{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "great-white-shark",
  "name": "Great White Shark",
  "scientificName": "Carcharodon carcharias",
  "category": "Fish",
  "summary": "The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a large predatory fish found in cool and temperate coastal waters worldwide. It grows to around 4 to 4.6 m (13 to 15 ft), with some individuals exceeding 6 m, and can weigh up to 1,100 kg (2,400 lb). A powerful hunter of seals, sea lions, fish, and rays, it can swim in short bursts of up to 56 km/h (35 mph) and may live as long as 70 years. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.",
  "conservationStatus": "Vulnerable",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Chondrichthyes",
    "order": "Lamniformes",
    "family": "Lamnidae",
    "genus": "Carcharodon"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 1100,
    "lengthM": 4.6,
    "topSpeedKmh": 56,
    "lifespanYears": 70
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Carcharodon carcharias"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Carnivore (seals, sea lions, fish, rays)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Cool and temperate coastal waters worldwide"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Up to 70 years"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "680–1,100 kg (1,500–2,400 lb), sometimes more"
    },
    {
      "label": "Length",
      "value": "4–4.6 m (13–15 ft); some exceed 6 m"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Vulnerable (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Cool and temperate coastal waters worldwide, with well-known populations off South Africa, southern Australia, California, and the northeastern United States.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceans"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "Rigby, C. L. et al. (2019). Carcharodon carcharias. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3855/212629880"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Compagno, L. J. V. (2001). Sharks of the World. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Klimley, A. P. & Ainley, D. G. (eds.) (1996). Great White Sharks: The Biology of Carcharodon carcharias. Academic Press.",
      "url": null
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Carcharodon carcharias. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Carcharodon_carcharias/"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-white-shark/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/great-white-shark/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}