Environmental Characteristics Of Great White Sharks

Great white sharks are large carnivorous fish that dwell in the oceans. Great white sharks live in temperate waters and are found along the coastlines of south Africa, Australia, New Zealand, California to Alaska, the east coast of USA and the gulf coast, Hawaii, most of south America, The Mediterranean sea, west Africa and Scandinavia, japan and the eastern of china and southern Russia. The Great white shark lives mainly in the upper part of the water column, near the shore but sometimes they will drift further out to the deeper water. Sharks usually live at the surface but can be found up to 250m deep. They will usually cruise at the surface or just above the bottom, never in the middle section as this aids their likelihood of catching prey.
As they are fish not much is known about the mating habits of great white sharks. After mating the female develop several eggs, which hatch in their own womb. On average they are said to give birth to an approximate litter of 10 pups.
Sharks reach maturity at around 10 years of age but separate from their parent much earlier.

Great whites use their speed and coloring to help them hunt. They search for their prey at the surface of the ocean whilst swimming below. Once they spot their target or prey they burst into speed and bump into their prey while biting it simultaneously. Great whit sharks have several rows of teeth that can number into thousands. As their teeth fall out they are rapidly replaced. The teeth are sharp and serrated a single bite can be fatal. The young great white feed on smaller prey like fish and rays. As they mature and grow they feed more exclusively on marine mammals such as sea lions, seals and small
In the atmosphere there is up to 21% oxygen but in the water and oceans there is only a maximum of 4.5% oxygen and in warmer water can reduce to 0%. Great white gills are extremely large, meaning their gas exchange is extremely efficient. To get the oxygen containing water to their gills Great White Sharks use the ram jet ventilation system. Whilst swimming along their forward movement or swimming forces water into their mouth, through the throat, then out the gill slits. They have structurally adapted their bodies to be strong and streamline which aids their swimming and therefore ventilation system. They have also adapted behaviorally, Great white sharks rarely stop swimming or moving this ensures that ventilation is always happening and therefore extremely efficient. They also use a small pumping action contracting their throat and gill in a back to front sequence to aid drawing water into the mouth the out through the