Common name

Great white shark

Species name

Carcharodon carcharias

ARKive fact

One of the top predators of the marine environment, the great white shark uses its acute sense of smell, sound location and electroreception to detect weak and injured prey over great distances.

Conservation status

Vulnerable

Distribution

Found throughout the world's oceans mostly in temperate and sometimes warm waters but occasionally in cold environments. Recent scientific research using satellite tags has found that adults can undertake long return migrations across entire ocean basins and back, while juveniles stay closer to the shore, but can also undertake long-distance coastal migrations.

Habitat

Preferred habitat is coastal and offshore waters of the continental and insular shelves and offshore continental islands, but recent evidence suggests that adults are probably pelagic for much of the year, readily being found in oceanic waters from the surface to depths of 980 metres and possibly more.

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