Rare giants? A large female great white shark caught in Brazilian waters

Abstract

Here, we document an historical record of a large great white shark (GWS) captured in southern Brazilian waters, including morphometric measurements, basic biological data on internal organs and stomach contents. The captured shark was a female of 530 cm TL (503 cm fork-length), with an estimated total body weight of 2.5 tons. The stomach contained six shark heads, the remains of two dolphins and one teleost fish. The estimated hepatic somatic index (HSI) was 27%, and to our knowledge, represents the largest liver scientifically documented for this species to date. White sharks are known to undertake large-scale oceanic and transoceanic migrations. It is possible that the occasional records of white sharks off Brazil, previous records from Argentina and Uruguay, and an individual captured of Tristan da Cunha may be linked to migratory movements in the South Atlantic.