Scientific name:
Carcharodon carcharias Identification:
One keel on each side of caudal peduncle; large, serrated, triangular teeth; long gill slits; grayish above, whitish below with sharp demarcation between dorsal and ventral coloration, often with black spot at pectoral fin axil and underside of pectoral fins blacktipped. Size:
Birth 1.1 m (3.6 ft), adults to at least 6.5 m (21.5 ft) and maybe to 8 m (26.4 ft). Range:
Found in most temperate and some tropical areas world wide. Depth range from surface to 1,280 m (4,224 ft). Biology:
Found in coastal areas (usually near rocky reefs, rarely near coral reefs), adults are more common in warmer seas than juveniles, but all are more abundant in warm temperate to temperate waters. Solitary individuals, pairs, or sometimes aggregations (especially where prey is abundant) are encountered. Feeds on seals, sea lions, dolphins, other sharks, rays, bony fishes, and invertebrates. This is the most fearsome of all sharks. Has attacked divers, snorkelers, surfers, and bathers.