white shark

Introduction & Top Questions
Distribution
Body structure
Behaviour
- Feeding habits
- Attacks on humans
- Social behavior
Reproduction
Ecology
- Role in marine food chains
- Conservation
Evolution

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

Illustration of a great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) with a faint scuba diver in the background for scale, and measurement bars showing 1 meter and 3 feet to indicate the shark's large size.

Image thumbnail shows a illustration of a shark resting its head on a pillow.

Illustration of an ocean food chain showing sunlight supporting one-celled life like dinoflagellates and diatoms, which are eaten by shrimplike copepods. These are consumed by small fish, which are then eaten by mackerel, followed by tuna, and finally a large shark at the top of the food web.

Into the Wild: Studying the Behavior of Great White Sharks

At a Glance

great white shark summary

Quizzes

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Animal Group Names

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Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Related Questions

At what age do female white sharks reach sexual maturity?
At what age do male white sharks reach sexual maturity?
Do white sharks live alone or travel in groups?
How are white shark teeth shaped for cutting flesh and bone?
How are white sharks related to other mackerel sharks?
How did the movie Jaws affect public fear of white sharks?
How do white sharks ambush seals and other prey?
How does commercial fishing harm white shark populations?
How does internal fertilization occur in white sharks?
How does regional endothermy help white sharks remain active in cold water?
How does shark finning threaten white sharks?
How does the diet of an adult white shark differ from that of a newborn?
How does the torpedo-shaped body of a white shark help it swim?
How far have white sharks off California been tracked during migration?
How large are white shark pups at birth?
How large can fully grown white sharks become?
How long is white shark gestation thought to last?
How many pups are usually born in a white shark litter?
How much do most adult white sharks weigh?
How often do white sharks return to temperate feeding areas?
In which waters are white sharks believed to give birth?
What colors appear on a white shark’s back, sides, and belly?
What evidence suggests that some white sharks have dominance hierarchies near feeding areas?
What percentage of recorded white shark attacks off the western United States were fatal?
When were great white sharks protected in California waters?
Where do South African white sharks travel during long migrations?
Which foods do newborn white sharks eat?
Which marine mammals are hunted by adult white sharks?
Why are specific white shark nursery areas difficult to identify?
Why are white sharks considered vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature?
Why can white sharks have body temperatures higher than the surrounding water?
Why do white shark populations take a long time to recover after being depleted?
Why is the white shark hunting method called “bite and wait” or “bite and spit”?
Why might a white shark leap out of the water while attacking prey?
Are white sharks cold-blooded or warm-blooded?
Do white sharks attack humans?
What is a ray?
How do rays differ from sharks?
What makes the tails of many stingrays dangerous?
What does the megamouth shark look like?
What do megamouth sharks eat?
Is the megamouth sharks an endangered species?
What is the main characteristics that define vertebrates?
How are vertebrates classified in terms of their morphology?

Science Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates Fish

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External Websites

A-Z Animals - Great white shark
NOAA Fisheries - White Shark
Florida Museum - White Shark
Smithsonian Ocean - Great White Shark
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals - Great White Shark Fact Sheet
Animal Corner - Great White Shark
The Royal Society Publishing - Royal Society Open Science - Eyes on the size: accuracy of visual length estimates of white sharks, Carcharodon carcharis
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The Deep Past of the White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Mediterranean Sea: A Synthesis of Its Palaeobiology and Palaeoecology
Natural History Museum - Great white sharks: Dangerous man-eaters or marine marvels?

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

white shark - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
white shark - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

white shark

fish

Also known as: Carcharodon carcharias, great white shark, man-eater, white death, white pointer(Show More)

Written by

Douglas Long

Chief curator, Department of Natural Sciences, Oakland Museum of California.

Douglas Long

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

white shark, (Carcharodon carcharias), any member of the largest living species of the mackerel sharks (Lamnidae) and one of the most powerful and dangerous predatory sharks in the world. Starring as the villain of movies such as Jaws (1975), the white shark is much maligned and publicly feared. However, surprisingly little is understood of its life and behavior. White shark populations are frequently centred in highly productive temperate coastal waters (that is, waters characterized by...

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