400 Million Yr Old Great White Sharks: Nature's Apex Predators - Research Paper

Introduction

The great white sharks, described as the Carcharodon Carcharias, are the largest known predatory fish in the sea with the capability of eating marine mammals weighing hundreds of pounds. With a length of up to 6 meters (20 feet) weighing several tons, the great white shark is impeccably adapted to predation. The great white sharks are dated to be more than 400 million years old, which means that they began existing even before the age of the dinosaurs. In consideration of the great white shark's structure, their bodies usually grow to a length of 15 feet, but some outperform this length and grow up to 20 feet, recording weights of more than 5,000 pounds. Looking at their 'physique, they have dull chest zones to blend in with the unpleasant sea shorefront. Also, there assume a torpedo-shaped that describes their streamlined bodies and are great swimmers. On the other hand, their vast tails can actuate them through the water at high speeds with the fastest speeds of up to fifteen miles as hour recorded.

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Taxonomic Classifications

Within the taxonomic classification, the great white sharks being animals belong to Kingdom Animalia. The most considerable number of species in the Kingdom is insects. However, it is estimated that there are more than ten million animal species. All animals are made of cells that are differentiated into tissues. A group of muscles is then specialized to form organs that carry out different functions. In the case of the white shark, these organs, for example, fins. Under the first unit, the Kingdom is Phylum. The white whale belongs to the phylum Chordata. Like other members, it is having a segmented body, has a tail that is projecting, is bilaterally symmetrical, has a ventral heart, and is bony. The great white sharks belong to the class Chondrichthyes, the Lamniformes order and Lamnidae family. It was given its generic name: Carcharodon. It was named so by Andrew Smith in 1833. Its specific name is Carcharias; hence, Carcharodon Carcharias is its scientific name.

Life History

The sexual dimorphism of the white shark is present. The great white sharks' females are conventionally more prominent than male ones. Females have a length that ranges between 15-16 feet while males grow up 13 feet long. The adult females have a standard mass of between 680 and 1,110 kg. The general average mass of a fully frown white whale is 771 kg. Great white sharks are categorized as living cartilaginous fish. The unimaginable white grows slowly. Male remarkable white sharks land at sexual improvement at age 26, while females take 33 years to fall at sexual advancement. The unprecedented white shark is ovoviviparous, which infers that the shark develops in an egg. This egg is then delivered inside the mother. By and by, the shark improves and is born. While in the stomach, the embryo shark lives off by eating unfertilized eggs. The gestation allotment is evaluated to be twelve to eighteen months, yet this is hypothetical. The litter size that is born ranges from two to 10 pups. During labor, the pups measure about 5 feet and weigh around 35 kilograms. Analysts acknowledge that they live around 70 years. However, there are significant concerns today concerning the life of the great white sharks since there are reducing in number tremendously, and there are threats to the animal in different extents.

Big Picture of Life

Having classified the great white whale and looked at its characteristics and adaptations, we can say that it does not suffer the possibility of being preyed on. It is one of the most dangerous predators in the sea. The only threat that the great white suffers is that of human beings. Human beings have become selfish; hence, so many cases of illegal poaching of white sharks have been reported. Sometimes, the great white whale is killed accidentally by fishermen's trawlers. Sportfishing is another threat to the white whales. The meat from white sharks is also highly demanded in the market. It is said that the soup from the meat is very delicious. Due to these threats, the populations of the white sharks have reduced immensely in areas they previous resided in with 70 percent. Countermeasures against these threats should be recommended to avoid the possible extinction of the white whale.

Natural Range

White shark populaces are now and again focused on exceptionally profitable calm beachfront waters. The great white sharks can be found in waters that harbor other marine mammals and fish off like New Zealand, the western United States, Mediterranean (Boldrocchi, 515-534), Chile, southern Australia, and northern Japan. Some individual white sharks may venture out of sight ocean or into tropical waters, yet field considers they demonstrate that most come back to these calm bolstering zones every year.

Impact on Human Beings

In the domains where they are commonly ordinary, white sharks are obligated for different, unjustifiable occasions. There have been reported deadly attacks on surfers, jumpers, kayakers, and swimmers (Ritter, Erich, & Alexandra Quester). A white shark will all in all apportion a singular snack on its human harmed individual and a while later retreat. In various events, the shark does not return for a consequent meal. In case the grievous setback bears a moderate attack, the person being referred to may have the chance to get treated. In conditions where an enormous attack occurs, certifiable tissue and organ denouement may occur, which could lead to death. An overview of white shark attacks off the western United States demonstrated that around 7 percent of ambushes were savage. Attack rates as high as 60 percent have been recorded from attacks in the waters off Australia.

Niche

In the food chains, they act as predators. They are causes of population control of the smaller animals they diet on. Their droppings contribute to the growth of sea plants and algae, which is food for smaller fishes that are not predators. White whales are not an introduced species. The reasons are based on the fact that the species is dated so many years ago, among other sharks within a similar taxonomy.

Conclusion

In conclusion, great white sharks are exceptional in different ways. In consideration of their size, habitats, range, adaptation, fierceness, among other aspects, it is evident that the animal is one of the most exciting sea animals. Another reason as to why I choose the great white sharks is based on the fact that they are amongst the most superior animals in the world seas. Based on the fact that the sea animal is one of the most dangerous and fasted animals, this was interesting to me, thus, increasing my interest in the animal.

Works Cited

Boldrocchi, G., et al. "Distribution, ecology, and status of the white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, in the Mediterranean Sea." Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 27.3 (2017): 515-534

Ritter, Erich, and Alexandra Quester. "Do white shark bites on surfers reflect their attack strategies on pinnipeds?" Journal of Marine Biology 2016 (2016).