The Great White Shark

The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), commonly known as the great white or the white shark, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. Scientifically, the great white is classified into:

Kingdom:

Animalia

Phylum:

Chordata

Class:

Chondrichthyes

Order:

Lamniformes

Family:

Lamnidae

Genus:

Carcharodon

Species:

C. carcharias

	Great white sharks were previously thought to reach sexual maturity at around 15 years of age, but are now believed to take far longer; male great white sharks reach sexual maturity at age 26, while females take 33 years to reach sexual maturity.[9][75][76] Maximum life span was originally believed to be more than 30 years, but a study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution placed it at upwards of 70 years. Examinations of vertebral growth ring count gave a maximum male age of 73 years and a maximum female age of 40 years for the specimens studied. The shark's late sexual maturity, low reproductive rate and slow growth make it vulnerable to pressures such as overfishing and environmental change.[8] Little is known about the great white shark's mating habits. It is possible that whale carcasses are an important location for sexually mature sharks to meet for mating.[71] Birth has never been observed, but pregnant females have been examined. Great white sharks are ovoviviparous, which means eggs develop and hatch in the uterus and continue to develop until birth.[77] The great white has an 11-month gestation period. The shark pup's powerful jaws begin to develop in the first month. The unborn sharks participate in oophagy, in which they feed on ova produced by the mother. Delivery is in spring and summer.[78] The Northern Pacific population of great whites is suspected to breed off of the Sea of Cortez, as evidenced by local fisherman who have said to have caught them and evidenced by teeth found at dump sites for discarded parts from their catches.
	Great white sharks can detect one drop of blood in 25 gallons (100 liters) or water and they can sense even a little blood up to 3 miles (5 km) away, according to National Geographic,. They use their acute sense of smell to detect blood using an organ called the olfactory bulb. The great white's light body color helps it blend in to the coastal waters it inhabits. These sharks are very quick swimmers: They can swim at speeds of up to 15 mph (24 km/h), according to National Geographic. Sharks have a tongue made of cartilage called a basihyal; they use it to sample prey, to see if it is a good idea to eat it or not. In contrast to most fish, which tend to be cold-blooded, the great white shark is warm-blooded, so it can regulate its own body temperature, thus allowing it to adapt to different water temperatures, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_shark