Adaptations
A streamlined body and crescent-shaped tail support sustained swimming, while regional endothermy improves muscle and sensory performance in cool water. Electroreception, acute smell, vision, and rows of replaceable serrated teeth help locate and process varied prey.
Behavior and daily life
Individuals patrol broad areas and may gather seasonally where prey is concentrated. Young sharks feed more heavily on fish and rays; larger animals can take marine mammals, but diet and hunting behavior vary with size, region, and opportunity.
Conservation
Current profile labelVulnerable
Slow growth, late maturity, small litters, accidental capture, and deliberate killing limit recovery. Legal protection applies in several countries, yet reliable population trends remain difficult to estimate across a species that crosses national waters.
Great white sharks can keep parts of the body warmer than surrounding seawater through a countercurrent heat-exchange system in their muscles.
