The Great White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias), or simply White Shark, is a large cartilaginous fish. It is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and Zoo Tycoon 2 as well as Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania Mobile.
Description[]
Perhaps the most well-known species of shark, the Great White Shark, also known as the White Shark, White Pointer or Great White, is the world's largest meat-eating shark and can be found across the world's oceans, migrating long distances to find food. Large females can reach lengths of 4.9m (16ft), although some individuals are larger. It is believed to have gotten its name due to its white underbelly, which contrasts its gray skin. Aside from occasional attacks by orcas, great white sharks have no natural predators.
The great white shark has a varied diet, including turtles, seabirds, cetaceans, other sharks and smaller fish, although they have a preference for pinnipeds such as fur seals and other aquatic mammals. They are ambush hunters, often striking prey from below with enough force to leap out of the water when attacking. Rows of serrated teeth, which can be quickly replaced if one breaks off, make short work of its prey. The great white shark has a reputation as a man-eater, although it is responsible for the greatest number of unprovoked attacks on humans of any shark, fatalities are comparatively rare. By comparison, a human is more likely to get struck by lightning than getting attacked by a great white shark. Largely because of its reputation, the great white shark is now listed as a Vulnerable species due to hunting by humans.
Zoo Tycoon[]
The Great White Shark is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon and was added in the Marine Mania expansion pack. It must be researched in order to be adopted. Curiously, the great white shark is a show animal and can perform two tricks; the Breach Attack and Feeding Frenzy.
Great white sharks are an Aquatic animal and are fed Chum by Marine Specialists; they will also kill most other marine animals if placed in their exhibit, with large whales, the Common Sawfish, Whale Shark, Tiger Shark, and Orca being exceptions; the Orca being capable of killing great white sharks. The great white shark can be successfully kept in a mixed enclosure with the tiger shark.
The great white shark can be kept in a surprisingly shallow tank of only 3 units deep, its favorite foliage being Barnacles and requiring Medium Ocean Floor Rocks to maximize its habitat suitability. The great white shark also likes the Sunken Ship for shelter.
Like other sharks, the great white shark has trouble filling its hunger need when feeding, this is due to their feeding animation not being stationary and means that the great white shark needs to feed more often.
 Animal Facts
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The great white shark (known as Carcharodon carcharias to scientists) is well known as one of the few predators that will prey on humans. Because these animals are so fierce and dangerous in their native environment and so difficult to keep in captivity, scientists still have many unanswered questions about them. It is known that the great white lives in tropical to temperate regions of the ocean, preferring to feed in the shallower waters near shore. These animals can grow to be over 20 feet long and weigh over three tons. Despite its name, the great white is only white on the belly. The rest of the shark’s skin is gray or bluish gray. Unlike other fish, the shark’s skin is not scaly, but prickly. This is because it is made up of dermal denticles, or "skin teeth," which give the shark the feeling of sandpaper--if you get close enough to pet it. The great white shark has several organs that have evolved to make it the fearsome predator it is. Like other fish, the great white breathes through its gills and therefore needs to stay in constant motion (or have a constant flow of water through its gills) in order to keep breathing. Unlike most fish, the great white can see above the surface of the water. The great white will protect its eyes by rolling them back inside its skull just before a collision. The great white shark’s small eyes are designed for surface feeding and have trouble penetrating the darkness of the deep ocean. But its other senses more than make up for any deficiency in this area. The great white shark can smell blood over half a mile away. In addition to keen smell and hearing, the great white shark has an additional sense that has no human parallel. It can use small holes on its snout called the "ampullae of Lorenzini" to sense electrical currents. This sensitivity to electrical currents allows the great white to detect nearby prey whose beating hearts, gill actions, and muscle contractions all give off small electrical signals. The mouth and jaws of this great white are highly developed, helping these creatures keep their place at the top of the food chain. Both of its massive jaws move independently and are so strong they can crush bone. Just in case a meal proves hard to chew, the great white has reserve teeth in the jaw that move up when teeth are lost, replacing the broken or missing tooth. Great whites have been known to have as many as five sets of reserve teeth. Their powerful jaws and teeth allow the great white to take the giant bites for which they are well known, and allow them to hunt and eat a variety of prey. Some of the more common animals on a great white’s menu include turtles, other sharks, fish of all sizes, harbor seals, penguins, birds, sea lions, carrion, and even garbage--one great white was found with a license plate in its stomach. The great white shark is very difficult to keep in captivity. First, there is the great difficulty of capturing them alive and transporting them, especially without harm to either the shark or the handlers. The electrosensitivity of the great white means it can be upset by small electrical problems in its tank. These massive animals require specific temperatures, large spaces, and a huge amount of live food--a challenge for any Marine Specialist. |
Tricks[]
| Icon | Trick Name | Trick Requirements | Tank Depth Required | Potential Benefit |
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Feeding Frenzy | None | 4 | +5 |
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Breach Attack | Research | 4 | +4 |
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
The great white shark, shortened to just White Shark in-game, is an adoptable animal in Zoo Tycoon 2 and was added in the Marine Mania expansion pack. In Campaign and Challenge mode, it is available for adoption once a zoo reaches a fame level of 5 stars.
The White shark is a benthic animal, but can tolerate the reef, coastal and pelagic biomes to a lesser extent. The white shark feeds on fish and chum and will hunt arctic cod and yellowfin tuna if placed in its exhibit. The white shark uses the Clam bubbler and seal prey dummy for enrichment and even has a very low chance of "swallowing" the prey dummy when playing with it, destroying the toy in the process. The white shark can also use the Pirate Ship, Pirate Mast, and Treasure Chest Bubbler scenery objects if placed in its exhibit.
 zootycoon.com Description
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| The white shark, also known as the great white, white pointer, and white death, is considered the most dangerous of sharks. It has a conical instead of flattened snout, black eyes, and large, serrated, arrowhead-shaped teeth. Its body is blue- or brown-gray, not white, except on its underside. Although the white shark is notorious as a movie villain, little information exists about its behavior. White sharks swallow creatures and objects half their size without chewing them, especially seals, dolphins, turtles, other sharks, chunks of whale, fish, and even ship garbage. They are excellent vertical swimmers, which is why they often attack their prey from directly below. |
 Zoopedia entry
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The great white shark has a conical instead of flattened snout, black eyes and large serrated arrowhead-shaped teeth, the upper and lower lobes of the tail are almost equal in size, and the body is blue or brown-gray not white, except on the underside. Although the great white shark is notorious as a movie villian, little information exists about its behaviour. one of the largest specimens caught was off Montauk, Long Island, New York, in 1964; it was 5.34m (17.5 ft) long and weighed an estimated 2,043 kg (4,500 lb). White sharks swallow unchewed creatures and objects half their size, especially seals, dolphins, turtles, other sharks, chunks of whale, fish, and ship's garbage. between 1916 and 1969 there were 32 attacks on swimmers, resulting in 13 deaths, attributed to white sharks. on three occasions white sharks were reported to have attacked boats, sinking one of them, a dory, off Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. off Australian coasts, where most of the big game specimens are taken, one female, recognized by its scars, returned for 13 years Although the white shark exhibits great strength and terrifies humans with whom it happens to come in contact, most authorities agree that its villainous reputation is undeserved. some specialists believe it is endangered due to its shrinking food sources and overfishing by trophy hunters. |
Gallery[]
Zoo Tycoon[]
Zoo Tycoon 2[]
Trivia[]
- Despite being featured in multiple Zoo Tycoon games, in real life the great white shark is notoriously hard to keep in captivity, a statement mentioned in its in-game information. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, was able to hold a great white for seven months before releasing it, but most great white sharks die after only a few weeks at most, often refusing to eat.
- Great white sharks can perform the least number of tricks in Zoo Tycoon, with only 2. This trait is shared with the Lion's Mane Jelly.
- Additionally, neither use any show props for their tricks.
| Zoo Tycoon 2: Mobile animals | |
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| Zoo Tycoon 2: Mobile | African Elephant • Bengal Tiger • Black Rhinoceros • Cheetah • Chimpanzee • Giant Panda • Giraffe • Lion • Lowland Gorilla |
| Marine Mania Mobile | Bottlenose Dolphin • Giant Pacific Octopus • Great White Shark • Green Sea Turtle • Manta Ray • Orca • Rockhopper Penguin |