, The scientific genus name Carcharodon literally means 'jagged tooth', a reference to the large serrations that appear in the shark's teeth. Great whites are so sensitive they can detect variations of half a billionth of a volt. As scientific research on these elusive predators increases, their image as mindless killing machines is beginning to fade.

Most scientists prefer ‘white shark’, perhaps because there is no extant ‘lesser white shark’ species. Unusually for the area, large numbers of sharks over five metres long were observed, suggesting that the largest sharks change their behaviour to search for whales as they lose the manoeuvrability required to hunt seals. The peak burst speed is estimated to be above 40 km/h (25 mph). In fact, there are as many known species of deep-sea corals (also known as cold-water corals) as shallow-water species. , In spite of official protections in Australia, great white sharks continue to be killed in state 'shark control' programs within Australia. , Great white sharks are carnivorous and prey upon fish (e.g. Monterey Bay Aquarium first attempted to display a great white in 1984, but the shark died after 11 days because it did not eat. The idea of containing a live great white at SeaWorld Orlando was used in the 1983 film Jaws 3-D. When hunting, great whites tend to separate and resolve conflicts with rituals and displays. , In the Northwest Atlantic the white shark populations off the New England coast were nearly eradicated due to over-fishing. The great white has an 11-month gestation period.

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