Endangered Sharks

Endangered Sharks

endangered species
  Great white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, aka white sharks, man-eaters, manila sharks, have, according to E.O. Wilson "...rightfully been called a top carnivore, a killing machine, the last free predator of man—the most frightening animal on earth." This common perception of white sharks is changing though as we learn more about these increasingly threatened sharks, some courageous explorers have not only free-dived with these "killing-machines," they lived to talk about it. Not that free-diving with white sharks is recommended, but these bold experiments have shown that these majestic, yet intimidating, creatures are not predators of man.
  Great white sharks, Carcharodon carcharias, are the largest known predatory fish in the sea. They reach lengths of over 6.1  m and can weigh up to 2,268  kg. They have a conical snout, pitch black eyes, a heavy, torpedo-shaped body, and a crescent-shaped, nearly equal-lobed tail fin that is supported on each side by a keel. The great white swims in a stiff-bodied, tuna-like fashion, unlike the sinuous whole-bodied swimming stroke of most sharks.
  The name "white shark" is thought to have come from its universal all-white belly. The dorsal coloring of great white sharks, however, ranges from pale to dark gray and can vary tremendously depending on lighting and water color and visibility.
  The great white's average length is around 3.6  m, but there have been reports of sharks as large as 7.62  m. The great white belongs to the Family Lamnidae (the mackerel sharks), which includes mako and salmon sharks. Along the California coastline, adult great whites are an important predator of marine mammals, particularly the calorie-rich elephant seals. Juveniles feed mostly on fish and add marine mammals to their diet when they reach about 450 kg.
  White sharks are able to prey on such large creatures with their large upper teeth, which are triangular in shape and sharply serrated...