It remains a misconception that sharks are unintelligent, surviving purely off instinct and spending their lives in pursuit of a meal. Research that supported this idea was rudimentary and usually based on the small sharks to which scientists had access. With increased time, finances and resources available today, though, more is being discovered regarding the intellectual capacity of sharks.

The Great White Shark is an apt representative for the group as it is relatively large, and it is prolific in waters around the world. The average Great White is about five metres long. Its brain is Y-shaped and is approximately 60 centimetres long. While it is not particularly large or heavy, especially in comparison to the entire size and mass of the body, there is no concrete evidence that size has a direct correlation to ability when it comes to brains. What has been discovered is that shark species that are not required to hunt or to approach prey stealthily (such as certain bottom-feeders and those that suck in plankton for nourishment) have smaller, lighter brains than their hunting counterparts.