Whale shark in the Andaman Sea around the Similan Islands
The size of various whale shark individuals with a human for scale
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[2]
CITES Appendix II (CITES)[3]
Scientific classification
Domain:
Eukaryota
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Subclass:
Elasmobranchii
Subdivision:
Selachimorpha
Order:
Orectolobiformes
Family:
Rhincodontidae
Genus:
Rhincodon A. Smith, 1829[7][6]
Species:
R. typus
Binomial name
Rhincodon typus
(A. Smith, 1828)[4][5][6]
Range of whale shark[needs update]
Synonyms
Micristodus punctatus Gill, 1865
Rhineodon Denison, 1937
Rhiniodon typus A. Smith, 1828[4]
Rhinodon pentalineatus Kishinouye, 1901
Rhinodon typicus Müller & Henle, 1839
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft).[8] The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the most massive living non-cetacean 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 21 °C (70 °F).[2] 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.[9][10][11] 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 plankton and small fishes and pose no threat to humans.
The species was distinguished in April 1828 after the harpooning of a 4.6 m (15 ft) specimen in Table Bay, South Africa. Andrew Smith, a military doctor associated with British troops stationed in Cape Town, described it the following year.[12] 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 whales.[13] In addition, its filter feeding habits are similar to baleen whales.
^"Rhincodon typus in the Paleobiology Database". Fossilworks. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
^ abPierce, S.J.; Norman, B. (2016). "Rhincodon typus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T19488A2365291. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19488A2365291.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
^"Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
^ abCite error: The named reference Smith, 1828 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Penrith, 1972 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ abCite error: The named reference Melville, 1984 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Cite error: The named reference Smith, 1829 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, Dove ADM, Gaskins LC, Helm RR, Hochberg FG, Lee FB, Marshall A, McMurray SE, Schanche C, Stone SN, Thaler AD. 2015. "Sizing ocean giants: patterns of intraspecific size variation in marine megafauna". PeerJ 3:e715 doi:10.7717/peerj.715.
^Hsu, Hua Hsun; Joung, Shoou Jeng; Hueter, Robert E.; Liu, Kwang Ming (2014). "Age and growth of the whale shark (Rhincodon typus) in the north-western Pacific". Marine and Freshwater Research. 65 (12): 1145. doi:10.1071/MF13330. ISSN 1323-1650.
^Colman, J. G. Froese, Ranier; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Rhincodon typus". FishBase. Retrieved 17 September 2006.
^Perry, Cameron T.; Figueiredo, Joana; Vaudo, Jeremy J.; Hancock, James; Rees, Richard; Shivji, Mahmood (2018). "Comparing length-measurement methods and estimating growth parameters of free-swimming whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) near the South Ari Atoll, Maldives". Marine and Freshwater Research. 69 (10): 1487. doi:10.1071/MF17393. ISSN 1323-1650.
^Martin, R. Aidan. "Rhincodon or Rhiniodon? A Whale Shark by Any Other Name". ReefQuest Centre for Shark Research.
^Brunnschweiler, J. M.; Baensch, H.; Pierce, S. J.; Sims, D. W. (3 February 2009). "Deep-diving behaviour of a whale shark Rhincodon typus during long-distance movement in the western Indian Ocean". Journal of Fish Biology. 74 (3): 706–14. Bibcode:2009JFBio..74..706B. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.02155.x. PMID 20735591.
The whaleshark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual...
basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second-largest living shark and fish, after the whaleshark. It is one of three plankton-eating shark species...
deep sea species that is only 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, to the whaleshark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world, which reaches approximately...
"White shark's diet may include biggest fish of all: whaleshark". New Scientist. Moore, G. I.; Newbrey, M. G. (2015). "Whaleshark on a white shark's menu"...
whale-eating cetaceans, such as Livyatan and other macroraptorial sperm whales and possibly smaller ancestral killer whales (Orcinus). As the shark preferred...
smallest of the three extant filter-feeding sharks alongside the relatively larger whaleshark and basking shark. Since its discovery in 1976, fewer than...
carpet shark (Parascyllium variolatum), the zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum), and the ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus). Nurse sharks and whale sharks...
specimens include whalesharks, beluga whales, California sea lions, bottlenose dolphins, manta rays, sea otters, and tiger sharks. Its centerpiece is...
who fears being eaten by a shark and is an enemy to Don Lino. Sean Bishop as an unnamed green sperm whale who attends the Whale Wash. Christina Aguilera...
sleeper sharks. New species have been discovered, including some potentially specializing in whale falls. It has been postulated that whale falls generate...
the largest extant sharks, the tiger shark ranks in average size only behind the whaleshark (Rhincodon typus), the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)...
pelagic zone Sand tiger sharks – tend to congregate on certain reefs and wrecks at specific times of the year Basking and whalesharks – non-aggressive plankton...
prey. This includes a variety of fish, sharks, rays, and marine mammals such as seals and other dolphins and whales. They are highly social; some populations...
Rhincodontidae is a shark family which includes the whaleshark, the sole extant member and the largest living fish. A single extinct genus, Palaeorhincodon...
and the third largest shark overall after the whaleshark and the basking shark. Due to living in frigid depths, the sleeper shark's liver oil does not contain...
tourist destination and now known as the “WhaleShark Capital of the World”. Interaction with the whalesharks is regulated by the local Department of Tourism...
Fish vary greatly in size. The whaleshark and basking shark exceed all other fish by a considerable margin in weight and length. Fish are a paraphyletic...
regard the whaleshark and the basking shark as trophy species, and pay $10,000 to $20,000 for a fin. The regulated global catch of sharks reported to...
the tourist spots in the province because of the frequent sightings of whalesharks (known as butanding in the local vernacular) in the coastal areas. The...
(/ˈlæmnɪfɔːrmiːz/, from Greek lamna "fish of prey") are an order of sharks commonly known as mackerel sharks (which may also refer specifically to the family Lamnidae)...
Sumilon Island is via Dumaguete since it is also close to the island. Whalesharks can be spotted in Tan‑awan which is 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the center...
communication, or for ramming prey and other sperm whales. The whale may have interacted with the large extinct shark megalodon (Otodus megalodon), competing with...
the WhaleShark". The Scientific Monthly. 50 (3): 225–233. Bibcode:1940SciMo..50..225G. JSTOR 16929. Eveleth, Rose (25 February 2013). "Could a whale accidentally...
the first public aquariums in the world that breeds large sharks and rays such as whalesharks and manta rays. The captivity of manta ray dates back to...
Rhincodontidae (Whalesharks) Genus Rhincodon A. Smith, 1828 Rhincodon typus A. Smith, 1828 (whaleshark) Family Stegostomatidae (zebra sharks) Genus Stegostoma...
morphological support for the placement of the zebra shark, the whaleshark (Rhincodon typus), and the nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum, Nebrius ferrugineus...
method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish (including some sharks). Some birds, such as flamingos and certain species of...
largest recorded egg is from a whaleshark and was 30 cm × 14 cm × 9 cm (11.8 in × 5.5 in × 3.5 in) in size. Whaleshark eggs typically hatch within the...
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