Reports about size and weight vary considerably, probably depending on the mode and circumstances of measurement. The dark shaded fins are irregularly marked with round, light colored dots. Vertical and horizontal lines of cream or white create a checkerboard appearance with round spots in the squares giving the impression of checkers on a board ready for play. The sides and back have a darker base color with shades of blue, gray, and brown. A very distinctive characteristic on each side of the upper body is the presence of three parallel, horizontally oriented ridges that start at about where the gill slits end and run the length of the body.Ĭoloration and color patterns vary from one shark to another. The caudal fin is semi-lunate (semi-crescent shaped) with the upper lobe much larger than the lower. The first dorsal fin is much larger than the second. The two dorsal fins are placed well back on the body. Five large, vertical gill slits are present just forward of and above the origin of the pectoral fin. The spiracles are behind the eyes at a similar distance. Its relatively small eyes (about the size of a golf ball) are located a short distance behind the angle of the jaw and at about the same level. It has a mouth full of small, sharp, almost scale-like teeth. Short barbels protrude from its nostrils. Unlike most sharks in which the mouth is on the undersurface of the head and set well back on the snout, the whale shark’s mouth is almost at the very front of its head. Its large mouth, which can be up to 1.5 m (4.9 ft) wide, extends the full width of the head. The largest of the sharks, it is well proportioned and beautifully streamlined even with its large, broad, flat head. It prefers warm tropical water, in a range of 21 to 25 o C (69.8 to 77 o F), but is more content when the warm water is interspersed with cooler, nutrient-rich upwellings that provide a good source of food. The whale shark is considered to be a pelagic open water fish, but it is frequently seen in shallower inshore waters associated with lagoons, bays, and coral reefs. World wide in tropical and warm temperate waters most commonly between latitudes 30 o N and 35 o S in oceanic and coastal waters with the exception of the Mediterranean Sea. This information is available so you can learn more about the largest fish in the world and its conservation needs. The awesome whale shark is not exhibited at the Aquarium. 26319).CLIMATE CHANGE: Not Applicable At the Aquarium ![]() 116781), but probably the most reliably measured size so far is 12 m TL (Ref. Maximum length of up to 21 m and weight of up to 42 tons have been reported (Ref. Estimated longevity of 80.4 yrs is much larger than reported maximum age 38 yrs based on vertebral bands for a female of 11.9 m TL. Populations have been depleted in several countries by harpoon fisheries (Ref. Highly valued commodity in ecotourism operations. 13571), cartilage for health supplements and skin for leather products (Ref. Utilized fresh, frozen, dried and salted for human consumption, liver processed for oil, fins used for shark-fin soup, offal probably for fishmeal (Ref. Females of 438 to 562 cm are immature (FIGIS 09/2003). Ovoviviparous, with litter size of over 300 pups (Ref. When actively feeding on zooplankton the sharks turn their heads from side to side, with part of the head lifted out of the water, and the mouth opened and closed 7-28 times per minute these suction gulps were synchronized with the opening and closing of the gill slits (Ref. Often seen in a vertical position with the head at or near the surface when feeding (Ref. Feed on planktonic and nektonic prey, such as small fishes (sardines, anchovies, mackerel, juvenile tunas and albacore), small crustaceans and squids (Ref. Highly migratory between ocean basins and national jurisdictions, but returns to the same sites annually (Ref. Often associated with groups of pelagic fishes, especially scombrids (Ref. Found singly, or in aggregations of over 100 individuals (Ref. ![]() Reported to frequent shallow water areas near estuaries and river mouths, sometimes during seasonal shrimp blooms (Ref. ![]() Sometimes seen cruising near outer wall (Ref. Often seen offshore but coming close inshore, sometimes entering lagoons or coral atolls (Ref. World's largest fish, but is harmless to humans (Ref.
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