Whale Shark

Animals Unique | Whale Shark | The whale shark is the largest species of fish with some adult whale sharks growing to nearly 50ft long! The whale shark is thought to have developed around 60 million years ago making the whale shark one of the oldest species on Earth today.

The whale shark spends it's life swimming through the open Oceans in search of fish and squid. Unlike many other species of shark, the whale shark is known to feed on large Shoals of tiny fish rather than hunting bigger fish and sea Mammals. This makes the whale shark a filter feeder similar to smaller whales and sea animals.

 

The whale shark inhabits the warm, tropical waters around the equator and Often Despite being found close to coastlines, the whale shark is also known to dive to depths of up to 700 meters (that over 2.000 ft deep). In this part of the ocean, food is more scarce and the whale shark will therefore venture to Such depths only if hunting in the shallower waters is not possible.

 

The whale shark is the perfect example of a so-called friendly shark and to date have posed no significant threat to Humans (mainly divers). The whale shark is most commonly spotted around the Gulf of Mexico and the Indonesian Islands where the whale sharks have been known to be almost playful towards Humans.

 

Their female whale sharks incubate eggs inside rather than outside them. That means this whale sharks give birth to Effectively live young. Inside the female whale shark are Hundreds of eggs but only a few actually turn into a baby whale sharks. The remaining eggs are thought to be there so That when the whale shark pups hatch, They have something to eat. The female whale shark Gives birth to an average litter of 12 pups That whale sharks are around 60 cm long.

 

Quickly whale sharks grow during Their first few years and soon the whale shark pups are extremely big and therefore less Likely to be hunted by marine predators Such as other shark species and killer whales. Whale sharks growing niche to live for around 60 to 80 years but have been known be more than 100 years old.

Whale Shark Facts
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Rhincodontidae
Genus: Rhincodon
Scientific name: Rhincodon Typus
Type: Fish
Diet: Carnivore
Size: 10-12.2m (33-40ft)
Weight: 13.607 to 18.144 kg (15-20tons)
Top Speed: 16km / h (10mph)
Life Span: 60-70 years
Lifestyle: Solitary
Conservation Status: Threatened
Colour: Brown, Blue, Grey
Skin Type: Smooth
Favourite Food: Krill
Habitat: Warm coastal waters and open ocean
Average Litter Size: 12
Main Prey: Krill, Plankton, Crab, Fish
Predators: Human, Sharks, Killer Whale
Special Features: Enormous streamlined body and broad, flat head