The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo), known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, the large cormorant in India and the black shag further south in New Zealand, is a widespread member of the cormorant family of seabirds. There is a wide variation in size in the species wide range. The genus name is Latinised Ancient Greek,meaning bald charcoal. The great cormorant bird is seen in both inland and coastal water, feeding on fish, crustaceans, molluscs and amphibians. They dive to catch the prey and surface to swallow it.