Great White Shark

The great white shark is a large predatory fish found in coastal and offshore waters of most oceans, best known as the largest predatory fish on Earth, with adults typically reaching four to five metres in length. It has a distinctive countershaded body, grey above and white below, which helps camouflage it from both prey below and predators or rivals above, and rows of large, serrated triangular teeth adapted for tearing flesh. Great white sharks feed on a broad range of prey that shifts with age, from fish and rays when young to seals, sea lions and other marine mammals as adults, which they often ambush from below in powerful, sometimes fully airborne breaching attacks. Despite a fearsome reputation reinforced by popular culture, the species is responsible for relatively few fatal encounters with humans each year, and it is now classified as vulnerable due to slow reproduction, historical overfishing and demand for its fins and teeth.