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CAAB: 37010003

Species Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758)

White Shark, Great White Shark, Grey Death, Grey Pointer, White Death, White Pointer

 

Introduction

The White Shark (as Great White Shark) is listed as vulnerable nationally, and is vulnerable or protected in most states; the IUCN has listed the White Shark as vulnerable. Biological information on Australian populations is treated by Bruce (1992) and Bruce et al. (2006). In New South Wales and other southern states the White Shark is a Protected Species. Reports of a shark from Australia of 36.5 feet in length is in error; the actual maximum length of the species is believed to be closer to 6 m (Randall 1973).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia


Extra Distribution Information

Moreton Bay, QLD to North West Cape, WA, including TAS; temperate, circumglobal, basically antitropical, but ranges into tropics.


IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)

IMCRA

Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Lord Howe Province (14), Norfolk Island Province (21), Central Western Shelf Transition (28), Central Western Shelf Province (29), Southwest Shelf Transition (30), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Central Western Province (6), Southwest Transition (7), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Coastal, continental shelf, inshore, marine, pelagic.

Extra Ecological Information

Normally found inshore, but species is migratory and has been found over a wide depth range from 0-1300 m

 

General References

Bruce, B.D., Stevens, J.D. & Malcolm, H. 2006. Movements and swimming behaiour of white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) in Australian waters. Marine Biology 150: 161-172

Bruce, G.D. 1992. Preliminary observations on the biology of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in South Australian Waters. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 43: 1-11

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome : FAO Vol. 4(1) pp. 1-249. [239]

Compagno, L.J.V. 1998. Families Pseudocarchariidae, Alopiidae, Lamnidae. pp. 1268-1278 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 2 687-1396 pp. [1276]

Compagno, L.J.V. 2001. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). Rome : FAO, FAO Species Catalogue for Fisheries Purposes No. 1 Vol. 2 269 pp. [100]

Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2005. A Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. London : Collins 368 pp. [182]

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp. [37]

Hutchins, J.B. & Swainston, R. 1986. Sea Fishes of Southern Australia. Complete field guide for anglers and divers. Perth : Swainston Publishing 180 pp. [22, 120]

Klimley, A.P. & Ainley, D.G. (eds) 1996. Great White Sharks. The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. San Diego : Academic Press 517 pp.

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. [14]

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Canberra : CSIRO Australia 513 pp. 84 pls. [162]

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. [176]

Macbeth, W.G., Vandenberg, M. & Graham, K.J. 2008. Identifying Sharks and Rays; A guide to Commercial Fishers. Sydney : New South Wales Department of Primary Industry pp. 71. [42]

McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part I. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 1–144 [15]

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [3] (11)

Pepperell, J. 2010. Fishes of the Open Ocean a Natural History & Illustrated Guide. Sydney : University of New South Wales Press Ltd 266 pp. [173]

Randall, J.E. 1973. Size of the great white shark (Carcharodon). Science (Washington, D.C.) 181(4095): 169-170

Stevens, J.D. 1994. Family Lamnidae. pp. 141-143 figs 112-114 in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. Adelaide : State Printer 992 pp. 810 figs. [142]

White, W. 2008. Shark Families Heterodontidae to Pristiophoridae. pp. 32-100 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [40]

Whitley, G.P. 1940. The Fishes of Australia. Part 1. The sharks, rays, devil-fish, and other primitive fishes of Australia and New Zealand. Sydney : Roy. Zool. Soc. N.S.W. 280 pp. 303 figs. [125] (as Carcharodon albimors)

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [33] (85, as Carcharodon albimors)

Whitley, G.P. 1967. Sharks of the Australasian region. The Australian Zoologist 14(2): 173-188 fig. 1 pl. 4 [179] (as Carcharodon albimors)

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
16-Apr-2012 20-Aug-2013 MODIFIED
12-Feb-2010 (import)