![Where They are Found!
The whale shark is found in tropical and warm
oceans and lives in the open sea with a
lifespan of about 70 years.[3]
They are known to migrate every spring to the
continental shelf of the central west coast of
Australia](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/whalesharkppt-120701153522-phpapp02/85/Whale-shark-ppt-4-320.jpg)
Whale shark ppt
- 1. Whale Shark Taylor Williams P.6
- 2. SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION COMMON NAME:whale shark KINGDOM: Animalia PHYLUM: Chordata CLASS: Chondrichthyes ORDER: Orectolobiformes FAMILY: Rhincodontidae GENUS SPECIES: Rhincodon typus
- 3. Fast facts DESCRIPTION: The whale shark can be easily identified by its titanic size and its distinctive coloration with patterns of light spots and stripes on a blue to gray background. MALE External claspers located on the far underside of the body - forward of the caudal fin - distinguish males. SIZE: Averages 4-12 m (13-39 ft.) in length; believed to reach a maximum size of 18 m (59 ft.) WEIGHT: Up to 11,800 kg (26,000 lb.) DIET: Primarily plankton; occassionally small to medium-sized fish GESTATION: Whale sharks are ovoviviparous ("egg live birth"). In this form of reproduction, the internally fertilized eggs are retained inside the female's body. The embryos develop in membranous "shells." They shed their membranes inside the female, who then gives birth to live offspring.
- 4. Where They are Found! The whale shark is found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea with a lifespan of about 70 years.[3] They are known to migrate every spring to the continental shelf of the central west coast of Australia
- 5. Diet • Although whale sharks have very large mouths, as filter feeders they feed mainly on macro-algae, plankton, krill, Christmas Island red crab, larvae, and small nektonic life such as small squid or vertebrates. • They are one of only three known filter feeding shark species
- 6. Conservation status • The whale shark is targeted by commercial fisheries in several areas where they seasonally aggregate. Human purposes •Food •Entertainment in aquariums