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Shark Facts – Body Type

Posted by on June 19, 2012

The first thing that sets the Great White Shark apart from other types of sharks is the appearance that they have. Specifically, their fins are different than other species, as there are only two fins closer to the front of the shark, which are accompanied by tail fins. Other distinctions include the point of the nose and the colouring of grey on top with white underneath the body.

Great whites are the largest predatory fish on Earth. They grow to an average of 15 feet (4.6 meters) in length, though specimens exceeding 20 feet (6 meters) and weighing up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms) have been recorded. Typically, females are slightly larger than the male species, with some variations on the amount that they carry through the ocean.

They have slate-gray upper bodies to blend in with the rocky coastal sea floor, but get their name from their universally white underbellies. They are streamlined, torpedo-shaped swimmers with powerful tails that can propel them through the water at speeds of up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) per hour. They can even leave the water completely, breaching like whales when attacking prey from underneath.

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