Carcharodon carcharias (LINNAEUS, 1758)
Photo by Terry Goss, Copyright 2006, GNU Free Documentation License
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Lamniformes
Family Lamnidae MÜLLER & HENLE, 1838
Genus Carcharodon SMITH IN MÜLLER & HENLE, 1838
Carcharodon carcharias (LINNAEUS, 1758)
Protective laws in Germany/EU:
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Speciesof Wild Fauna and Flora annex: II
- Council Regulation 338/1997 annex: B
- BArtSchV Novellierung Anhang: 1 (Fußnote (6): nur Population des Mittelmeeres)
- BNatSchG Anhang: b (streng bzw. besonders geschützt)
Common name:
 german |
Weißer Hai, Menschenhai, Weißhai
|
 english |
Great white shark, Man eater
|
 span |
Jaquentón blanco, Jaquetón de ley, Marrajo, Tiburón blanco, Devorador de hombres
|
 portuguese |
Tubarão-branco, Tubarao de Sao Tomé, Tubarão-anequim, Anequim
|
 french |
Grand requin blanc, Mangeur d'hommes
|
 italian |
Squalo bianco, Pisci cani, Pesci can, Manzo de mar, Mangia alici, Canesca, Pisci bistinu
|
 greek |
 |
 norwegian |
Hvithai
|
 danish |
Hvid Haj, Stor hvid haj, Blå haj
|
 dutch |
Witte haai, Mensenhaai
|
 maltese |
Kelb Abjad, Huta tax-Xmara, Kelb il - Bahar Abjad
|
 finnish |
Valkohai
|
 czech |
Žralok bílý veliký
|
 polish |
Zarlacz ludojad
|
 rumanian |
Rechin alb, Rechin mancator de oameni
|
Geographical Distribution:
all over the world - with the exeption of the cold area of the Arctic and the Antarctic, as well as the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.
source: www.wikipedia.de Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 License
Description:
Size (max.): 792 cm (female)
Weight (max): ca. 3,400 kg
Age (max): ca. 36 years
Body fusiform, snout conical and relatively short, long gill slits not encircling the head. Large first dorsal fin with the origin over pectoral fin inner margins. Second dorsal and anal fins minute. Caudal fin homocercal (crescent shaped), without a secondary keel below extension of caudal keel.
Dorsal surface blue-grey to grey-brown, often bronzy. Ventral surface is white. Boundary between these tones is generally abrupt. Small, irregular dark spots may be present on the flanks posterior to the last gill slit. Most specimens exhibit a black oval blotch in the axil of the pectoral fin.
Teeth large, erect, triangular and serrated. More slender in lower jaw. In juveniles under 1.8 m (5.5 ft), the teeth have small lateral cusplets and in neonates, the lower teeth may actually lack marginal serration.
(Source: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Whiteshark/whiteshark.html)
Numer ot teeth: upper jaw: 23 - 28 teeth, lower jaw: 20 - 26.
Size (max.) of the teeth: more than 6,00 cm.
Usual article of trade of C. carcharias:
Teeth/jaws:
Usual country of trade:
all countrys; import by post: China (e.g. eBay), sporadic USA.
tooth of the upper jaw, ca. 5 cm (labial/lingual)
teeth of the lower jaw, ca. 2,4 cm (labial/lingual)
other serrated shark teeth:
Galeocerdo cuvier (Tigerhai):
Size ot the teeth: ca. 2,5 cm (labial/lingual)
Closeup views
Carcharinus leucas (Bullshark):
Size ot the teeth: ca. 2,5 cm (labial/lingual)
Fins:
source and images: Abercrombie, D.L., Chapman, D.D., Gulak, S.J.B., and Carlson, J.K. 2013. Visual Identification of Fins from Common Elasmobranchs in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. NMFS-SEFSC-643, 51 p.
First dorsal fin description
- Fin is dark grey to greyish-brown in color.
- Leading edge flattens out at apex.
- Trailing edge typically ragged in appearance.
- Short free rear tip.
- Rough, sandpaper-like texture.
Similar species: Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) first dorsal fins (and possibly longfin makos) are similar in shape, but are typically more erect (not flattening out at apex) and dark, slate grey in color. Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) dorsal fins are similar in shape and color but have a long free rear tip.
Pectoral fin description
The dorsal side of the fin is dark brown or greyish-brown in color. Black markings at the apex are only visible on the ventral surface. The trailing edge of the fin is often ragged in appearance. The free rear tip has a white margin on the trailing edge of the dorsal surface.
Similar species: Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), blacktip (Carcharhinus limbatus) and spinner (Carcharhinus brevipinna) pectoral fins also have black markings concentrated at the apex on the ventral surface. Scalloped hammerheads have much shorter, broader fins, while blacktip and spinners have a glossy sheen on the dorsal surface.
Jewelry:
Web-Links:
Carcharodon carcharias at www.fishbase.org
Carcharodon carcharias at www.wikipedia.org
Carcharodon carcharias at www.wwf.org (in german)
Carcharodon carcharias (bibliography) at www.shark-references.com
