Species of the Month

Shark Week is nigh upon us and we're getting in on it with July's Species of the Month. I've chosen the most famous (or infamous) sea creature, the great white shark. While they've been known to attack people, we are not their prey. Shark attacks may be curiosity or just a case of mistaken identity. Unlike Jaws, these apex predators won't eat you, even if they do happen to bite. Sink your teeth into this quick profile!

Scientific name: Carcharodon carcharias

Great white shark (NOAA)

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)

Class: Chondrichthyes (rays and sharks)
Order: Lamniformes (mackerel sharks) 

Range: Coastal ocean areas of Asia, Australia, Oceana, North and South America, Africa, and Europe

(NOAA)

Habitat: Marine
Lifespan: 30 to 40 years
Diet: Fish, seals, sea lions, sea birds, squid, sea turtles, dolphins, whale carcasses, rays
Predators: Humans, killer whales, other sharks
Conservation Status: IUCN consideres great whites to be vulnerable, protected in the US

(NOAA)

Other information: This massive apex predator can grow to lengths of 20 feet and weigh as much as 6600 pounds! It's mouth can open to over three feet wide, plenty of room for anything it wants to eat. And that mouth is packed with razor sharp teeth. Unlike humans, gifted with two sets of teeth, the great white can apparently grow an unlimited number, replacing teeth as needed. The shark's streamlined body is built for speed and power. Not much is known about their reproductive habits. Females give birth to live young, which eat unfertilized eggs and possibly even siblings in the womb. They are mostly solitary creatures, but sometimes congregate to feed, such as at a whale carcass. In situations like this, they form social hierarchies. In addition to a well-developed sense of smell, great whites can detect electrical fields. These highly developed sense allow them to detect prey by a single drop of blood in 100 liters of water, or by the beating of its heart. The great white's prefer hunting method is to strike from below. A powerful blow is enough to stun the prey, avoiding a chase or a struggle. Across the board, fish populations are declining at an alarming rate and the great white is no exception. Sport fishing, commercial fishing bycatch, and finning take a toll, and as a large species reproductive rates are generally low. As an apex predator, populations are already low to begin with. Sadly, despite its deadly reputation the great white shark has more to fear from us than we from it.
This month's information comes from the University of Michigan's Animal Diversity Web.
nm1 https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?ParentMenuId=123&id=21434
nm2 https://sos.noaa.gov/datasets/marine-migration-great-white-shark-3d/
nm3 https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/18whitesharkcafe/welcome.html