Whale shark
Whale shark from Taiwan in the Georgia Aquarium Size comparison against an average human
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 2.3)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Rhincodontidae (Müller and Henle, 1839) Genus: Rhincodon Smith, 1829 Species: R. The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place, is billed as the "world's largest aquarium" with more than 8 The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future A vulnerable species is a Species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fishes are jawed Fish with paired fins paired nostrils scales two-chambered hearts and skeletons made of Cartilage rather Elasmobranchii is the subclass of Cartilaginous fish that includes Skates rays (batoidea, and sharks (selachii. The order Orectolobiformes, also collectively known as the carpet sharks because many members have carpet-like patterned markings includes a number of familiar types of Johannes Peter Müller ( July 14, 1801 &ndash April 28, 1858) was a German Physiologist, comparative anatomist Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle (July 9 1809 - May 13 1885 was a German Physician, Pathologist and Anatomist. Dr Sir Andrew Smith KCB ( December 3, 1797 &ndash August 12, 1872) was a Scottish surgeon, naturalist explorer typus
Binomial name
Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828)
Range of whale shark

The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow filter feeding shark that is the largest living fish species. Dr Sir Andrew Smith KCB ( December 3, 1797 &ndash August 12, 1872) was a Scottish surgeon, naturalist explorer Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are Animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water typically by passing the water Sharks ( Superorder Selachimorpha) are a type of Fish with a full cartilaginous Skeleton and a highly streamlined body Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. This distinctively-marked shark is the only member of its genus Rhincodon and its family, Rhincodontidae (called Rhinodontes before 1984), which is grouped into the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Family denotes a group of People affiliated by consanguinity affinity or co-residence Elasmobranchii is the subclass of Cartilaginous fish that includes Skates rays (batoidea, and sharks (selachii. Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fishes are jawed Fish with paired fins paired nostrils scales two-chambered hearts and skeletons made of Cartilage rather The shark is found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea. The Tropics are centered on the Equator and limited in Latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23°26' (23 The species is believed to have originated about 60 million years ago. ^[2]

Contents 1 Naming 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Anatomy and appearance 4 Diet 5 Behavior towards divers 6 Reproduction 7 Conservation status 8 Whale sharks in captivity 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

Naming

The species was first identified in April 1828 following the harpooning of a 4. 6-metre (15. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 1 ft) specimen in Table Bay, South Africa. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Table Bay ( Afrikaans Tafelbaai) is a natural inlet overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula which stretches The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa It was described the following year by Andrew Smith, a military doctor associated with British troops stationed in Cape Town. Dr Sir Andrew Smith KCB ( December 3, 1797 &ndash August 12, 1872) was a Scottish surgeon, naturalist explorer Cape Town (Kaapstad Xhosa: Ikapa) is the second most populous city in South Africa, forming part of the metropolitan municipality of the He proceeded to publish a more detailed description of the species in 1849. The name "whale shark" comes from the fish's physiology; that is, a shark as large as a whale that shares a similar filter feeder eating mode. Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas Known as a deity in a Vietnamese religion, the whale shark is called "Ca Ong", which literally translates as "Sir Fish"

Distribution and habitat

The whale shark inhabits the world's tropical and warm-temperate oceans. While thought to be primarily pelagic, seasonal feeding aggregations of the sharks occur at several coastal sites such as Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia; Útila in Honduras; Donsol and Batangas in the Philippines; off Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox in Yucatan Mexico; and the Tanzanian islands of Pemba and Zanzibar. Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. Ningaloo Reef is a fringing Coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. History Ruins on all three of the Bay Islands indicate that they were inhabited well before the Europeans arrived Honduras in Spanish, República de Honduras) is a democratic republic in Central America. Donsol is a 1st class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. This article is about the province For the city see Batangas City. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP Isla Mujeres is the name of a small Island, as well as the town on that island a short distance off the coast of the northeast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Holbox ("black hole" in Yucatecan Maya is an island in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula Yucatán is one of the 31 states of Mexico, located on the north of the Yucatán Peninsula. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya This article is about the island Pemba is also a city in Mozambique and a small town in Zambia. Zanzibar ( is part of the East African republic of Tanzania. It consists of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Though it is often seen offshore, it has also been found closer to shore, entering lagoons or coral atolls, and near the mouths of estuaries and rivers. Its range is restricted to about ±30 ° latitude. It is found to a depth of 700 metres (2,300 ft)^[3]. The whale shark is solitary and rarely seen in groups unless feeding at locations with an abundance of food. Males range over longer distances than females (which appear to favor specific locations).

Anatomy and appearance

As a filter feeder, it has a capacious mouth which can be up to 1. Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are Animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water typically by passing the water 5 metres (4. 9 ft) wide and can contain between 300 and 350 rows of tiny teeth. ^[4] It has five large pairs of gills. A gill is an anatomical structure found in many aquatic organisms Two small eyes are located towards the front of the shark's wide, flat head. The body is mostly grey with a white belly; three prominent ridges run along each side of the animal and the skin is marked with a "checkerboard" of pale yellow spots and stripes. These spots are unique to each whale shark and because of this they can be used to identify each animal and hence make an accurate population count. Its skin can be up to 10 centimetres (3. A centimetre ( American spelling: centimeter, symbol cm) is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one hundredth 9 in) thick. Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. The shark has a pair each of dorsal fins and pectoral fins. A dorsal fin is a Fin located on the backs of some Fishes Whales Dolphins and Porpoises as well as the (extinct The Anatomy of Fish is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of Water, which is much denser than air holds a relatively small amount of dissolved A juvenile whale shark's tail has a larger upper fin than lower fin while the adult tail becomes semi-lunate (or crescent-shaped). The whale shark's spiracles are just behind the eyes

The whale shark is not an efficient swimmer since the entire body is used for swimming, which is unusual for fish and contributes to an average speed of only around 5-kilometre-per-hour (3. (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. 1 mph). The largest specimen regarded as accurately recorded was caught on November 11, 1947, near the island of Baba, not far from Karachi, Pakistan. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (ڪراچي) is the largest city in Pakistan. It is the world's second largest city proper behind Mumbai in terms of population which exceeds 10 million Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and It was 12. 65 metres (41. 50 ft) long, weighed more than 21. 5 tonnes (47,300 lb), and had a girth of 7 metres (23. This article is about the tonne or metric ton For other tons see Ton. The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass 0 ft). ^[5] Stories exist of vastly larger specimens — quoted lengths of 18 metres (59 ft) are not uncommon in the popular shark literature — but no scientific records exist to support their existence. In 1868 the Irish natural scientist Edward Perceval Wright spent time in the Seychelles, during which he managed to obtain several small whale shark specimens, but claimed to have observed specimens in excess of 15 metres (49. Edward Perceval Wright (1834, Donnybrook - 1910 was an Irish ophthalmic surgeon, botanist and zoologist. Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole 2 ft), and tells of reports of specimens surpassing 21 metres (68. 9 ft).

In a 1925 publication, Hugh M. Smith describes a huge whale shark caught in a bamboo fish trap in Thailand in 1919. Hugh McCormick Smith ( November 21, 1865 – September 28, 1941) was an American ichthyologist and administrator in The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The shark was too heavy to pull ashore, but Smith estimated that the shark was at least 17 metres (56 ft) long, and weighed approximately 37 tonnes (81,500 lb), which have been exaggerated to a more precise measurement of 17. 98 metres (58. 99 ft) and weight 43 tonnes in recent years. A shark caught in 1994 near Tainan county in Southern Taiwan is reported to have weighed 35. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. 8 tonnes (78,887 lb). ^[6] There have even been claims of whale sharks of up to 23 metres (75 ft). In 1934 a ship named the Maurguani came across a whale shark in the Southern Pacific Ocean, rammed it, and the shark consequently became stuck on the prow of the ship, supposedly with 4. 6 metres (15. 1 ft) on one side and 12. 2 metres (40. 0 ft) on the other. ^[7] No reliable documentation exists of those claims and they remain little more than "fish-stories".

Diet

The whale shark is a filter feeder — one of only three known filter feeding shark species (along with the basking shark and the megamouth shark). The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest Fish, after the Whale shark. The megamouth shark, Megachasma pelagios, is an extremely rare and unusual species of deepwater Shark. It feeds on phytoplankton, macro-algae, plankton, krill and small nektonic life, such as small squid or vertebrates. Phytoplankton are the Autotrophic component of the Plankton community Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms Plankton consist of any drifting Organisms ( Animals Plants Archaea, or Bacteria) that inhabit the Pelagic zone of Krill are a type of Shrimp -like marine Invertebrate animal These small Crustaceans are important organisms of the Zooplankton, particularly Nekton refers to the aggregate of actively swimming aquatic organisms in a body of water (usually oceans or lakes able to move independently of water currents Squid are marine Cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species Vertebrates are members of the Subphylum Vertebrata, Chordates with backbones or spinal columns The grouping sometimes includes The many rows of teeth play no role in feeding; in fact, they are reduced in size in the whale shark. Instead, the shark sucks in a mouthful of water, closes its mouth and expels the water through its gills. During the slight delay between closing the mouth and opening the gill flaps, plankton is trapped against the dermal denticles which line its gill plates and pharynx. Denticles are body surface structures found on some fish and insects The pharynx (plural pharynges) is the part of the Neck and Throat situated immediately Posterior to (behind the Mouth and Nasal This fine sieve-like apparatus, which is a unique modification of the gill rakers, prevents the passage of anything but fluid out through the gills (anything above 2 to 3 mm in diameter is trapped). Any material caught in the filter between the gill bars is swallowed. Whale sharks have been observed "coughing" and it is presumed that this is a method of clearing a build up of food particles in the gill rakers. ^[3][8][9]

Whale sharks congregate at reefs off the Belizean Caribbean coast, supplementing their ordinary diet by feeding on the roe of giant cubera snappers, which spawn in these waters between the full and quarter moons of May, June, and July. Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of Fish and certain marine Animals such as Shrimp, Scallop

The whale shark is an active feeder and targets concentrations of plankton or fish by olfactory cues. Olfaction (also known as olfactics or smell) refers to the Sense of smell. Rather than simply "vacuuming" constantly, it is able to pump water over its gills. The shark can circulate water at a rate up to 1. 7 L/s (3. 5 U. S.  pint/s). The whale shark does not need to swim forward when feeding; it is often observed in a vertical position, "bobbing" up and down swallowing water and actively filtering it for food. This is in contrast to the basking shark, which is a passive feeder and does not pump water; it relies on its swimming to force water over its gills. The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest Fish, after the Whale shark. ^[8][3]

Behavior towards divers

This species, despite its enormous size, does not pose any significant danger to humans. Ningaloo Reef is a fringing Coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. It is a frequently cited example when educating the public about the popular misconceptions of all sharks as "man-eaters". They are actually quite gentle and can be playful with divers. There are unconfirmed reports of sharks lying still, upside down on the surface to allow divers to scrape parasites and other organisms from their bellies. Divers and snorkelers can swim with this giant fish without any risk apart from unintentionally being struck by the shark's large tail fin.

The shark is often seen by divers in The Bay Islands in Honduras, Thailand, the Philippines, the Maldives, the Red Sea, Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef and Christmas Island), Gladden Spit Marine Reserve in Belize, Tofo Beach in Mozambique, Sodwana Bay (Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) in South Africa and at the Galapagos Islands. History Ruins on all three of the Bay Islands indicate that they were inhabited well before the Europeans arrived The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP The Maldives ( or, or Maldive Islands) officially the Republic of Maldives, is an Island nation consisting of a group of atolls stretching The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Ningaloo Reef is a fringing Coral reef located off the west coast of Australia, approximately 1200 km north of Perth. The Territory of Christmas Island is a small territory of Australia located in the Indian Ocean, 2600 kilometres (1600 mi northwest of Belize (bəˈliːz formerly British Honduras, is a country in Central America. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa iSimangaliso Wetland Park is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa about 275 Kilometres north of Durban (

The highest concentration of whale sharks to be found anywhere in the world is in the Philippines. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP From January to May, they congregate in the shallow coastal waters of Sorsogon province (at Donsol). This article is about the province For the city see Sorsogon City and for the bay see Sorsogon Bay. Donsol is a 1st class municipality in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. Lucky divers have also come across whale sharks in the Seychelles and in Puerto Rico. Seychelles (seɪˈʃɛl or /seɪˈʃɛlz/ in English and seʃɛl in French) officially the Republic of Seychelles (République des Seychelles Creole Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Between December and September, they are well known to swim along the bay of La Paz in Mexico's Baja California. Baja California (pronounced ˈbɑːhɑː kælɨˈfɔrnjə in English is the northernmost state of Mexico. Sometimes, they are accompanied by smaller fish, in particular, the remora. Remoras or suckerfish are elongate brown Fish in order Perciformes and family Echeneidae. Recently, they have been seen in the vicinity of Tenggol Island, off the east coast of West Malaysia. Tenggol Island The Tenggol group of islands is the most southernly of Terengganu's Marine Parks Peninsular Malaysia ( Semenanjung Malaysia) also known as Malaya or West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia which lies on They are also frequently spotted around other Coral Reefs along the West Malaysian coast including Kapas Island and Redang Island. Kapas Island or Pulau Kapas is an island 6 kilometers off the coast of Terengganu, Malaysia. Redang Island, locally known as Pulau Redang or just "Redang" is one of the largest islands off the east coast of Malaysia.

Reproduction

The reproductive habits of the whale shark are obscure. Reproduction is the Biological process by which new individual Organisms are produced Based on the study of a single egg recovered off the coast of Mexico in 1956, it was believed to be oviparous, but the capture of a female in July 1996 which was pregnant with 300 pups indicates that they are ovoviviparous. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. Oviparous animals are animals that lay eggs, with little or no other Embryonic development within the mother Ovoviviparous Animals develop within eggs that remain within the mother's body up until they hatch or are about to hatch ^[10][3][11] The eggs remain in the body and the females give birth to live young which are 40 centimetres (15. 7 in) to 60 centimetres (23. 6 in) long. It is believed that they reach sexual maturity at around 30 years and the life span has been estimated to be over 100 years. ^[12]

Conservation status

The whale shark is targeted by artisanal and commercial fisheries in several areas where they seasonally aggregate. Artisan fishing is a term sometimes used to describe small scale commercial or Subsistence fishing practises The fishing industry includes any industry or activity concerned with taking culturing processing preserving storing transporting marketing or selling fish or fish products The population is unknown and the species is considered vulnerable by the IUCN. A vulnerable species is a Species which is likely to become endangered unless the circumstances threatening its survival and reproduction improve ^[1] All fishing, selling, importing and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes has been banned in the Philippines since 1998,^[13] India in May 2001,^[14] followed by Taiwan in May 2007. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP ^[15]

Whale sharks in captivity

A whale shark is featured as the main attraction of Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and as of 2005, three whale sharks are being studied in captivity at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan. The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place, is billed as the "world's largest aquarium" with more than 8 The is one of the largest Public aquariums in the world It is located in the ward of Minato in Osaka, Japan, near Osaka Bay The, located in Okinawa Japan, is the world's second largest Aquarium behind the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Four whale sharks, two males, Taroko, and Yushan,^[16] and two females, Alice and Trixie, are held in the Georgia Aquarium, in Atlanta. The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Georgia at Pemberton Place, is billed as the "world's largest aquarium" with more than 8 Two male whale sharks, Ralph and Norton, died in captivity at the Georgia Aquarium on January 11, 2007 and June 13, 2007 respectively. ^[17] The two males were added on June 3, 2006 in hopes that reproduction in whale sharks could be studied in captivity. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. All six whale sharks were imported from Taiwan, where whale sharks are dubbed tofu sharks because of the taste and texture of the flesh. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Tofu, also (the Japanese Romaji spelling doufu (the Chinese Pinyin spelling often used in Chinese recipes or bean curd (the literal

See also

• List of sharks

References

General references

External links

• Reporting a whale shark sighting
• How to photograph a whale shark for mark-recapture research
• Whale Shark Research Discussion Forum
• sharkGrid - a grid computer for whale shark research
• Whale Shark Research in Utila, Honduras
• / A short film about Utilas Whale Sharks
• Whale Shark research in Mozambique
• Whale shark, Rhincodon typus MarineBio"
• ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library
• Whale Shark Project
• Whale sharks
• TimeAsia.com: Best of Asia, Best Animal Encounter
• Whale Shark profile and whale sharks in Belize from The Nature Conservancy
• Diving with whale sharks
• Diving with whale sharks in Belize at Gladden Split
• Albino whale shark photographed in Galapagos

The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable Environmental organization working to preserve the Plants, Animals, and natural communities

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