Photogragh by Ron & Valerie Taylor

Whale Shark

Scientific Name - - Rhincodon typus

Size - The Whale shark can grow up to 50 feet long and weigh up to 15 tons. It is the largest fish in the world.

Diet - - Filter feeders, they sieve plankton. It swims with its mouth open, and after closing its mouth, uses gill rakers to filter the nourishment from the water. Gill rakers are bristly structures that trap the organisms which the shark then swallows. The water is expelled through 5 pairs of gill slits. The whale shark can process over 1500 gallons of water each hour.

Habitat - - near the equator both along the coast and in the open seas mostly near the surface.

Reproduction - - viviparous giving birth to live young.