Photos courtesy NOAA

Fishin' for Facts: Whale Sharks

Common name: Whale Shark            Scientific name: Rhindodon typus

bullet

Size: 45 ft. long (maximum)

bullet

Where are they found?

Whale sharks are found around the world in temperate and tropical seas.

bullet

What do they eat?

Whale sharks eat plankton. They filter it out of the water with a specialized feeding mechanism of cartilaginous rods between the gill arches.

bullet

Highlights

Whale sharks are the largest kind of fish, and, of course, the largest species of shark. They are also one of the prettiest sharks. Their skin is a slate gray (blue-gray) color. They have a unique combination of have white spots and stripes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We can't save sharks...alone. Make a difference, please join us May 13, 2011 for
Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks a Voice

Fintastic Friday Highlighted in New Book! Order your copy today!

   National Geographic Kids Everything Sharks
    Musgrave, Ruth A. March 2011 (ISBN 9781426307690)

Back to the Fishin' for Facts page

Back to WhaleTimesAsk Jake, the SeaDogBack to the KidsPage

WhaleTimes, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. Find out how to support WhaleTimes education programs.

About WhaleTimes

Copyright 2011-1995 WhaleTimes, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No portion of this website can be used in any other works without written permission of WhaleTimes, Inc.

Hit Counter