WoRMS

(of Squalus carcharias Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors

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Type data

Type locality contained in Europe

type locality contained in Europe [details]

Descriptive notes

Description Possibly to 8 m, world's largest predator. Generally in the open ocean, but does swim into shallower waters. Most attacks...

Description Possibly to 8 m, world's largest predator. Generally in the open ocean, but does swim into shallower waters. Most attacks occurred in estuaries. Usually swims alone or in pairs but can be found in feeding aggregations. A versatile predator with a broad prey spectrum. Feeds on sturgeon and tunas, as well as sea lions and other large animals and fish (Ref. 9987). Presumably ovoviviparous. Reported by some experts to attack humans which they mistake for their normal prey of seals. Reported to cause poisoning (Ref. 4690). Meat is utilized fresh and smoked for human consumption, the skin for leather and the liver for oil (Ref. 9987). [details]

Distribution Newfoundland to Argentina

Distribution Newfoundland to Argentina [details]

Taxonomic citation

Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2026). FishBase. Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=105838 on 2026-08-02

Taxonomic edit history

Date

action

2004-12-21 15:54:05Z

created

van der Land, Jacob

2008-01-15 17:27:08Z

changed

Bailly, Nicolas

Licensing

The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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Nomenclature

original description (of Carcharodon albimors Whitley, 1939) Whitley, G. P. (1939). Taxonomic notes on sharks and rays. Australian Zoologist. v. 9 (pt 3): 227-262, Pls. 20-22. [details]

original description (of Carcharodon capensis Smith, 1839) Smith, A. (1838-1847). Pisces. In: Illustrations of the zoology of South Africa; consisting chiefly of figures and descriptions of the objects of natural history collected during an expedition into the interior of South Africa in 1834-36. v. 4: 77 unnumb. pp, accompanying Pls. 1-31. [Published in parts; see Barnard 1950 for dates of individual parts; fishes from 1838-1847.]. [details]

original description (of Carcharodon rondeletii Müller & Henle, 1839) Müller, J.; Henle, F. G. J. (1838-1841). Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Veit und Comp., Berlin. i-xxii + 1-200, 60 pls. [Pp. 1-28 published in 1838, reset pp. 27-28, 29-102 in 1839, i-xxii + 103-200 in 1841. Please note the different authors responsible for some species.]., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6352890#page/39/mode/1up [details]

original description (of Carcharodon smithi Bonaparte, 1838) Bonaparte, C. L. (1838). Selachorum tabula analytica. Nuovi annali delle scienze naturali e rendiconto dei lavori dell'Accademia della Scienze dell'Instituto di Bologna con appendice agraria. 2: 195-214., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/9327388#page/217/mode/1up [details]

original description (of Carcharias atwoodi Storer, 1848) Storer, D. H. (1848). [On a new species of Carcharias]. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History. 3(1848-1851): 71-72., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8870373#page/79/mode/1up [details]

original description (of Carcharias lamia Rafinesque, 1810) Rafinesque, C.S. (1810). Indice d'ittiologia siciliana; Indice d'ittiologia siciliana; ossia, catalogo metodico dei nomi latini, italiani, e siciliani dei pesci, che si rinvengono in Sicilia disposti secondo un metodo naturale e seguito da un appendice che contiene la descrizione de alcuni nuovi pesci sicilian. Messina. Pp 1-70, Pls. 1-2., available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/6340395 [details]

original description (of Carcharias maso Morris, 1898) Morris, E. F. (1898). Austral English, a dictionary of Australasian words, phrases and usages. London (Macmillan). xxiv + 515 pp., available online at https://archive.org/details/australenglishdi00morruoft/page/412/mode/2up [details]

original description (of Carcharodon smithii Agassiz, 1838) Agassiz, L. (1833-1843). Recherches sur les poissons fossiles. Neuchâtel, Switzerland, 5 vols. with atlas. , available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.4275 [details]

original description (of Carcharias verus Cloquet, 1817) Cloquet, H. (1816-30). Pisces accounts. In: Dictionnaire des sciences naturelles. Volumes 1-60. [Initials after accounts correspond to authors given in Vol. 1; fish accounts by Lacepède (L. L.), Duméril (C. D.), Daudin (F. M. D.) and Cloquet (H. C.)]. [Dates for volumes are given by Cassini 1834, Opuscles Phytologiques, p. 47.]. [details]

original description (of Carcharias vorax Owen, 1853) Owen, R. (1853). Descriptive catalogue of the osteological series contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Vol. 1. Pisces, Reptilia, Aves, Marsupialia. London. 350 pp. , available online at https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/19777065#page/7/mode/1up [details]

original description (of Squalus carcharias Linnaeus, 1758) Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. , available online at https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/726886 [details] Available for editors

[request]

original description (of Squalus lamia Blainville, 1825) Blainville, H. de. (1825). Vertébrés. Class V. Poissons. In: A. G. Desmarest, H. de Blainville, C. Prévost, A. Serville and L. Saint-Fargau (eds.): Faune Française, ou histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des animaux qui se trouvent en France, .... Plassan, Paris, 1820-1830. Livr. 13 & 14: 1-96, Pls. 1-24., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.49444
page(s): 88 [details]

original description (of Squalus vulgaris Richardson, 1836) Richardson, J. (1836). The Fish. In: Fauna Boreali-Americana; or the zoology of the northern parts of British America: containing descriptions of the objects of natural history collected on the late northern land expeditions, under the command of Sir John Franklin, R.N. J. Bentley, London. Part 3: i-xv + 1-327, Pls. 74-97. [Reference was incorrectly given as 1837; correct date is 1836 (WNE June 12, 2015).]. [details]

original description (of Squalus lamia Blainville, 1816) Blainville, H.M.D. de. (1816). Prodrome d'une nouvelle distribution systématique du règne animal. [Prodrome of a new systematic distribution of the animal kingdom.]. Bulletin des Sciences, par la Société Philomatique de Paris. 1816: 105-112 [sic for 113-120] +121-124., available online at http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/4153426
page(s): 121 [details]

original description (of Squalus caninus Osbeck, 1765) Osbeck, P. (1765). Reise nach Ostindien und China. Nebst O. Toreens Reise nach Suratte und C. G. Ekebergs Nachricht von den Landwirthschaft der Chineser. Rostock. i-xxvi + 1-552 + 25-p. index, Pls. 1-13. [German translation by J. G. Georgius. J. C. Koppe]., available online at https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.120128 [details]

basis of record van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS) [details]

Ecology

ecology source Looby, A.; Erbe, C.; Bravo, S.; Cox, K.; Davies, H. L.; Di Iorio, L.; Jézéquel, Y.; Juanes, F.; Martin, C. W.; Mooney, T. A.; Radford, C.; Reynolds, L. K.; Rice, A. N.; Riera, A.; Rountree, R.; Spriel, B.; Stanley, J.; Vela, S.; Parsons, M. J. G. (2023). Global inventory of species categorized by known underwater sonifery. Scientific Data. 10(1). (look up in IMIS), available online at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02745-4 [details]

Other

context source (Deepsea) Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), available online at http://www.iobis.org/ [details]

context source (HKRMS) Lam VYY. (2009). The shark fisheries of Southern China and the reproductive biology of the spadenose shark, Scoliodon laticaudus. Mphil thesis. The University of Hong Kong. [details]

context source (RAS) Australian Antarctic Data Centre. , available online at https://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/biodiversity/ [details]

context source (Bermuda) Smith-Vaniz, W. F.; Collette, B. B.; Luckhurst, B. E (1999). Fishes of Bermuda: History, zoogeography, annotated checklist, and identification keys (American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists - Special Publication No.4) . ASIH, 424 pp. [details]

context source (PeRMS) Chirichigno, N.; Cornejo, M. (2001). Catálogo comentado de los peces marinos del Perú. 2ª ed. Instituto del Mar de Perú. Publicación Especial. Callao. 314 p. [details]

additional source Scott, W.B.; Scott, M.G. (1988). Atlantic fishes of Canada. Canadian Bulletin of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. No. 219. 731 pp. [details]

additional source King, C.M.; Roberts, C.D.; Bell, B.D.; Fordyce, R.E.; Nicoll, R.S.; Worthy, T.H.; Paulin, C.D.; Hitchmough, R.A.; Keyes, I.W.; Baker, A.N.; Stewart, A.L.; Hiller, N.; McDowall, R.M.; Holdaway, R.N.; McPhee, R.P.; Schwarzhans, W.W.; Tennyson, A.J.D.; Rust, S.; Macadie, I. (2009). Phylum Chordata: lancelets, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals. in: Gordon, D.P. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand inventory of biodiversity: 1. Kingdom Animalia: Radiata, Lophotrochozoa, Deuterostomia. pp. 431-554. [details]

additional source Compagno, L.J.V. (2001). Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Volume 2. Bullhead, mackerel and carpet sharks (Heterodontiformes, Lamniformes and Orectolobiformes). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 1, Vol. 2. Rome, FAO. 269p. [details]

additional source McEachran, J. D. (2009). Fishes (Vertebrata: Pisces) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1223–1316 in: Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]

additional source Liu, J.Y. [Ruiyu] (ed.). (2008). [Checklist of marine biota of China seas]. China Science Press. 1267 pp. (look up in IMIS) [details] Available for editors

[request]

additional source Froese, R. & D. Pauly (Editors). (2026). FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. version (04/2025)., available online at https://www.fishbase.org [details]

Present

Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio

Inaccurate

Introduced: alien

Containing type locality

Unreviewed

Diet Bony fishes such as salmon, hake, halibut, mackerel and tunas. As well, other sharks, sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals are eaten. [details]

Distribution Newfoundland to Argentina [details]

Habitat nektonic [details]

Habitat Found in coastal and offshore waters, may enter small bays and harbours and approach shore. [details]

Importance Social & Scientific- Fatal attacks on humans and small boats, flesh and fins used for human food, liver is rich in oil, skin is used for leather, carcass is used for fish meal. [details]

Predators Man and possibly other white sharks [details]

Reproduction Presumed to be ovoviviparous [details]

Definitions

Language	Name
Afrikaans	withaaiwitdoodshaaispringhaaisarda	[details]
Albanian	peshkaqen njeringrënës	[details]
Dutch	witte haai	[details]
English	white sharkwhite pointerwhite death sharkwhite deathuptailtuna sharkTommymudsharkman-eater sharkjumping sharkgreat white sharkgreat white deathdemon sharkdeath sharkcowsharkblue pointeranchovy-eater	[details]
French	requin blancgrand requin blanc	[details]
German	Weisshaiweißer HaiMerviel FrasMenschenhai	[details]
Hawaiian	niuhi	[details]
Hebrew	קרחה לבנה	[details]
Italian	tunnu palamitu di funnusqualo biancopisci mastinupisci canipici bistinupesciu canpescecanepesce canepesce can grandepesca canmastinu ferumangia alicelamiaimbestinudamianocarcarodonte lamiacarcarodonte di rondeletcarcarodontecaniscucan grossucagniacagnesca grande	[details]
Japanese	ホホジロザメoshirozamehohojirozamehitokiuzame	[details]
Lithuanian	baltasis ryklys	[details]
Maltese	kelb-il-bahar abjadkelb il-baharhuta tax-xmaragab doll	[details]
Maori	taniwhamango-tuatinihare hongi	[details]
Modern Greek (1453-)	Λευκός καρχαρίαςkarcharias	[details]
Norwegian	hvithaihaa skieding	[details]
Polish	żarłacz biały	[details]
Portuguese	tubarâo brancotabarao	[details]
Russian	мегалодонкархародон мегалодон	[details]
Samoan	tanifa	[details]
Slovenian	veliki beli morski pes	[details]
Spanish	tiburón blancotiburotauró blanctaburosardasalroigsalproixsalproigmarracojaquetón de leyjaquetón blancoca mari	[details]
Turkish	büyük beyaz köpekbalığıbuyuk beyaz kopekbaligi	[details]
Ukrainian	Велика біла акулаБіла акулаАкула велика біла	[details]