Rhincodon Typus (pssss....that means a Whale Shark) |
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![]() Whale Shark and Scuba Diver |
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The whale shark is the biggest shark and the biggest fish. But it
is not a whale, even though it's part of it's name. The whale
shark has distinctive light-yellow markings all up and down it's
body. It's skin can be up to 4 inches thick. The whale
shark can reach up to 46 feet and can weigh up to 15 tons.
Females are larger than males, their's a first! |
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Diet |
The whale shark is a filter
feeder that sives small animals. |
Distribution |
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Swimming |
Whale sharks are slow swimmers,
going no more than 3 mph. |
Whale Shark Attacks |
Whale sharks are harmless
to people and usually indifferent to divers. |
Life Span |
It has been estimated that
whale sharks may live up to 100 - 150 years. |
Reproduction |
The Whale shark was long
thought to be oviparous (an egg 14 inches (36 cm) long was found in the
Gulf of Mexico in 1953; this would be the largest egg in the world).
Recently, pregnant females have been found containing hundreds of pups,
so, Whale sharks are viviparous, giving birth to live young. Newborns
are over 2 feet (60 cm) long. |
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