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The whale shark ( Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter feeder carpet shark and the largest known Extant taxon fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of . The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the most massive living non- animal. It is the sole member of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Before 1984 it was classified as Rhiniodon into Rhinodontidae.
Whale sharks inhabit the open waters of all tropical oceans. They are rarely found in water below . Whale sharks' lifespans are estimated to be between 80 and 130 years, based on studies of their vertebral growth bands and the growth rates of free-swimming sharks. Whale sharks have very large mouths and are filter feeders, which is a feeding mode that occurs in only two other sharks, the megamouth shark and the basking shark. They feed almost exclusively on Zooplankton and small fishes, and do not pose any threat to humans.
The species was distinguished in April 1828 after the harpooning of a specimen in Table Bay, South Africa. Andrew Smith, a military doctor associated with British troops stationed in Cape Town, described it the following year. The name "whale shark" refers to the animal's appearance and large size; it is a fish, not a mammal, and like all sharks is not closely related to .
Whale sharks have been found to possess dermal denticles on the surface of their eyeballs that are structured differently from their body denticles. The dermal denticles, as well as the whale shark's ability to retract its eyes deep into their sockets, serve to protect the eyes from damage.
Evidence suggests that whale sharks can recover from major injuries and may be able to regenerate small sections of their fins. Their spot markings have also been shown to reform over a previously wounded area.
The complete and annotated genome of the whale shark was published in 2017.
Rhodopsin, the light-sensing pigment in the of the retina, is normally sensitive to green and used to see in dim light, but in the whale shark (and the bottom-dwelling cloudy catshark) two amino acid substitutions make the pigment more sensitive to blue light instead, the light that dominates the deep ocean. One of these mutations also makes rhodopsin vulnerable to higher temperatures. In humans, a similar mutation leads to congenital stationary night blindness, as the human body temperature makes the pigment decay. This pigment becomes unstable in shallow water, where the temperature is higher and the full spectrum of light is present. To protect from this instability, the whale shark deactivates the pigment when in shallow water (as otherwise the pigment would hinder full color vision). In the colder environment at 2,000 meters below the surface where the shark dives, it is activated again. The mutations thus allow the shark to see well at both ends of its great vertical range. The eyes have also lost all cone cell except LWS.
Limited evidence, mostly from males, suggests that sexual maturity occurs around in length, with the possibility of females sexually maturing at a similar size or larger.
Various studies have aimed to estimate the growth and longevity of whale sharks, either by analysing evidence from vertebral growth rings or measurements taken from re-sighted sharks over several years. This information is used to model growth curves, which can predict asymptotic length. The growth curves produced from these studies have estimated asymptotic lengths ranging from .
A 2020 study looked at the growth of whale shark individuals over a 10-year period around the Ningaloo Reef and concluded the species exhibits sexual dimorphism with regard to size, with females growing larger than males. The study found that males on average reach in length. The same study had less female data but estimated an average length of around . However, this value dropped to if data from aquarium whale sharks was included. The authors noted that these estimates represent average asymptotic size and are not the maximum sizes possible. Additionally, they acknowledged the potential for regional size variation.
Most previous growth studies have had data predominately from males and none have data from sharks over ~. Not all previous studies created separate growth curves for males and females, instead combining data from both sexes. Those studies that made sex-specific growth curves have estimated large asymptotic length estimates for males, with lengths of or more. However, mostly immature males were available in these studies, with few adults to constrain the upper portion of the growth curves.
The largest total length for the species is uncertain due to a lack of detailed documentation of the largest reported individuals. Whale sharks as large as in length have been reported in scientific literature. However, most whale sharks observed are smaller.
Large whale sharks are difficult to measure accurately, both on the land and in the water. When on land, the total length measurement can be affected by how the tail is positioned, either angled as it would be in life or stretched as far as possible. Historically, techniques such as comparisons to objects of known size and knotted ropes have been used for in-water measurements, but these techniques may be inaccurate. Various forms of photogrammetry have been used to improve the accuracy of in-water measurements, including underwater and aerial techniques.
In 1868, the Irish natural scientist Edward Perceval Wright obtained several small whale shark specimens in the Seychelles. Wright was informed of one whale shark that was measured as exceeding . Wright claimed to have observed specimens over and was told of specimens upwards of .Wright, E. Perceval (2025). 9781241491611, British Library, Historical Print Editions. ISBN 9781241491611
Hugh M. Smith described a huge animal caught in a bamboo fish trap in Thailand in 1919. The shark was too heavy to pull ashore, and no measurements were taken. Smith learned through independent sources that it was at least 10 wa (a Thai unit of length measuring between a person's outstretched arms). Smith noted that one wa could be interpreted as either or the approximate average of , based on the local fishermen. Later sources have stated this whale shark as approximately , but the accuracy of the estimate has been questioned.
In 1934, a ship named the Maunganui came across a whale shark in the southern Pacific Ocean and rammed it. The shark became stuck on the prow of the ship, supposedly with on one side and on the other, suggesting a total length of about .
Scott A. Eckert & Brent S. Stewart reported on satellite tracking of whale sharks from 1994 to 1996. Out of the 15 individuals tracked, two females were reported as measuring and . A long whale shark was reported as being stranded along the Ratnagiri coast in 1995. A female individual with a Fish measurement of and an estimated total length at was reported from the Arabian Sea in 2001. In a 2015 study reviewing the size of marine megafauna, McClain and colleagues considered this female as being the most reliable and accurately measured.
On 7 February 2012, a large whale shark was found floating off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan. The length of the specimen was said to be between , with a weight of around .
The whale shark is migratory and has two distinct subpopulations: an Atlantic subpopulation, from Maine and the Azores to Cape Agulhas, South Africa, and an Indo-Pacific subpopulation which holds 75% of the entire whale shark population. It usually roams between 30°N and 35°S where water temperatures are higher than but have been spotted as far north as the Bay of Fundy, Canada and the Sea of Okhotsk north of Japan and as far south as Victoria, Australia.
Seasonal feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites such as the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, Darwin Island in the Galápagos, Quintana Roo in Mexico, Mafia Island of Pwani Region in Tanzania, Inhambane province in Mozambique, the Philippines, around Mahe in the Seychelles, the Gujarat and Kerala coasts of India, Taiwan, southern China and Qatar.
In 2011, more than 400 whale sharks gathered off the Yucatan Coast. It was one of the largest gatherings of whale sharks recorded. Aggregations in that area are among the most reliable seasonal gatherings known for whale sharks, with large numbers occurring in most years between May and September. Associated ecotourism has grown rapidly to unsustainable levels.
Vertebral growth bands have been used to estimate the age, growth, and longevity of whale sharks. However, there was uncertainty as to whether vertebrae growth bands are formed annually or biannually. A 2020 study compared the ratio of Carbon-14 isotopes found in growth bands of whale shark vertebrae to nuclear testing events in the 1950–60s, finding that growth bands are laid down annually. The study found an age of 50 years for a female and 35 years for a male. Various studies looking at vertebrae growth bands and measuring whale sharks in the wild have estimated their lifespans from ~80 years and up to ~130 years.
Evidence suggests that males grow faster than females in the earlier stages of life but ultimately reach a smaller maximum size. Whale sharks exhibit late sexual maturity. One study looking at free-swimming whale sharks estimated the age at maturity in males at ~25 years.
Pupping of whale sharks has not been observed, but mating has been witnessed twice in Saint Helena. Mating in this species was filmed for the first time in whale sharks off Ningaloo Reef via airplane in Australia in 2019, when a larger male unsuccessfully attempted to mate with a smaller, immature female.
The capture of a ~ female in July 1996 that was pregnant with ~300 pups indicated that whale sharks are Ovoviviparity. The eggs remain in the body and the females give birth to live young which are long. Evidence indicates the pups are not all born at once, but rather the female retains sperm from one mating and produces a steady stream of pups over a prolonged period.
On 7 March 2009, marine scientists in the Philippines discovered what is believed to be the smallest living specimen of the whale shark. The young shark, measuring only , was found with its tail tied to a stake at a beach in Pilar, Sorsogon, Philippines, and was released into the wild. Based on this discovery, some scientists no longer believe this area is just a feeding ground; this site may be a birthing ground, as well. Both young whale sharks and pregnant females have been seen in the waters of St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where numerous whale sharks can be spotted during the summer.
In a report from Rappler last August 2019, whale sharks were sighted during WWF Philippines' photo identification activities in the first half of the year. There were a total 168 sightings – 64 of them "re-sightings" or reappearances of previously recorded whale sharks. WWF noted that "very young whale shark juveniles" were identified among the 168 individuals spotted in the first half of 2019. Their presence suggests that the Ticao Pass may be a pupping ground for whale sharks, further increasing the ecological significance of the area.
Large adult females, often pregnant, are a seasonal presence around the Galapagos Islands, which may have reproductive significance. One study between 2011 and 2013 found that 91.5% of the whale sharks observed around Darwin Island were adult females.
The whale shark is an active feeder, targeting concentrations of plankton or fish. It is able to ram filter feed or can gulp in a stationary position. This is in contrast to the passive feeding basking shark, which does not pump water. Instead, it swims to force water across its gills.
A juvenile whale shark is estimated to eat 21 kg (46 pounds) of plankton per day.
The BBC program Planet Earth filmed a whale shark feeding on a school of small fish. The same documentary showed footage of a whale shark timing its arrival to coincide with the mass spawning of fish shoals and feeding on the resultant clouds of eggs and sperm. Jurassic Shark (2000) documentary by Jacinth O'Donnell; broadcast on Discovery Channel, 5 August 2006
Due their mode of feeding, whale sharks are susceptible to the ingestion of microplastics. As such, the presence of microplastics in whale shark scat was recently confirmed.
The shark is seen by divers in many places, including the Bay Islands in Honduras, Thailand, Indonesia (Bone Bolango, Cendrawasih Bay), the Philippines, the Maldives close to Maamigili (South Ari Atoll), the Red Sea, Western Australia (Ningaloo Reef, Christmas Island), Taiwan, Panama (Coiba Island), Belize, Tofo Beach in Mozambique, Sodwana Bay (Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) in South Africa, the Galapagos Islands, Saint Helena, Isla Mujeres (Caribbean Sea), La Paz, Baja California Sur and Bahía de los Ángeles in Mexico, the Seychelles, West Malaysia, islands off eastern peninsular Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, Oman, Fujairah, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the Caribbean.Leonard J. V. Compagno (2002). 9789251045435, Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). ISBN 9789251045435 Juveniles can be found near the shore in the Gulf of Tadjoura, near Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.Hawes, Craig (2 April 2013) Snorkelling with whale sharks in Djibouti. gulfnews.com
It is listed, along with six other species of sharks, under the Bonn Convention Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Sharks. In 1998, the Philippines banned all fishing, selling, importing, and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes, Whale Sharks Receive Protection in the Philippines . hayop.0catch.com. 27 March 1998 followed by India in May 2001 National Regulations on Whale Shark fishing. Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. and Taiwan in May 2007. COA bans fishing for whale sharks. Taipei Times, 27 May 2007, p. 4.
In 2010, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill resulted in of oil flowing into an area south of the Mississippi River Delta, where one-third of all whale shark sightings in the northern part of the gulf have occurred in recent years. Sightings confirmed that the whale sharks were unable to avoid the oil slick, which was situated on the surface of the sea where the whale sharks feed for several hours at a time. No dead whale sharks were found.Handwerk, Brian (24 September 2010) Whale Sharks Killed, Displaced by Gulf Oil? National Geographic News.
This species was also added to Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 2003 to regulate the international trade of live specimens and its parts. Whale shark. cites.org
It was reported in 2014 that hundreds of whale sharks were illegally killed every year in China for their fins, skins, and oil.
The first attempt at keeping whale sharks in captivity was in 1934 when an individual was kept for about four months in a netted-off natural bay in Izu Province, Japan. The first attempt of keeping whale sharks in an aquarium was initiated in 1980 by the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium (then known as Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium) in Japan. Since 1980, several have been kept at Okinawa, mostly obtained from incidental catches in coastal nets set by fishers (none after 2009), but two were strandings. Several of these were already weak from the capture/stranding and some were released, but initial captive survival rates were low. After the initial difficulties in maintaining the species had been resolved, some have survived long-term in captivity. The record for a whale shark in captivity is an individual that, as of 2021, has lived for more than 26 years in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium from Okinawa Ocean Expo Aquarium. Following Okinawa, Osaka Aquarium started keeping whale sharks and most of the basic research on the keeping of the species was made at these two institutions.
Since the mid-1990s, several other aquariums have kept the species in Japan (Kagoshima Aquarium, Kinosaki Marine World, Notojima Aquarium, Oita Marine Palace Aquarium, and Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise), South Korea (Aqua Planet Jeju), China (Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, Dalian Aquarium, Guangzhou Aquarium in Guangzhou Zoo, Qingdao Polar Ocean World and Yantai Aquarium), Taiwan (National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium), India (Thiruvananthapuram Aquarium) and Dubai (Atlantis, The Palm), with some maintaining whale sharks for years and others only for a very short period. The whale shark kept at Dubai's Atlantis, The Palm was rescued from shallow waters in 2008 with extensive abrasions to the fins and after rehabilitation it was released in 2010, having lived 19 months in captivity.
Outside Asia, the first and so far only place to keep whale sharks is Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, United States. This is unusual because of the comparatively long transport time and complex logistics required to bring the sharks to the aquarium, ranging between 28 and 36 hours. Georgia keeps two whale sharks: two males, Taroko and Yushan, who both arrived in 2007. Two earlier males at Georgia Aquarium, Ralph and Norton, both died in 2007. Trixie died in 2020. Alice died in 2021. Georgia's whale sharks were all imported from Taiwan and were taken from the commercial fishing quota for the species, usually used locally for food. Taiwan closed this fishery entirely in 2008.
In the Philippines, it is called butanding and balilan. Ocean Ambassadors – Sharks. Oneocean.org. Retrieved 23 May 2013. The whale shark is featured on the reverse of the Philippine 100-peso bill. By law snorkelers must maintain a distance of from the sharks and there is a fine and possible prison sentence for anyone who touches the animals.
Whale sharks are also known as in Japan (because the markings resemble patterns typically seen on ); gurano bintang (roughly "star from the East" ) in Indonesia; and ca ong (literally "sir fish") in Vietnam.
The whale shark is also featured on the latest 2015–2017 edition of the Maldivian 1000 rufiyaa banknote, along with the green turtle.
(2025). 9780867271676, Ohio Biological Survey. ISBN 9780867271676
(2025). 9780867271676, Ohio Biological Survey. ISBN 9780867271676 Marine Life Park in Singapore had planned on keeping whale sharks but scrapped this idea in 2009.
Human culture
In Madagascar, whale sharks are called marokintana in Malagasy, meaning "many stars", after the appearance of the markings on the shark's back.
Whale Shark Experts
See also
Further reading
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