The whale shark is the largest fish in the world

Standing as the largest fish in the world, the whale shark is an amazing animal. This massive creature moves silently through the ocean despite its immense size, mostly consuming plankton and other microscopic creatures.

Unlike many other sharks, the whale shark is not a fierce predator. It uses its wide mouth to filter food from the water, making it one of the ocean"s most harmless giants. Its unique spotted pattern and slow-moving nature make it a fascinating sight for divers and marine enthusiasts.

Knowing whale sharks helps us to better understand ocean life and emphasizes the significance of protecting marine ecosystems. It is imperative that future generations protect this sea giant because it is essential to preserving the equilibrium of marine environments.

Scientific classification

• Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
• Type: Chordata (chordates)
• Class: Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)
• Order: Orectolobiformes (wobbegongs)
• Family: Rhincodontidae (rhyncodonts)
• Genus: Rhincodon (whale sharks)
• Species: Rhincodon typus (whale shark)

Andrew Smith originally described the whale shark in 1828 using a specimen that had been harpooned in Table Bay, South Africa. Historically, there have been numerous synonyms (alternative scientific names) for the names of families, genera, and species. Despite Smith’s preferred name of Rhineodon, the genus name Rincodon appeared in the first scientific publication. The genus Rhincodon and family Rhincodontidae were preferred over the earlier generic variations in 1984, when the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature suppressed them.

Species

BlueSun2 Boat Charters is pictured.

Recent research employing microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA analysis has revealed that whale sharks are divided into two primary subpopulations, which vary slightly in size and behavior:

• the Indo-Pacific population;
• the Atlantic population.

From the western Indian Ocean to the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and the western and central Pacific Oceans, the Indo-Pacific population is found. Because of local overfishing, this population is rapidly decreasing in size. It is well known that in feeding areas, Atlantic populations form larger aggregations.

With a maximum length of 40 feet, the whale shark is the largest fish in the world, but despite its enormous size, it is a gentle giant that eats mostly plankton. It is a fascinating creature that exemplifies the amazing diversity of marine life with its graceful, slow motion and distinctive spotted appearance. The whale shark, a favorite among divers and ocean lovers alike, is harmless to humans despite its size, which may give it an intimidating appearance.

Geographical Range

With the exception of the Mediterranean, the whale shark can be found throughout all tropical and warm temperate seas. The fish can be found all over the Atlantic Ocean, from Senegal to the Gulf of Guinea and from New York through the Caribbean to central Brazil. The Red Sea and Persian Gulf are just two of the areas in the Indian Ocean where whale sharks can be found. It can be found in the Pacific Ocean from Hawaii and California to Chile, and from Japan to Australia.

The whale shark lives in the waters between 30 and 35 degrees north and south, giving it a near-terrestrial distribution. Whale shark sightings have been reported in the waters of nearly every coastal nation in these latitudes. The coastal waters of Australia, Belize, Ecuador, Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa are frequently home to this species.

• Biogeographic regions: Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Arabian Sea, Red Sea

Habitat

Image courtesy of Time Out Doha

The whale shark is a pelagic (open sea) species, in contrast to most other sharks in its order, which are benthic (living on or near the bottom) creatures. According to studies, this shark favors warm waters that are between 21 and 30 °C. They are at ease in coral atolls, reef lagoons, subtropical zones, and both shallow and deep coastal areas.

These enormous creatures, which feed on zooplankton, are typically found in coastal areas with abundant food supplies. This species can dive to depths exceeding 1900 meters and withstand temperatures as low as 7.8 °C, according to data gathered from archival tags.

• Habitat: Tropical, Temperate
• Aquatic Biomes: Pelagic Reef, Coastal, Atolls, Open Sea

Home Range

Sharks of this species are migratory, returning time and time again to their preferred feeding grounds. Whale sharks do not have a home range and do not protect their own territory because they migrate across oceans. At different times of the year, different geographic locations are preferred. Whale sharks are capable of both extensive and highly specialized transoceanic migrations.

Whale sharks cover between 24 and 28 km every day. According to recent studies, people also migrate over very long distances—up to 13,000 km—for periods of time up to 37 months. These migrations typically take place between East Africa and Thailand and Mexico and the Kingdom of Tonga. Plankton blooms and spawning are thought to be intimately related to whale shark movements.

Whale sharks have been documented to congregate on the continental shelf of Australia’s central west coast in March and April, particularly around the Ningaloo Reef region. The high concentration of zooplankton in the area explains this phenomenon.

Distinctive characteristics

The enormous size, distinctive "chessboard" pattern of spots and stripes on the back, three protruding longitudinal ridges (keels) along the upper sides, and distinctive head and mouth of whale sharks allow them to be easily identified from other shark species.

Appearance

The whale shark is distinguished by its sleek, spindle-shaped body and its flattened, wide, and depressed head. The fish’s body narrows toward the head and tail and is widest in the middle.

The fish’s transverse mouth is situated nearly at the tip of its snout and is incredibly large, measuring up to 1.5 meters in diameter. Twenty filter pads and over 300 rows of tiny, replaceable, hooked teeth make up the mouth.

Large gill slits that are internally altered to resemble filter sieves are utilized to hold onto small prey. On the front of their snouts, whale sharks have a pair of small nostrils with primitive barbels; these nostrils are not adorned with the folds and grooves that other shark species have.

Located at the rear of the body, the first dorsal fin is significantly larger than the second. Adults have a crescent-shaped caudal fin (tail), with two lobes; in small juveniles, the upper lobe is much longer than the lower. Males also have modified anal fins called claspers.

Coloration

Whale sharks have a brownish, bluish, or grayish top surface that has a "checkerboard" pattern of pale, vertical and horizontal stripes interspersed with creamy white spots. The body’s ventral region is white. The whale shark’s coloration doesn’t change over the course of its life, making it a perfect character for individual identification.

Image courtesy of DIVE Magazine

It is unknown what the whale shark’s unique pattern on its body serves to accomplish. Numerous fish that live on the bottom have body markings that serve as a form of concealment. The whale shark’s evolutionary relationship with bottom-dwelling carpet sharks may have resulted in the markings on the shark. Pelagic species’ distinctive markings may be connected to social behaviors like posture displays and recognition techniques.

Anatomical features

Dermal denticles are scale-like structures that resemble teeth and are found throughout the skin. They are believed to play a significant role in hydrodynamics. They act as a kind of parasite repellent and lessen drag.

Because there is no rib cage and the whale shark’s skeleton is composed of thick, flexible cartilage, the animal has a much smaller body mass. The subcutaneous complex of collagen fibers, which functions as a flexible "corset" to which the motor muscles are attached from the spine, provides body rigidity. This system is lightweight and mechanically effective.

Size

The world’s largest shark species, the whale shark, is still alive today. Adults can grow up to 13 meters long. The biggest person ever measured measured 20 meters in length. At nine meters, both sexes reach adulthood.

• Body weight: maximum 30,844 kg
• Body length: maximum 20 metres

Lifestyle and behaviour

Although groups of several have been reported in different locations, the largest known group is off the Caribbean island of Contoy. Generally, these animals are solitary. Here, aerial photography captured up to 420 individuals over an 18 square kilometer area, with 74% of those recorded being male on average.

Whale sharks exhibit learning capabilities. Whale sharks in captivity exhibit behavioral changes; they start swimming in tight circles around the feeding area when keepers arrive carrying food. It is also known that on occasion, they search local boats’ nets for tiny fish.

This swimmer is powerful, albeit typically untimely. Whale sharks, both juvenile and adult, can run up to one meter per second and can stay at this speed for extended periods of time without stopping. Depending on the bathymetric or environmental conditions, they alter their diving patterns. It is believed that circadian rhythms, which may be impacted by daily cycles of light and dark, control their diving patterns. Whale sharks dive deep during the night and spend the majority of the day close to the surface.

Communication and perception of the environment

The small, round eyes of whale sharks are situated on the side of their heads. They offer a broad field of view. The fish appear to have binocular vision based on the position of their eyes and the broad, blunt shape of their heads. The ability of whale sharks’ eyes to track swimmers at three to five meters suggests that they have the ability to detect objects up close.

Brent Durand in a picture

Ampullae of Lorenzini, pit-like sensory organs that detect weak electric fields, are found clustered around the head of most sharks. The semicircular canals’ diameter is almost exactly the maximum size that can theoretically be achieved by such structures, making the inner ear of a whale shark the largest in the animal kingdom. Given their enormous auditory organs, whale sharks probably respond best to low-frequency, long-wavelength noises, which raises the possibility that whale sharks can communicate auditorily.

Given their size and spherical olfactory capsules, whale sharks probably have chemosensory detection abilities comparable to those of other wobbegong-like species, like nurse sharks.

Image courtesy of DIVE Magazine

Although its capabilities are unknown, whale sharks have a mechanosensory system located in their lateral line. Fish are able to react to water currents through their lateral line (rheotaxis). The Earth’s magnetic field is thought to help whale sharks navigate by allowing them to use lines of force. Detecting, feeding, and capturing prey are further functions aided by the lateral line.

Feeding habits and hunting tactics

It is known that a variety of spatiotemporally heterogeneous planktonic and small nektonic organisms serve as whale shark prey. Among them are:

• krill
• crab larvae
• small crustaceans
• jellyfish
• sardines
• anchovies
• mackerel
• tuna
• squid.

Additionally, they might eat macroalgae, which are larger plants, and phytoplankton, which are microscopic plants. People eat during the day, in the evening, and at night.

When filter feeding, the whale shark advances at a steady pace while opening or closing its mouth, pushing food particles out of the water as it does so. They are also referred to as "passive feeding" because their gills hardly beat. This kind of feeding typically takes place in low-prey densities.

The process of suction feeding involves using force to open the mouth and swallow the prey. Water is released through the gills when the mouth is closed, removing the caught prey. Whale sharks frequently perform this motion whether they are horizontal or vertical. This kind of feeding is connected to prey with a medium density.

Although whale sharks have multiple rows of small teeth, they don’t appear to be used for feeding. Every feeding strategy eventually causes the filter pads to get clogged with debris, so the whale shark cleans them by backwashing, which looks like it’s coughing up waste underwater.

Pictured is Carmelo Lopez Abad.

Reproduction and development of young

The evolution of whale sharks has been the subject of extensive scientific discussion for many years. This went on until 1995. Around this time, 300 pups, measuring between 42 and 63 centimeters in length, were taken from two mothers of an 11-meter female whale shark that had been harpooned off the east coast of Taiwan. This finding demonstrated that whale sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning that the female gives birth to live young after the eggs hatch in her uterus.

This whale shark’s egg cases had breathing holes on each side, a smooth texture, and an amber color. The sex ratio was about one to one. In the nutrient-rich waters of the Kuroshio Current, female whale sharks seem to give birth while feeding. It is also evident that, in the summer, whale shark maternity wards are located in the southeast coastal waters of Taiwan, the Philippines, and India.

Image courtesy of DIVE Magazine

Whale sharks may take up to 30 years to reach sexual maturity, although there is currently insufficient data to make this determination with accuracy. There is currently a lack of information regarding the potential frequency of their reproduction as well as the potential timing and location of this. It is evident that females do not raise their young after birth as parents do. This is a feature shared by nearly all shark species.

• Mating system: polygamy
• Method of reproduction: egg -power
• The number of descendants: A few hundred cubs

Natural enemies

Because whale sharks grow to be very large adults, they have very few natural predators. Poaching and human activity greatly decreased their numbers. Due to their immaturity, small individuals are susceptible to harm, and blue marlin and blue sharks find them to be easy prey. Killer whales have been observed attacking and devouring whale sharks up to eight meters in length. A whale shark that had been bitten heavily, most likely by a large white shark, was found in 2002 lacking its fin.

A thick layer of cartilage and dermal cloves on the skin, which give the cover extreme hardness, are the whale shark’s best defense mechanisms.

Meaning for people

Image courtesy of DIVE Magazine

Whale sharks are essential to both domestic and international trade, are the main attraction for boat tourists, and are frequently targeted for fishing. The sole fishery in the Atlantic, which was based in Cuba and produced about nine sharks a year, was outlawed in 1991.

Taiwanese restaurants serve delicacies made from chopped shark meat. The fins are sold as trophy or demonstration fins in Asian restaurants, despite the fact that their cartilaginous fibers are not good for making soup. Whale shark liver oil is used to polish shoes and treat boat hulls; the meat is traditionally consumed fresh or salted in Pakistan.

Nowadays, there are numerous places offering eco-tours that combine diving and whale shark observation, such as Mexico, Australia, Southeast Africa, Belize, Honduras, the Philippines, the Seychelles, and the Maldives. In some places, laws prohibiting whale shark fishing have led to the development of tourism and its emergence as a substantial source of income.

Danger to humans

Stephen Frink in picture

Most people believe whale sharks to be harmless creatures. Videos of divers swimming near whale sharks and freely touching the fish’s body can be found online in abundance. But there have been multiple reports of whale sharks colliding with sport fishing vessels—possibly as a result of provocation. While basking or feeding near the surface, these fish are typically more vulnerable to unintentional collisions with vessels.

Conservation status

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whale sharks are classified as "endangered", and their population is declining. They face a high risk of extinction due to factors such as a shrinking geographic range and unregulated fishing. Threats are created by human recreation and various industries, including oil and gas drilling, and the extraction of marine resources.

Furthermore, shipping lanes pose a threat to whale sharks. One in five whale sharks have at least one injury from a commercial ship, a boat, or a propeller.

Did you know?

1. Whale sharks can control their buoyancy by gulping a little air, just like sand tiger sharks.
2. Their lifespan can exceed 100 years.
3. The ancestors of whale sharks appeared during the Eocene period, 35-58 million years ago.
4. This fish has thick, 10-centimeter skin.
5. It is believed that only one in ten cubs survives.
6. Up to a hundred whale sharks are caught every year in Taiwan.
7. They are able to filter up to 6,000 liters of water every hour.
8. Unlike real whales, which must surface to breathe, whale sharks breathe through gills, like other fish.

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Olga Ivanova

About the author

I have a soft spot in my heart for cats and other small furry creatures, but I love all animals. I began doing weekend volunteer work at an animal shelter a few years ago. The happiness we get when we help animals who have faced hardships find new homes is beyond words. I’m in love with my work and don’t intend to leave anytime soon!

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Fact	Description
Species	Whale shark
Size	Up to 12 meters (40 feet)
Diet	Filter feeder, eats plankton
Habitat	Tropical oceans
Lifespan	70-100 years
Behavior	Gentle and slow-moving

The whale shark, a gentle giant of the ocean, is the largest fish on the planet. Despite its enormous size, it is a calm presence in the water because it mostly eats plankton and other small marine creatures. Its elegant, leisurely movements serve as a constant reminder of the astonishing diversity of marine life.

Despite their enormous size and potential for fear, whale sharks are not dangerous to people. Indeed, they are frequently inquisitive and can be observed swimming with divers, providing a unique opportunity to witness the magnificence of these magnificent animals up close.

Their existence serves as a reminder of how crucial it is to protect our oceans. Whale sharks are vulnerable to a number of threats, such as overfishing and pollution, so it’s critical to preserve their natural habitat. We can contribute to ensuring that these incredible fish survive and flourish for upcoming generations by spreading awareness and taking action.

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