SHARK, WHITE

S, W -

SHARK, WHITE

Scientific Name: 
Carcharodon carcharias
Fish Group: 
Shark
Salt/Fresh: 
Salt
Also Known As: 
White Shark; White Pointer; Great White Shark; Great White; White Death; SHARK, WHITE
Rating: 
Countries: 
Australia
United States
Description: 

The White (or Great White Shark) is probably the most well known and feared shark of all. It is the largest and most dangerous of the predatory sharks.

How To Identify: 

The White Shark is the largest and most dangerous of the predatory sharks and is a known man-Easter. The White shark has a streamlined body and fairly straight back, quite pointed nose, black eyes, and unlike most other sharks the upper lobe of the tail is not much larger than the lower. The White Shark can be distinguished from all other sharks by its teeth, which are large and triangular in shape (like arrowheads) with sharp serrated cutting edges. They are grey to greyish blue on the back and off white on the sides, colours separated by a fairly distinct wavey line midway down its sides. The White Shark can grow as large as 7 meters and most likely around 3,000 kgs, however the current world record is set at 1208.38 kgs back in 1959.

How To Catch: 

Most White Sharks are caught by anglers with the heaviest of game tackle and berlying or chumming with oily fish pieces, once they are in the chumming trail, whole fish baits are thrown to the feeding White Shark. NOTE - White Sharks are now totally protected in Australian Waters and are not to be targeted, and all records in Australia for the Great White Shark now closed.

Where Found: 

The White Shark occurs worldwide, mostly in cooler waters. Although often found in deep water offshore, it certainly at times comes close to shore and frequents beaches in Australia and South Africa. In Australia it is found from South Queensland, through New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, through to southern Western Australia.

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