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The Great White Shark is arguably the most frightening shark to all humans. Its size is normaly between 12-16 feet long, while it can grow up to 19-21 feet. Basicaly it is not a man-eater but only attacks its prey (seals, fish, etc.). It is primarily a fish eater, taking all manner of bony fish as prey, from sedentary bottom-living rockfish, lingcod and flatfish to fast open-ocean species such as broadbill swordfish and bluefin tuna. Its role as a primary predator upon marine mammals, and especially seals and sealions (pinnipeds), has dominated much contemporary study and commentary on this species but the importance of these prey may be grossly overstated from a more global standpoint, due in part to the bias in contemporary study towards those areas where sharks and pinnipeds occur together.
The Great White shark reaches maturity around 9th year of its natural born life. It grows about 25-30 cm per year. It has about 7-9 youngs. The females may only reproduce twice in her wholelife. The most feared shark by humans, but also a very majestic animal.
Carcharodon carcharias
(Linnaeus, 1758)
© Ian K Fergusson
| Class: |
Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: |
Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: |
Selachimorpha [Pleurotremata] |
| Order: |
Lamiformes |
| Family: |
Lamnidae |
| French: |
Grand requin blanc; requin
blanc; Lamie |
| Spanish: |
Tiburon blanco; jaqueton
blanco; Tauro blanc (Catalunya); salroig (Majorca);
Marraco (Barcelona) |
| Italian: |
Squalo bianco; pescecane;
mangia alice (Naples); tunnu palamitu di funnu
(Catania); pici bistinu (Messina) |
| Maltese: |
Kelb il-bahar;
Kelb-il-bahar abjad; Silfjun; Huta tax-xmara |
The Shark Trust, 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge
Road, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 5SJ, UK., Tel:(+44) 01635 551150 Fax:(+44) 01635
550230
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