Great white shark
Social communication
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===Social communication=== |
===Social communication=== |
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[[File:Great White Shark Displaying a Bite Wound from Another Shark.jpg|thumb|White shark at Guadalupe with wounds caused by another shark|alt=Shark with scars around mouth]] |
[[File:Great White Shark Displaying a Bite Wound from Another Shark.jpg|thumb|White shark at Guadalupe with wounds caused by another shark|alt=Shark with scars around mouth]] |
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White sharks communicate with each other through a complex array of [[body language]]. Most behaviors have been observed at aggregations around seal rookeries shortly after peak hunting periods, where sharks engage in extensive socializing.{{cite magazine|author1= Martin, R. A.|author2=Martin, A.|year=2006|title=Sociable Killers|journal=Natural History|volume=115|pages=42–48|url=https://www.naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/191391/sociable-killers}} At least 20 unique forms of body language are known, most of which consist of two sharks swimming |
White sharks communicate with each other through a complex array of [[body language]]. Most behaviors have been observed at aggregations around seal rookeries shortly after peak hunting periods, where sharks engage in extensive socializing.{{cite magazine|author1= Martin, R. A.|author2=Martin, A.|year=2006|title=Sociable Killers|journal=Natural History|volume=115|pages=42–48|url=https://www.naturalhistorymag.com/picks-from-the-past/191391/sociable-killers}} At least 20 unique forms of body language are known, most of which consist of two sharks swimming in passing, parallel, or circular patterns to ritualistically examine one another.{{cite journal|author1= Sperone, E. |author2= Micarelli, P. |author3= Andreotti, S. |author4= Spinetti, S. |author5= Andreani, A. |author6= Serena, F. |author7= Brunelli, E. |author8= Tripepi, S. |title=Social Interactions Among Bait-Attracted White Sharks at Dyer Island (South Africa)|year=2010|journal=Marine Biology Research|volume=6|issue= 4 |pages=408–414|doi=10.1080/17451000903078648 |bibcode= 2010MBioR...6..408S }} |
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Occasionally, one shark will openly show off its body in a lateral display to the other. It is hypothesized that the main purpose of these interactions is to establish [[Dominance hierarchy|social rank by size]] to avoid competition. |
Occasionally, one shark will openly show off its body in a lateral display to the other. It is hypothesized that the main purpose of these interactions is to establish [[Dominance hierarchy|social rank by size]] to avoid competition. Observations by Sperone and colleagues in 2010 found display behaviors to be more common between individuals of similar size where differences are not immediately obvious. There is no evidence that sex is a significant factor in behavioral patterns. With dominance established, the smaller shark then acts submissively towards the larger shark by yielding during subsequent encounters or simply avoiding confrontation. Body language is less frequent in California and Australia compared to Dyer Island in South Africa. It is thought that this is because the former locations are less densely populated, and so sharks there are more familiar with each other's hierarchy. |
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Direct violence is extremely rare, as individuals typically end conflicts through peaceful means. Splash fights appear to be the most common way of resolving ownership disputes over prey. Here, one shark slaps the surface with its tail to splash water at the competing shark. The competitor either withdraws or responds with a tail splash of its own. Usually, one or two splashes are exchanged per shark, though individuals will sometimes persist with more.Klimley, A. P.; Pyle, P.; Anderson, S. D. "Tail Slap and Breach: Agonistic Displays among White Sharks?" in {{harvnb|Klimley|Ainley|1996}} pp. 241–255{{cite journal|author=Klimley, A. P.|title=A Historical Approach to Describing the Complex Behaviour of a Large Species of Predatory Shark — Case Study 2: The White Shark, ''Carcharodon carcharias''|journal=Behaviour|year=2023|volume=160|issue=11–14|pages=1103–1136|doi=10.1163/1568539X-bja10194}} The contest is "won" by the shark that compels the other to concede via the most tenacious splashing, which appears to signal strength and vigor. Larger body size does not always secure superior signal strength; on occasion, the smaller shark emerges victorious. White sharks have also been observed employing tail splashing to intimidate [[tiger shark]]s around a whale carcass and even against boats and shark cages, which were likely perceived as competitors. |
Direct violence is extremely rare, as individuals typically end conflicts through peaceful means. Splash fights appear to be the most common way of resolving ownership disputes over prey. Here, one shark slaps the surface with its tail to splash water at the competing shark. The competitor either withdraws or responds with a tail splash of its own. Usually, one or two splashes are exchanged per shark, though individuals will sometimes persist with more.Klimley, A. P.; Pyle, P.; Anderson, S. D. "Tail Slap and Breach: Agonistic Displays among White Sharks?" in {{harvnb|Klimley|Ainley|1996}} pp. 241–255{{cite journal|author=Klimley, A. P.|title=A Historical Approach to Describing the Complex Behaviour of a Large Species of Predatory Shark — Case Study 2: The White Shark, ''Carcharodon carcharias''|journal=Behaviour|year=2023|volume=160|issue=11–14|pages=1103–1136|doi=10.1163/1568539X-bja10194}} The contest is "won" by the shark that compels the other to concede via the most tenacious splashing, which appears to signal strength and vigor. Larger body size does not always secure superior signal strength; on occasion, the smaller shark emerges victorious. White sharks have also been observed employing tail splashing to intimidate [[tiger shark]]s around a whale carcass and even against boats and shark cages, which were likely perceived as competitors. |
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