Great White SharkCarcharodon carcharias

Michael Su

White Shark ProfileKingdom

Phylum

Class Order Family

Genus Species

Animalia Chordata Chondrichthyes

Lamniformes

Lamnidae

Carcharodon

CarchariasScientific name: Carcharodon Carcharias

Common English name: Great White SharkCosmopolitan, meaning wide distribution

through worldMostly found on continental shelves, coastal

marine waters, off the coast of tropical islands

Belongs in an aquatic system

Profile Cont.Normally found in temperate watersCommon off the coast of California, Australia,

South AfricaDifficult for estimation of population because

sharks travel worldwideAgreed that White sharks have become a

vulnerable species

Map Showing Distribution of White Sharks

Major ThreatsFishing is the major threat of the White Shark and many other species of sharks6 million pounds of shark were caught in

Hawaii in 1998The Asian shark fin soup market caused 73

million sharks to be caught and have their fins removed in 2006.

Being caught in protective beach netting is a smaller cause of death

Food Web

Classification Map

Phylum Chordata entail all animalia that have a backbone

All chordate have a rodlike structure called the notochord

Examples of Chordate

Boa constrictor

X-ray tetra

Chimpanzee

Great White Shark

ConsequencesSharks and many other apex predators are essential

to keeping balance in an ecosystemSharks are able to keep the healthy trophic pyramid

by feeding on predators under apex predators

A number of sharks were removed from an ecosystem

Observations show that number of tuna fish actually declined

This is because sharks would feed on predators that fed on tuna fish

Biodiversity; Important or Not?Biodiversity is extremely important for the health of an ecosystem. Each organism fills a niche role in an ecosystem and many roles overlap, for example, sharks and orca whales are apex predators, their role is to feed on animals lower than them in the food chain. While sharks can fill this role well, if all sharks were wiped out, orcas are still available to try to maintain balance within an ecosystem. This kind of relationship is found in every food web where niches overlap, creating an overall stronger and much more stable ecosystem by not relying on a single organism to accomplish a goal. Instead the goal is spread to multiple organisms to lessen the impact of a sudden extinction. For example, fish, shrimp, snails and a variety of other organisms feed on algae. If, for example, fish were the only organisms in a pond that consumed algae, the algae would grow and cover the entire surface of the pond. This would prevent sunlight from penetrating to the bottom of the pond to allow other plant growth. Fish that feed on insects won’t be able to feed because insects would meet a barricade of algae instead of the water’s surface. Eventually, the pond would only consist of algae as all other organisms would die. Therefore, biodiversity is not only important for the stability of the ecosystem, but for the survivability as well.

References Julian Pepperell. Fishes of the Ocean a Natural History &

Illustrated Guide. Chicago: University of Chicago press, 2010

Griffin, E., Miller, K.L., Freitas, B. and Hirshfield, M. Predators as Prey:Why Healthy Oceans Need Sharks. Washington DC: 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, 5th Floor, 2008

Fergusson, I., Compagno, L.J.V. & Marks, M. 2005. Carcharodon carcharias. Retrieved from http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3855/0

Authors not specified .Carcharodon carcharias. Retrieved from http://animals.galegroup.com/web/grzimeks/animals/Carcharodon_carcharias?searchTerms=white+shark