But the story is only the most recent episode in the saga of the animal that zoos haven't been able to conquer.

The shark, an 11.5-foot male, was caught off the coast of Japan, and for a few days was the only great white in captivity in the world. After it arrived at Japan's Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium last week, it refused food and according to a statement, "took a sudden turn [for the] worse." The shark died on Friday.

The great white shark, perhaps the most feared predator in the ocean and certainly one of its most important, is notorious for faring poorly in captivity. The first of its kind to be held in a tank was in 1981, at SeaWorld San Diego. The shark was released after just 16 days. In 2004, the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California exhibited a female great white for just 198 days, getting her to feed in captivity for the first time. She eventually attacked two other sharks that were held in the tank with her, and was released back into the wild shortly after. Others have been held in tanks, but most are released or have died in captivity.