Carcharodon carcharias

(Linnaeus, 1758)


Great white shark
Classification: Elasmobranchii Lamniformes Lamnidae

Reference of the original description
Linné, C. (1758)
Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, regnum animale, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus differentiis synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Stockholm, Laurentii Salvii, 824pp.

Image of the original description
No image in first description.

Images of the original description (synonym)
Synonyms / new combinations and misspellings
Carcharhinus lamia, Carcharias atwoodi, Carcharias lamia, Carcharias maso, Carcharias sulcidens, Carcharias verus, Carcharias vorax., Carcharias vulgaris, Carcharodon albimors, Carcharodon arnoldi, Carcharodon atwoodi, Carcharodon capensis, Carcharodon carcharius, Carcharodon cf. carcharias, Carcharodon cf. sulcidens, Carcharodon etruscus, Carcharodon lamia, Carcharodon purplei, Carcharodon riversi, Carcharodon rondeleti, Carcharodon rondeletii, Carcharodon smithi, Carcharodon smithii, Carcharodon sulcidens, Carcharodon tornabene, Eulamia lamia, Prionace lamia, Procarcharodon aff. rondeletti, Squalus caninus, Squalus carcharias, Squalus lamia, Squalus vulgaris, Squalus (Carcharias) vulgaris, Squalus (Carcharinus) lamia

Types
Carcharodon carcharias
XXXX: No types known;
Carcharias atwoodi
Holotype: MCZ: 89505 (missing) (jaws may be 775-S)
Carcharias lamia
XXXX: No types known;
Carcharias maso
XXXX: No types known;
Carcharias verus
XXXX: No types known;
Carcharodon albimors
Holotype: AMS: I.1723; AMS: I.1723.001;
Carcharodon capensis
Holotype: BMNH: 1850.9.5.3
Carcharodon rondeletii
Syntype: BMNH: 1850.9.5.3 Cape Town, South Africa RUSM: uncat. (whereabouts unknown) SMF: uncat. (whereabouts unknown) Adriatic ZMB: uncat. (whereabouts unknown)
Carcharodon smithi
XXXX: No types known;
Carcharodon smithii
XXXX: No types known;


Description :


Citation: Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758): In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 12/2024

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Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), great white shark, False Bay, South Africa © Alessandro De Maddalena
Common names
deu \(T\) Menschenhai, deu \(T\) Weißer Hai, deu \(T\) Weißhai, spa Africano, spa Devorador de hombres, spa Jaquentón blanco, spa Jaqueton blanco, spa Jaquetón, spa Jaquetón de ley, spa Marrajo, spa Tiburón antropófago, spa Tiburón blanco, fra \(T\) Grand requin blanc, fra \(T\) Mangeur d"hommes, fra \(T\) Requin blanc, eng Great white shark, eng Man eater, eng Man-eater, eng Man-eater shark, eng Maneater, eng Mango-taniwha, eng Mango-ururoa, eng Shark, eng White death, eng White pointer, eng White shark, ita Canesca, ita Canusu, ita Damiano, ita Mangia alici, ita Manzo de mar, ita Pesce hane, ita Pescecane, ita Pesci can, ita Pesse can, ita Pisci bistinu, ita Pisci cani, ita Squalo bianco, ita Tunnu palamitu di funnu, por Alequim, por Anequim, por Anequin, por Cação-anequim, por Cação-anequin, por Iperu, por Tubarao de Sao Tomé, por Tubarão branco, por Tubarão-anequim, por Tubarão-branco, por Tubarão-de-São-Tomé, Kelb il - Bahar Abjad (malta)

Short Description
A huge, spindle-shaped shark with conspicuous black eyes, a blunt, conical snout and large, triangular, saw-edged teeth [536]. First dorsal-fin origin usually over the pectoral-fin inner margins [531] [1388]. Caudal fin crescentic [518]. Lead-grey to brown or black above, lighter on sides, and abruptly white below (Ref. 6851). Black spot at rear pectoral fin base (Ref. 6851).

Distribution
Cosmopolitan, mostly amphitemperate. Western Atlantic: Newfoundland, Canada to Argentina; also north Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba and Lesser Antilles [17659]. Eastern Atlantic: France to South Africa, including the Mediterranean. Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Seychelles, South Africa; also Reunion and Mauritius [20041]. Western Pacific: Siberia to New Zealand and the Marshall Islands; also south Australia [17659]. Central Pacific: Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: Alaska to Chile. International trade cooperation, Australia (CITES Appendix III, since 28.5.2003; CMS Appendix I and II). Source: www.gbif.org

Human uses
fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species

Biology
Exhibit ovoviparity (aplacental viviparity), with embryos feeding on other ova produced by the mother (oophagy) after the yolk sac is absorbed [733]. Up to 10, possibly 14 young born at 120-150 cm [578]. Distinct pairing with embrace [17086]. Male and female may swim in parallel while copulating[870] (Ref. 49562). Known to feed on mammals [518]. Anthosoma crassum, Dinemoura latifolia and Pandarus sinuatua (copepods) are known to be parasites of the species (Ref. 5951)[17641]

Size / Weight / Age
792 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 5951)); 430 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 3,400.0 kg [20078]; max. reported age: up to 40 years old for the largest female (fork length [FL]: 526 cm) and 73 years old for the largest male (FL: 493 cm) [20096]

Habitat
pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous [17660]; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1280 m [1388], usually 0 - 250 m (Ref. 55270)

Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=1150; CITES: (see: Protected Species for more details) Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora annex: II; Council Regulation 2017/160 annex: B; link to 3D Model

Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Cestoda
Copepoda

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