Editing Great white shark (section)

== Anatomy and appearance ==
{{multiple image |align=left |direction=vertical |width=
 |image1=Carcharodon carcharias upper teeth.jpg |caption1=Upper teeth
 |image2=Carcharodon carcharias lower teeth.jpg |caption2=Lower teeth
}}
[[File:Carcharodon carcharias skeleton.jpg|thumb|Great white shark's skeleton]]
The great white shark has a robust, large, conical snout. The upper and lower [[Lobe (anatomy)|lobes]] on the tail fin are approximately the same size which is similar to some [[mackerel shark]]s. A great white displays [[countershading]], by having a white underside and a grey dorsal area (sometimes in a brown or blue shade) that gives an overall mottled appearance. The coloration makes it difficult for prey to spot the shark because it breaks up the shark's outline when seen from the side. From above, the darker shade blends with the sea and from below it exposes a minimal silhouette against the sunlight.
[[File:Albino Great white shark pup South Africa 2.jpg|thumb|Albino pup caught in 1996 off the coast of [[Boknesstrand]] in the Eastern Cape, South Africa]]
[[Leucism]] is extremely rare in this species, but has been documented at least three times; in a pup that washed ashore in Australia and died,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.earthtouchnews.com/oceans/sharks/confirmed-albino-great-white-shark-washes-up-in-australia |title=Confirmed: 'Albino' great white shark washes up in Australia &#124; Sharks &#124; Earth Touch News |website=Earth Touch News Network |date=17 August 2023 |access-date=14 August 2018 |archive-date=15 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180815024149/https://www.earthtouchnews.com/oceans/sharks/confirmed-albino-great-white-shark-washes-up-in-australia/ |url-status=live}}</ref> in another pup in South Africa,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iconic specimen: A fish of a life time |url=https://saiab.ac.za/saiabnews/iconic-specimen:-a-fish-of-a-life-time.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320190929/https://saiab.ac.za/saiabnews/iconic-specimen:-a-fish-of-a-life-time.htm |archive-date=20 March 2022 |website=[[South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity]]}}</ref> and a third six-metre adult male in Indonesia.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fahmi |last2=Dharmadi |date=1 January 2014 |title=First confirmed record of the white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Lamniformes: Lamnidae) from Indonesia |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/marine-biodiversity-records/article/abs/first-confirmed-record-of-the-white-shark-carcharodon-carcharias-lamniformes-lamnidae-from-indonesia/AC95B24797A772FBD692778DDA47E6AD |journal=Marine Biodiversity Records |language=en |volume=7 |pages=e53 |doi=10.1017/S1755267214000414 |doi-broken-date=1 November 2024 |bibcode=2014MBdR....7E..53F |issn=1755-2672 |access-date=9 January 2024 |archive-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109070941/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/marine-biodiversity-records/article/abs/first-confirmed-record-of-the-white-shark-carcharodon-carcharias-lamniformes-lamnidae-from-indonesia/AC95B24797A772FBD692778DDA47E6AD |url-status=live}}</ref> Great white sharks, like many other sharks, have rows of [[Shark tooth|serrated teeth]] behind the main ones, ready to replace any that break off. When the shark bites, it shakes its head side-to-side, helping the teeth saw off large chunks of flesh.<ref name="marinbioGW">{{cite web |title=Great White Sharks, ''Carcharodon carcharias'' |url=http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=38 |publisher=Marine Bio |access-date=20 August 2012 |archive-date=5 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505222736/https://www.marinebio.org/wp-content/plugins/akismet/_inc/akismet-frontend.js?ver=1710994783 |url-status=live}}</ref> Great white sharks, like other mackerel sharks, have larger eyes than other shark species in proportion to their body size. The iris of the eye is a deep blue instead of black.<ref name="atlGWcons">{{cite web |title=Great White Sharks Have Blue Eyes |url=https://atlanticwhiteshark.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/great-white-sharks-have-blue-eyes |publisher=The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy |access-date=2 July 2018 |archive-date=2 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702233505/https://atlanticwhiteshark.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/great-white-sharks-have-blue-eyes/ |url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Size ===
[[File:WRGW.jpg|thumb|right|Specimen caught off Cuba in 1945 which was allegedly {{cvt|6.4|m|ft}} long and weighed an estimated {{cvt|3175|-|3324|kg}}.<ref name=Remember>{{cite web |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/A_Shark_to_Remember.htm |title=A Shark to Remember: The Story of a Great White Caught in 1945 |author=Echenique, E. J. |access-date=22 January 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427064904/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/A_Shark_to_Remember.htm |archive-date=27 April 2012}} Home Page of Henry F. Mollet, Research Affiliate, [[Moss Landing Marine Laboratories]].</ref><ref name="Tricas_1984" /> Later studies proved this specimen to be in the normal size range, at around {{cvt|4.9|m|ft}} in length.<ref name="LGWS" />]]

In great white sharks, [[sexual dimorphism]] is present, and females are generally larger than males. Male great whites on average measure {{cvt|11|to|13|ft|m|order=flip}} in length, while females measure {{cvt|15|to|16|ft|m|order=flip}}.<ref name=Smithsonian /> Adults of this species weigh {{cvt|522|-|771|kg}} on average;<ref name="Wood" /> however, mature females can have an average mass of {{cvt|680|-|1110|kg}}.<ref name="LGWS" /> The largest females have been verified up to {{cvt|6.1|m|ft}} in length and an estimated {{cvt|1905|kg}} in weight,<ref name="LGWS" /> perhaps up to {{cvt|2268|kg}}.<ref name=GWO>{{cite web |url=http://greatwhite.org/frame_facts.htm |title=Just the Facts Please |publisher=GreatWhite.org |access-date=3 June 2016 |archive-date=14 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114003756/http://greatwhite.org/frame_facts.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The maximum size is subject to debate because some reports are rough estimations or speculations performed under questionable circumstances.<ref name="EllisMcCosker">[[Richard Ellis (biologist)|Ellis, Richard]] and John E. McCosker. 1995. ''Great White Shark''. Stanford University Press, {{ISBN|0-8047-2529-2}}</ref> Among living [[Chondrichthyes|cartilaginous fish]], only the [[whale shark]] (''Rhincodon typus''), the [[basking shark]] (''Cetorhinus maximus'') and the [[giant manta ray]] (''Manta birostris''), in that order, are on average larger and heavier. These three species are generally quite docile in disposition and given to passively [[Filter feeder|filter-feeding]] on very small organisms.<ref name="Wood">{{cite book |author=Wood, Gerald |title=The Guinness Book of Animal Facts and Feats |year=1983 |publisher=Guinness Superlatives |isbn=978-0-85112-235-9 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofan00wood}}</ref> This makes the great white shark the largest extant macropredatory fish. Great white sharks measure approximately {{cvt|1.2|m|ft}} when born, and grow about {{cvt|25|cm}} every year.<ref>{{cite web |title=ADW: ''Carcharodon carcharias'': Information |url=http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Carcharodon_carcharias/#reproduction |publisher=Animal Diversity Web |access-date=16 May 2016 |archive-date=10 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160710065734/http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Carcharodon_carcharias/#reproduction |url-status=live}}</ref>

A complete female great white shark specimen in the Museum of Zoology in Lausanne, and claimed by De Maddalena ''et al.'' (2003) as the largest preserved specimen, measured {{cvt|5.83|m|ft}} in total body length with the caudal fin in its depressed position, and is estimated to have weighed {{cvt|2000|kg|lb|-1}}.<ref name=DMGO03>{{cite journal |author1=De Maddalena, A. |author2=Glaizot, O. |author3=Oliver, G. |year=2003 |title=On the Great White Shark, ''Carcharodon carcharias'' (Linnaeus, 1758), preserved in the Museum of Zoology in Lausanne |journal=Marine Life |volume=13 |issue=1–2 |pages=53–59 |s2cid=163636286}}</ref> According to J.&nbsp;E. Randall, the largest white shark reliably measured was a {{cvt|19.5|ft|m|2|abbr=on|order=flip}} specimen reported from [[Ledge Point, Western Australia]] in 1987,<ref name="SAWP" /> but it is unclear whether that length was measured with the caudal fin in its depressed or natural position.<ref name=DMGO03 /> Another great white specimen of similar size was a female caught in August 1988 in the [[Gulf of St.&nbsp;Lawrence]], off Prince Edward Island, by David McKendrick of [[Alberton, Prince Edward Island|Alberton]], [[Prince Edward Island]]. This female great white was {{cvt|6.1|m|ft}} long, as verified by the Canadian Shark Research Center.<ref name="LGWS" />

A report of a specimen reportedly measuring {{cvt|6.4|m|ft}} in length and with a body mass estimated at {{cvt|3175|-|3324|kg}}<ref name=Remember /><ref name="Tricas_1984" /><ref name="GWB" /> caught in 1945 off the coast of Cuba was at the time considered reliable by some experts.<ref name="Tricas_1984">{{cite journal |last=Tricas |first=T. C. |author2=McCosker, J. E. |title=Predatory behaviour of the white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), with notes on its biology |journal=Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences |volume=43 |issue=14 |pages=221–238 |publisher=[[California Academy of Sciences]] |date=12 July 1984 |url=https://archive.org/details/cbarchive_109514_predatorybehaviourofthewhitesh1982 |access-date=22 January 2013}}</ref><ref name=Taylor>{{cite book |author=Taylor, Leighton R. |title=Sharks of Hawaii: Their Biology and Cultural Significance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aKwBKmwy7EEC |date=1 January 1993 |publisher=University of Hawaii Press |isbn=978-0-8248-1562-2 |page=65 |access-date=15 October 2016 |archive-date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230703105726/https://books.google.com/books?id=aKwBKmwy7EEC |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="GWB">{{cite journal |last=Wroe |first=S. |author2=Huber, D. R. |author3=Lowry, M. |author4=McHenry, C. |author5=Moreno, K. |author6=Clausen, P. |author7=Ferrara, T. L. |author8=Cunningham, E. |author9=Dean, M. N. |author10=Summers, A. P. |title=Three-dimensional computer analysis of white shark jaw mechanics: how hard can a great white bite? |url=https://faculty.washington.edu/fishguy/Resources/Research_PDFs/2008-great-white-shark-jaw-bite.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110331205144/http://faculty.washington.edu/fishguy/Resources/Research_PDFs/2008-great-white-shark-jaw-bite.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2011 |url-status=live |volume=276 |issue=4 |pages=336–342 |year=2008 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.2008.00494.x |journal=Journal of Zoology}}</ref><ref name="NG">{{cite magazine |title=Great White Shark |url=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611045541/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 June 2007 |magazine=National Geographic|access-date=24 July 2010}}</ref> However, later studies revealed this particular specimen to be around {{cvt|4.9|m|ft}} in length, ''i.e.'' a specimen within the typical maximum size range.<ref name="LGWS" />

The largest great white recognized by the [[International Game Fish Association]] (IGFA) is one caught by Alf Dean in [[southern Australia]]n waters in 1959, weighing {{cvt|1208|kg}}.<ref name="EllisMcCosker" />

==== Examples of large unconfirmed great whites ====
A number of very large unconfirmed great white shark specimens have been recorded.<ref name=Mollet>{{citation |last=Mollet |first=H. F. |year=2008 |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Cc_list.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531074111/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Cc_list.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 May 2012 |title=White Shark Summary ''Carcharodon carcharias'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |publisher=Home Page of Henry F. Mollet, Research Affiliate, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories}}</ref> For decades, many [[Ichthyology|ichthyological]] works, as well as the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'', listed two great white sharks as the largest individuals: In the 1870s, a {{cvt|10.9|m|ft}} great white captured in [[southern Australia]]n waters, near [[Port Fairy, Victoria|Port Fairy]], and an {{cvt|11.3|m|ft}} shark trapped in a [[herring]] [[Fishing weir|weir]] in [[New Brunswick]], [[Canada]], in the 1930s. However, these measurements were not obtained in a rigorous, scientifically valid manner, and researchers have questioned the reliability of these measurements for a long time, noting they were much larger than any other accurately reported sighting. Later studies proved these doubts to be well-founded. This New Brunswick shark may have been a misidentified [[basking shark]], as the two have similar body shapes. The question of the Port Fairy shark was settled in the 1970s when J.&nbsp;E. Randall examined the shark's jaws and <!--The following quote is taken verbatim from the source; please DO NOT change the wording or spelling. Thanks-->"found that the Port Fairy shark was of the order of {{cvt|5|m|ft}} in length and suggested that a mistake had been made in the original record, in 1870, of the shark's length".<ref name="SAWP">{{cite journal |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Mike_Cappo.html |title=Size and age of the white pointer shark, ''Carcharodon carcharias'' (Linnaeus) |author=Cappo, Michael |journal=SAFISH |year=1988 |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=11–13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070106083235/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Mike_Cappo.html |archive-date=6 January 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Great white shark caught in Seven Star Lake in 1997.jpg|thumb|left|Great white shark caught off [[Hualien County]], [[Taiwan]], on 14 May 1997: It was reportedly (unconfirmed) almost {{cvt|7|m|ft}} in length with a mass of {{cvt|2500|kg}}.<ref name=Mollet />|alt=Photo of large shark on shore surrounded by people]]

While these measurements have not been confirmed, some great white sharks caught in modern times have been estimated to be more than {{cvt|7|m|ft}} long,<ref name="GWS">{{cite book |last1=Klimley |first1=Peter |last2=Ainley |first2=David |title=Great White Sharks: The Biology of ''Carcharodon carcharias'' |publisher=Academic Press |year=1996 |pages=91–108 |isbn=978-0-12-415031-7}}</ref> but these claims have received some criticism.<ref name="EllisMcCosker" /><ref name="GWS" /> However, J.&nbsp;E. Randall believed that great white shark may have exceeded {{cvt|6.1|m|ft}} in length.<ref name="SAWP" /> A great white shark was captured near [[Kangaroo Island]] in [[Australia]] on 1 April 1987. This shark was estimated to be more than {{cvt|6.9|m|ft}} long by Peter Resiley,<ref name="SAWP" /><ref>{{cite journal |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Ken_Jury.html |title=Huge 'White Pointer' Encounter |journal=SAFISH |year=1987 |volume=2 |issue=3 |pages=12–13 |author=Jury, Ken |url-status=dead  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417184342/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Cc/Ken_Jury.html |archive-date=17 April 2012}}</ref> and has been designated as KANGA.<ref name="GWS" /> Another great white shark was caught in [[Malta]] by Alfredo Cutajar on 16 April 1987. This shark was also estimated to be around {{cvt|7.13|m|ft}} long by John Abela and has been designated as MALTA.<ref name="GWS" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.thesharkfiles.com/ep10-a-bathing-accident-transcript |title=Ep. 10. A Bathing Accident – Transcript |website=Shark Files |access-date=9 April 2022 |archive-date=31 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221031133515/https://www.thesharkfiles.com/ep10-a-bathing-accident-transcript |url-status=live}}</ref> However, Cappo drew criticism because he used shark size estimation methods proposed by J.&nbsp;E. Randall to suggest that the KANGA specimen was {{cvt|5.8|-|6.4|m|ft}} long.<ref name="GWS" /> In a similar fashion, I.&nbsp;K. Fergusson also used shark size estimation methods proposed by J.&nbsp;E. Randall to suggest that the MALTA specimen was {{cvt|5.3|-|5.7|m|ft}} long.<ref name="GWS" /> However, photographic evidence suggested that these specimens were larger than the size estimations yielded through Randall's methods.<ref name="GWS" /> Thus, a team of scientists—H.&nbsp;F. Mollet, G.&nbsp;M. Cailliet, A.&nbsp;P. Klimley, D.&nbsp;A. Ebert, A.&nbsp;D. Testi, and [[Leonard Compagno|L.&nbsp;J.&nbsp;V. Compagno]]—reviewed the cases of the KANGA and MALTA specimens in 1996 to resolve the dispute by conducting a comprehensive [[morphometric]] analysis of the remains of these sharks and re-examination of photographic evidence in an attempt to validate the original size estimations and their findings were consistent with them. The findings indicated that estimations by P.&nbsp;Resiley and J.&nbsp;Abela are reasonable and could not be ruled out.<ref name="GWS" /> A particularly large female great white nicknamed "Deep Blue", estimated measuring at {{cvt|20|ft|m|order=flip}} was filmed off Guadalupe during shooting for the 2014 episode of ''[[Shark Week]]'' "Jaws Strikes Back". Deep Blue would also later gain significant attention when she was filmed interacting with researcher Mauricio Hoyas Pallida in a viral video that Mauricio posted on [[Facebook]] on 11 June 2015.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/shark-feed/learn-more-about-deep-blue-one-of-the-biggest-great-white-sharks-ever-filmed/ |title=Learn More About Deep Blue, One of the Biggest Great White Sharks Ever Filmed |work=Discovery |access-date=11 June 2015 |archive-date=12 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150612052046/http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/shark-week/shark-feed/learn-more-about-deep-blue-one-of-the-biggest-great-white-sharks-ever-filmed/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Deep Blue was later seen off Oahu in January 2019 while scavenging a sperm whale carcass, whereupon she was filmed swimming beside divers including dive tourism operator and model [[Ocean Ramsey]] in open water.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/01/16/massive-shark-known-deep-blue-was-seen-cruising-hawaii-waters/ |title=Biggest great white shark on record seen in Hawaii waters |first=H. N. N. |last=Staff |newspaper=Hawaii News |access-date=31 October 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230726151053/https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2019/01/16/massive-shark-known-deep-blue-was-seen-cruising-hawaii-waters/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/science/shark-shocker-massive-20-foot-great-white-known-as-deep-blue-spotted-near-hawaii |title=Great white shark, called 'Deep Blue,' spotted near Hawaii |first=Chris |last=Ciaccia |date=16 January 2019 |website=Fox News |access-date=16 January 2019 |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116172758/https://www.foxnews.com/science/shark-shocker-massive-20-foot-great-white-known-as-deep-blue-spotted-near-hawaii |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/deep-blue-perhaps-the-largest-known-great-white-shark-spotted-off-hawaii |title=Deep Blue, perhaps the largest known great white shark, spotted off Hawaii |date=16 January 2019 |access-date=16 January 2019 |archive-date=17 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117013430/https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/deep-blue-perhaps-the-largest-known-great-white-shark-spotted-off-hawaii |url-status=live}}</ref> A particularly infamous great white shark, supposedly of record proportions, once patrolled the area that comprises [[False Bay]], South Africa, was said to be well over {{cvt|7|m|ft}} during the early 1980s. This shark, known locally as the "Submarine", had a legendary reputation that was supposedly well-founded. Though rumours have stated this shark was exaggerated in size or non-existent altogether, witness accounts by the then young Craig Anthony Ferreira, a notable shark expert in South Africa, and his father indicate an unusually large animal of considerable size and power (though it remains uncertain just how massive the shark was as it escaped capture each time it was hooked). Ferreira describes the four encounters with the giant shark he participated in with great detail in his book ''Great White Sharks On Their Best Behavior''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Ferreira |first=Craig |year=2011 |title=Great White Sharks On Their Best Behavior}}</ref>

One contender in maximum size among the predatory sharks is the [[tiger shark]] (''Galeocerdo cuvier''). While tiger sharks, which are typically both a few feet smaller and have a leaner, less heavy body structure than white sharks, have been confirmed to reach at least {{cvt|5.5|m|ft}} in the length, an unverified specimen was reported to have measured {{cvt|7.4|m|ft}} in length and weighed {{cvt|3110|kg}}, more than two times heavier than the largest confirmed specimen at {{cvt|1524|kg}}.<ref name="Wood" /><ref name=FroesePauly>{{FishBase|genus=Galeocerdo|species=cuvier|year=2011|month=July}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Gc/Gc_large.html |title=Summary of Large Tiger Sharks ''Galeocerdo cuvier'' (Peron & LeSueur, 1822) |access-date=3 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410200248/http://homepage.mac.com/mollet/Gc/Gc_large.html |archive-date=10 April 2012}}</ref> Some other macropredatory sharks such as the [[Greenland shark]] (''Somniosus microcephalus'') and the [[Pacific sleeper shark]] (''S. pacificus'') are also reported to rival these sharks in length (but probably weigh a bit less since they are more slender in build than a great white) in exceptional cases.<ref>{{cite web |last=Eagle |first=Dane |title=Greenland Shark |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/GreenlandShark/GreenlandShark.html |work=Florida Museum of Natural History|access-date=1 September 2012|archive-date=21 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321092816/http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/greenlandshark/greenlandshark.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Martin |first=R. Aidan |title=Pacific Sleeper Shark |url=http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/deepsea-pacific_sleeper.htm |work=ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research |publisher=Biology of Sharks and Rays|access-date=1 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420170134/http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/deepsea-pacific_sleeper.htm |archive-date=20 April 2013}}</ref>

==== Reported sizes ====
{|class="wikitable sortable collapsible collapsed"
! Date !! Location !! Reported length !! Reported weight !! DUJP !! Reported tooth size !! Scientifically analysed length !! Comments
|-
|22 May 1989
|Ledge Point, Western Australia
|594.4&nbsp;cm
|2,052.27&nbsp;kg
|1,300&nbsp;mm
|51&nbsp;mm
|594.4&nbsp;cm
|Largest confirmed specimen per [[John. E. Randall]]<ref name="auto2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.deviantart.com/paleonerd01/journal/Largest-Great-White-Shark-Specimens-830623208 |title=Largest Great White Shark Specimens by Paleonerd01 on DeviantArt |website=www.deviantart.com |date=16 February 2020 |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308101311/https://www.deviantart.com/paleonerd01/journal/Largest-Great-White-Shark-Specimens-830623208 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-

|-
|November 2001
|East Sea, China
|602.0&nbsp;cm
|2,460.00&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|602.0&nbsp;cm
|Verified by marine biologist [[Heather M Christianson]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal |title=The Last Frontier: Catch Records of White Sharks (''Carcharodon carcharias'') in the Northwest Pacific Ocean |first1=Heather M. |last1=Christiansen |first2=Victor |last2=Lin |first3=Sho |last3=Tanaka |first4=Anatoly |last4=Velikanov |first5=Henry F. |last5=Mollet |first6=Sabine P. |last6=Wintner |first7=Sonja V. |last7=Fordham |first8=Aaron T. |last8=Fisk |first9=Nigel E. |last9=Hussey |date=16 April 2014 |journal=PLOS ONE |volume=9 |issue=4 |pages=e94407 |doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0094407 |pmid=24740299 |pmc=3989224 |bibcode=2014PLoSO...994407C|doi-access=free}}</ref>
|-

|-
|17 April 1952
|Streaky Bay, Australia
|609.6&nbsp;cm
|1,360.77&nbsp;kg
|Not available
|Not available
|Not available
|Enormous white shark periodically hooked by several fisherman; hooked by [[Alf Dean]] but broke the line. Estimated to be easily 20 feet in length.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93870217 |title='Barnacle Lil' Still Terror Of West Coast Deep |location=[[Streaky Bay]] |date=17 April 1952 |work=[[The Chronicle (South Australia)|The Chronicle]] |via=[[Trove]] |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=7 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207154336/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/93870217 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-

|-
|4 August 1983
|Prince Edward Island, Canada
|609.6&nbsp;cm
|2,213.78&nbsp;kg
|1,430&nbsp;mm
|47.5&nbsp;mm
|609.6&nbsp;cm
|Verified by marine biologist [[Gordon Hubbell]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.elasmollet.org/Cc/Cc_list.html |title=White Shark Summary ''Carcharodon carcharias'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |website=www.elasmollet.org |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=27 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127002758/http://elasmollet.org/Cc/Cc_list.html |url-status=usurped}}</ref>
|-

|-
|13 October 1956
|Maguelone, France
|589.0&nbsp;cm
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Girth estimated at 400&nbsp;cm<ref name="Mediterranean Great White Sharks: A Comprehensive Study Including All Recorded Sightings">{{cite book |author=Alessandro De Maddalena & Walter Heim |title=Mediterranean Great White Sharks: A Comprehensive Study Including All Recorded Sightings |publisher=McFarland |year=2015 |isbn=978-0-7864-8815-5}}</ref>

|-
|16 June 1996
|Malindi, Kenya
|640.0&nbsp;cm
|2,200.00&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|570.0&nbsp;cm
|Shark cut apart before it could be photographed and weighed in total
|-

|-
|May 1945
|Cojimar, Cuba
|640.8&nbsp;cm
|3,220.5&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|44&nbsp;mm
|633.13&nbsp;cm
|Estimated by John Randall to be 494.37&nbsp;cm in length, revised upwards per analysis by Maddalena<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277713896 |title=On the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758), preserved in the Museum of Zoology in Lausanne. |website=ResearchGate}}</ref>
|-

|-
|14 May 1997
|Hualien Country, Taiwan
|670.0&nbsp;cm
|2,500&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Only photo utilizes [[forced perspective]], likely measurement was lower<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web |url=https://ourplnt.com/largest-great-white-sharks-ever-recorded/ |title=Largest great white sharks ever recorded |first=M. Özgür |last=Nevres |date=6 October 2018 |website=Our Planet |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=15 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515031249/https://ourplnt.com/largest-great-white-sharks-ever-recorded/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto" />
|-

|-
|1 April 1987
|Kangaroo Island, South Australia
|700.0&nbsp;cm
|2,500&nbsp;kg
|1,250&nbsp;mm
|Not listed
|600&nbsp;cm
|Original length of 700&nbsp;cm cannot be disregarded<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268631835 |title=An analysis of photographic evidences of the largest great white sharks (''Carcharodon carcharias''), Linnaeus 1758, captures in the Mediterranean sea with considerations about the maximum size of the species. |website=ResearchGate |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=5 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240505222833/https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268631835_An_analysis_of_photographic_evidences_of_the_largest_great_white_sharks_Carcharodon_carcharias_Linnaeus_1758_captures_in_the_Mediterranean_sea_with_considerations_about_the_maximum_size_of_the_species |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-

|-
|17 April 1987
|Filfla, Malta
|714.0&nbsp;cm
|2,880&nbsp;kg
|1,120&nbsp;mm
|46.9&nbsp;mm
|668&nbsp;cm – 681&nbsp;cm
|Original reported length of 714&nbsp;cm is possible<ref name="auto1" /><ref name="auto" />
|-

|-
|May 1978
|Azores
|900.0&nbsp;cm
|4,546&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|76.0&nbsp;mm
|610&nbsp;cm
|Photos examined by John Randall<ref name="auto2" />
|-

|-
|Undetermined
|False Bay, South Africa
|1,310.64&nbsp;cm
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Referred to by [[Lawrence G. Green]] in book<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sharkalley.blogspot.com/2013/07/le-tres-grand-requin-blanc.html |title=Squalus Carcharias: Le TRÈS Grand Requin Blanc ! |date=29 July 2013 |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=10 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910115552/http://sharkalley.blogspot.com/2013/07/le-tres-grand-requin-blanc.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-

|-
|5 June 1975
|Long Island, NY
|914.14&nbsp;cm
|Not listed
|762.00&nbsp;mm
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Sited by charter captain Paul Sundberg. Harpooned but broke away, left a 30&nbsp;in lower bite mark in the bottom of his boat<ref name="Guinness Book of World Records Animal Facts and Feats">{{cite book |author=[[Gerald L Wood]] |title=Guinness Book of World Records Animal Facts and Feats |publisher=Sterling Pub Co., Inc |year=1982 |isbn=978-0-85112-235-9}}</ref>
|-

|-
|June 1978
|Montauk Point
|762.00&nbsp;cm
|1,360.78&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Not listed
|Harpooned by charter captain John Sweetman, towed boat 30 miles before breaking free. Also spotted by charter captain Paul Sundberg and confirmed visually as a great white.<ref name="Guinness Book of World Records Animal Facts and Feats" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Molotsky |first=Irvin M |date=24 June 1978 |title=Harpooned Shark Pulls Fishing Boat 14 Hours Off L.I. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/24/archives/harpooned-shark-pulls-fishing-boat-14-hours-off-li.html?pagewanted=all |newspaper=[[New York Times]] |access-date=18 May 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308141515/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/06/24/archives/harpooned-shark-pulls-fishing-boat-14-hours-off-li.html?pagewanted=all |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-

|-
|March 2008
|Sandun, China, March 2008
|1,000.00&nbsp;cm
|2,267.96&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|614.5
|Weight considered far too low for shark of that length, would have been 9,772.37&nbsp;kg if size was accurate<ref name="auto2" />
|-

|-
|17 January 2019
|Hawaii
|609.6&nbsp;cm
|2,267.96&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|609.6&nbsp;cm
|Deep Blue was spotted off of Mexico in 2013, and again off of Hawaii in 2019<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://sharkdivingxperts.com/white-shark-profiles/deep-blue/ |title=Deep Blue |date=19 March 2017 |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=29 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929175401/http://sharkdivingxperts.com/white-shark-profiles/deep-blue/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/rare-footage-three-female-great-white-sharks/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720080121/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/rare-footage-three-female-great-white-sharks/|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 July 2019 |title=One of biggest great white sharks seen feasting on sperm whale in rare video |date=19 July 2019 |website=Animals}}</ref>
|-

|-
|June 1930
|Grand Mahan
|1,127.76&nbsp;cm
|2,267.96&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|Not listed
|517.6&nbsp;cm – 812.5&nbsp;cm
|John Randall estimated 517&nbsp;cm based on a 28&nbsp;mm tooth; scaling size based on quantity of reported liver oil yielded gives larger estimate<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/mar2197.html |title=The Big One, a Great White story from Grand Manan |website=new-brunswick.net |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228174729/http://new-brunswick.net/new-brunswick/sharks/mar2197.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |url=https://dalspace.library.dal.ca//handle/10222/13430 |title=The marine fishes of Nova Scotia |first1=Vadim D. (Vadim Dmitrij) |last1=Vladykov |first2=Ross A. |last2=McKenzie |journal=Proceedings of the Nova Scotian Institute of Science |date=17 May 1935 |via=dalspace.library.dal.ca |access-date=17 May 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308060027/https://dalspace.library.dal.ca//handle/10222/13430 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-

|-
|6 November 1987
|Cowes, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
|633&nbsp;cm
|2,306.52&nbsp;kg
|Not listed
|50.8&nbsp;mm
|633&nbsp;cm
|Stomach contained an entire seal. Teeth were 2 inches long.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5de05a3621ea671e1878dff6 |title=Photograph, Shark at Cowes, 1987 |website=Victorian Collections, Phillip Island and District Historical Society |access-date=3 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412041319/https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5de05a3621ea671e1878dff6 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/92/67/b692677668b60cb58283673174f6035c.jpg |title=Photo of dead shark |access-date=3 April 2021 |archive-date=13 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413135742/https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/92/67/b692677668b60cb58283673174f6035c.jpg |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|}

=== Adaptations ===
[[File:Great white shark 1001.jpg|thumb|A great white shark swimming|alt=Photo of shark swimming at water surface]]
Great white sharks, like all other sharks, have an extra sense given by the [[ampullae of Lorenzini]] which enables them to detect the electromagnetic field emitted by the movement of living animals. Great whites are so sensitive they can detect variations of half a billionth of a [[volt]]. At close range, this allows the shark to locate even immobile animals by detecting their heartbeat.<ref name="King_2015">{{cite journal |vauthors=King B, Hu Y, Long JA |title=Electroreception in early vertebrates: survey, evidence and new information. |journal=Palaeontology |date=May 2018 |volume=61 |issue=3 |pages=325–58 |doi=10.1111/pala.12346 |url=https://phys.org/news/2018-02-sharks-animals-evolved-electroreception-theirprey.html |doi-access=free |bibcode=2018Palgy..61..325K |access-date=21 March 2022 |archive-date=21 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321073820/https://phys.org/news/2018-02-sharks-animals-evolved-electroreception-theirprey.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Most fish have a less-developed but similar sense using their body's [[lateral line]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The physiology of the ampullae of Lorenzini in sharks |url=http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2005/DiLuzio/index.htm |work=Biology Dept., Davidson College |publisher=Biology @ Davidson|access-date=20 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124035534/http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/midorcas/animalphysiology/websites/2005/DiLuzio/index.htm|archive-date=24 November 2010}}</ref>

[[File:White shark1.jpg|thumb|Shark biting into the fish head teaser bait next to a cage in [[False Bay]], South Africa]]

To more successfully hunt fast and agile prey such as sea lions, the great white has adapted to maintain a body temperature warmer than the surrounding water. One of these adaptations is a "[[rete mirabile]]" (Latin for "wonderful net"). This close web-like structure of veins and arteries, located along each lateral side of the shark, conserves heat by warming the cooler arterial blood with the venous blood that has been warmed by the working muscles. This keeps certain parts of the body (particularly the stomach) at temperatures up to {{cvt|14|C-change|F-change}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Martin |first=R. Aidan |url=http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/p_body_temp.htm |title=Body Temperature of the Great white and Other Lamnoid Sharks |publisher=ReefQuest Centre for Shark research |access-date=16 October 2010 |archive-date=11 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181011104829/http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/white_shark/p_body_temp.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> above that of the surrounding water, while the heart and gills remain at sea temperature. When conserving energy, the core body temperature can drop to match the surroundings. A great white shark's success in raising its [[core temperature]] is an example of [[gigantothermy]]. Therefore, the great white shark can be considered an [[endotherm]]ic [[poikilotherm]] or [[mesotherm]] because its body temperature is not constant but is internally regulated.<ref name="marinbioGW" /><ref name=flmnhgallery>[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Whiteshark/whiteshark.html White Shark Biological Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130127134004/http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/whiteshark/whiteshark.html |date=27 January 2013 }} from the Florida Museum of Natural History</ref> Great whites also rely on the fat and oils stored within their livers for long-distance migrations across nutrient-poor areas of the oceans.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0718/Great-white-shark-packs-its-lunch-in-its-liver-before-a-big-trip |title=Great white shark packs its lunch in its liver before a big trip |author=Barber, Elizabeth |work=The Christian Science Monitor |date=18 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802083958/http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0718/Great-white-shark-packs-its-lunch-in-its-liver-before-a-big-trip |archive-date=2 August 2013}}</ref> Studies by Stanford University and the Monterey Bay Aquarium published on 17 July 2013 revealed that in addition to controlling the sharks' buoyancy, the liver of great whites is essential in migration patterns. Sharks that sink faster during drift dives were revealed to use up their internal stores of energy quicker than those which sink in a dive at more leisurely rates.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717134923.htm |title=Great White Sharks' Fuel for Oceanic Voyages: Liver Oil |date=17 July 2013 |author=Jordan, Rob |publisher=Stanford University |website=sciencedaily.com |access-date=9 March 2018 |archive-date=9 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809215318/https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130717134923.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>

Toxicity from heavy metals seems to have little negative effects on great white sharks. Blood samples taken from forty-three individuals of varying size, age and sex off the South African coast led by biologists from the University of Miami in 2012 indicates that despite high levels of mercury, lead, and arsenic, there was no sign of raised white blood cell count and granulate to lymphocyte ratios, indicating the sharks had healthy immune systems. This discovery suggests a previously unknown physiological defence against heavy metal poisoning. Great whites are known to have a propensity for "self-healing and avoiding age-related ailments".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/great-white-sharks-thrive-even-lead-arsenic-and-mercury-course-through-their-veins-180971871/ |title=Great White Sharks Thrive Despite Heavy Metals Coursing Through Their Veins |last=Solly |first=Meilan |date=3 April 2019 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630223613/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/great-white-sharks-thrive-even-lead-arsenic-and-mercury-course-through-their-veins-180971871/|archive-date=30 June 2019|url-status=live|access-date=30 June 2019}}</ref>

=== Bite force ===
A 2007 study from the [[University of New South Wales]] in [[Sydney]], [[Australia]], used [[CT scan]]s of a shark's skull and computer models to measure the shark's maximum bite force. The study reveals the forces and behaviours its skull is adapted to handle and resolves competing theories about its feeding behaviour.<ref>{{cite news |last=Medina |first=Samantha |title=Measuring the great white's bite |url=http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1499|access-date=1 September 2012 |newspaper=Cosmos Magazine |date=27 July 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505052636/http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/node/1499|archive-date=5 May 2012}}</ref> In 2008, a team of scientists led by Stephen Wroe conducted an experiment to determine the great white shark's jaw power and findings indicated that a specimen massing {{cvt|3324|kg}} could exert a bite force of {{convert|18216|N|lbf|lk=on}}.<ref name="GWB" />