234 White Shark 



White Shark, Man-Eater 

 Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus) 



Color: Color of upper part of body varies among indi- 

 viduals. May be gray-brown, gray-blue, dark gray, or 

 almost black. Lower part of body dirty white. A black spot 

 near rear part of base of pectoral fin. 



Distribution: World-wide in tropical and subtropical zones 

 and warmer waters of temperate zone. Not abundant in 

 any particular region. Occurs erratically. Has been taken 

 on the western Atlantic from Newfoundland to Brazil. 

 Size: It is said to reach a length of 40 feet. Fish at 13 feet 

 may weigh 1,300 pounds and at 21 feet 7,100 pounds. 

 General Information: Typically an oceanic form, it fre- 

 quently comes into shallow inshore waters, where it has 

 been known to attack man and has therefore earned the 

 title of "man-eater shark." An active, voracious species. 

 It feeds on a wide variety of small fish and marine animals 

 but is also known to swallow almost whole other sharks, 

 seals, turtles, sturgeons, and tunas. Probably matures 

 when over 13 feet long. 



Economic Importance: This species is too infrequently en- 

 countered to be of much importance to the commercial or 

 recreational fisheries. Its active, pugnacious nature makes 

 it a dangerous adversary when hooked or harpooned. 



