Carchairhinus milbertl of this size), a 100-pound sea lion, seals, 

 stiirgeon, tuna, a wide variety of other fishes (including stingrays 

 and chimaeroids), and leirge sea turtles. According to Goadby (1959)^ 

 white shaxks are attracted to the coastal whaling stations along 

 the east coast of Australia, drawn there by the cutting in of whales, 

 and Davies and Campbell (1962) reported a similar habit of white 

 sharks off the South African coast. 



REPRODUCTION 



Relatively little is known about reproduction and development 

 in this family, particularly of Isurus and Car char odon . Apparently, 

 like Lamna , few embryos are carried and the young are large at birth. 

 Embryos of I8, I9, and 2h inches were found in a 5-foot female of L. 

 nasus, and Hubbs (1923) described one of 20 pounds (length not given) 

 from a 10-foot specimen. They axe ovoviviparous, and the yolk sac 

 and umbilical cord are resorbed at an early developmental stage. 

 Until birth, embryos obtain nourishment by feeding on the unfertilized 

 eggs present in the uterus. The stomach becomes distended into a 

 "yolk stomach" and attains half the body length in laxge embryos. 

 Yolk stomachs also have been observed in embryos of Isurus . 



Nothing is known about the developmental stages of Carcharodon . 

 Apparently, maturity is not reached until its length is about 13 feet. 

 The smallest free-living specimen reported by Bigelow and Schroeder 

 (1948) was about 5 feet. Smith (l95l) described a 55-inch juvenile 

 from Algoa Bay, South Africa, and Scattergood ( 1962a) mentioned one 

 of 3 feet from New England waters. From time to time, several 

 specimens in this general size range are caught in succession (such 

 as the captures from the Scripps Pier, noted above). Coles (1919) 

 reported the capture of four small specimens at close intervals off 

 Cape Lookout, North Carolina. Shortly thereafter, a large female, 

 estimated to be 22 feet long, was trapped in a net. In his opinion, 

 this female was the mother of the h specimens caught earlier. If, 

 as in Lamna , large young axe the rvile, then a 22-foot Carchaxodon 

 could, quite conceivably, bear young 6 to 7 feet in length. 



IMPORTANCE TO MAN 



Coincident with the general decline in the commercial shark 

 fishery, these sharks no longer have a significant market value in 

 this country. Elsewhere, particularly in Europe and Japan, the meat 

 is well received. Sharks have a definite nuisance value to- the 

 commercial set-line fishermen, robbing the lines and frequently 

 biting off the hook and leader in the process. The mako and the 

 white shark axe important gamefishes in many parts of the world; the 



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