GREAT WHITE SHARK
ClassificationKingdom: Animalia
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Common Name:Great White Shark
MorphologyThe great white shark has a robust, large, conical snout. The upper and lower lobes on the tail fin are approximately the same size which is similar to some mackerel sharks. A great white displays countershading, by having a white underside and a grey dorsal area (sometimes in a brown or blue shade) that gives an overall mottled appearance. The coloration makes it difficult for prey to spot the shark because it breaks up the shark's outline when seen from the side. From above, the darker shade blends with the sea and from below it exposes a minimal silhouette against the sunlight.Great white sharks, like many other sharks, have rows of serrated teeth behind the main ones, ready to replace any that break off. When the shark bites, it shakes its head side-to-side, helping the teeth saw off large chunks of flesh.
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BiologyIn 2008, a team of scientists led by Stephen Wroe conducted an experiment to determine the great white shark's jaw power and findings indicated that a specimen more than 6.1 m (20 ft) long could exert a bite force of over 18,000 newtons (4,000 lbf).
Great white sharks, like all other sharks, have an extra sense given by the Ampullae of Lorenzini which enables them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. |
Ecological/Economical Importance
The great white shark is a very important predator in the marine ecosystem. It's at the very top of the marine ecosystems food chain, and has no known predators. It's almost as though everything that goes on in the ocean is to feed the great white shark. If it becomes endangered or goes extinct, the populations of the seal, sea lion, and other animals that it often feeds on would skyrocket. These animals would then eat themselves out, thus changing the whole ecosystem around them. So basically, the great white shark cannot be removed without the whole marine ecosystem becoming disturbed and unbalanced.
A rich resource of multivitamins specifically vitamin A.
The teeth are considered very expensive, sometimes; one tooth is worth up to $10000.
Its skin is used to make shoes, purses and leather wallets.
A rich resource of multivitamins specifically vitamin A.
The teeth are considered very expensive, sometimes; one tooth is worth up to $10000.
Its skin is used to make shoes, purses and leather wallets.
Fun Facts :)-Great White Sharks are the largest predatory fish in the sea.
-Great White sharks live along the coasts of all continents except Antarctica. -The Great White Shark have an enormous liver that can weigh up to 24 percent of its entire weight. -A Great White Shark may use and lose more than one thousand teeth in its life time. -The Great White Shark is not all white. The shark’s back may be dark blue, gray, brown or black. -The Great White Shark lives for about 25 years. -A Great White Shark is capable of eating sea lions whole. |
Vocabulary--Great White Shark-
a large mackerel shark (Carcharodon carcharias) of warm seas that is bluish when young but becomes whitish with age and has been known to attack humans -Dorsal fin- any unpaired median fin on the backs of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates: maintains balanceduring locomotion --Caudal fin: the tail fin of fishes and some other aquatic vertebrates, used for propulsion during locomotion --Chondrichthyes cartilaginous fishes --Carnivore- an animal that eats flesh. Resourceshttp://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=38
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/ |