Sharks caught in the protective gill nets off Natal, South Africa. 2. The great white shark Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus)

A total of 591 great white sharks Carcharodon carcharias was caught between 1974 and 1988 in the gill nets which are maintained along the Natal coast to protect bathers from shark attack. The species represented 2,7 per cent of the total catch of sharks for the period 1978–1988 and the mean catch rate was 1,0 shark·km-net−1·year−1. Specimens ranged in size from 131 to 348 cm precaudal length, with a mode of 206–210 cm for females and 216–220 cm for males. None was mature, and the sex ratio was 1 male to 1,4 females. Catch rates were highest in the southernmost nets, with a smaller peak in the extreme north. Catches peaked in midwinter, those in the warmer, northern region lagging 1–2 months behind those in the cooler southern waters. The relationship between catches and water clarity and temperature was tenuous. Elasmobranchs were the most important prey item, occurring in 41,1 per cent of stomachs containing food, followed by teleosts at 34,7 per cent and marine mammals at 29,0 per cent, although marine ...