and electroreception.