When you think of sharks, whale sharks are probably the first species that comes to mind. They are huge, graceful and colorful. They are not voracious predators because they feed on some of the smallest creatures in the ocean.
Here are some interesting facts about whale sharks.
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world
One of the most striking facts about whale sharks is that they are the largest fish in the world. The whale shark has a maximum length of about 65 feet and weighs 75,000 pounds, which is comparable in size to large whales.
Female whale sharks are larger than males
Female whale sharks are usually larger than males. This is true for most other sharks and baleen whales, another large marine animal that feeds on small organisms.
How to distinguish between male and female whale sharks? Like other shark species, male sharks have a pair of appendages called clasps that are used to catch female sharks and transfer sperm during mating, and females do not have clasps.
Whale sharks are migratory
Until recent decades, little was known about the activities of whale sharks, when the development of marker technology allowed scientists to tag whale sharks and observe their migration.
We now know that whale sharks are capable of thousands of miles of migration, with a tagged shark migrating 8,000 miles in 37 months. Mexico seems to be a popular gathering place for sharks – in 2009, a "swarm" of more than 400 whale sharks was discovered near Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
Whale sharks can be studied by identifying individuals
Whale sharks have a beautiful coloring pattern with a blue-gray to brown back and a white belly. This is an example of an anti-shading that can be used for camouflage. They also have light vertical and horizontal stripes on the sides and back with white or cream spots.
These can also be used for camouflage. Each whale shark has a unique pattern of spots and stripes, allowing researchers to study them using photo recognition. By taking pictures of whale sharks (similar to how whales are studied), scientists can classify individuals based on their patterns and match whale sharks they see subsequently to the catalog.
Whale sharks live in warm waters around the world
Whale sharks are a widely distributed species. They are found in the warmer waters of several oceans, such as the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Whale sharks feed on some of the smallest creatures in the ocean
Despite their huge size, whale sharks feed on tiny plankton, small fish and crustaceans. They feed by swallowing a mouthful of water and forcing the water through the gills. Prey is trapped in fine dermal teeth and a rake-like structure called a pharynx. This amazing creature can filter out more than 1,500 gallons of water per hour.
Whale sharks and other cartilaginous fish, such as rays and rays, are cartilaginous fish. Their skeleton is not made of bone, but of cartilage, a tough, flexible tissue. Because cartilage is not as well preserved as bone, much of what we know about early sharks comes from teeth, not fossilized bones.
You can swim with whale sharks
Due to their gentle temperament, they can swim, snorkel and dive with whale sharks.
Mexico, Australia, Honduras and the Philippines have developed excursions where people can swim with whale sharks.
Whale sharks can live for more than 100 years
There's a lot more to learn about the life cycle of whale sharks. This is what we know. Whale sharks are ovoviviparous – females lay eggs, but they develop inside her. One study suggests that whale sharks have the potential to lay several litters of pups in a single mating. Whale shark pups are born about 2 feet long.
Scientists aren't sure how long whale sharks live, but based on their size and age at which they first reproduce (males are around 30 years old), it's thought that whale sharks can live at least 100-150 years.
Whale shark populations are on the verge of extinction
Whale sharks are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. It is still hunted in some areas, and its fins are valuable in the shark fin trade. Because they grow and reproduce slowly, populations may not recover quickly if the species is overfished.
The hathead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), also known as the cap shark, hatnose shark and shovelhead shark, is one of the nine species of hammerhead shark. These sharks have a unique hammer or shovel-shaped head. The bonnethead has a spade-shaped head with smooth edges.
The shape of Bonnethead's head may help it find prey more easily. A 2009 study found that the Bonnethead shark has a near-360-degree field of view and excellent depth perception.
These are social sharks, most commonly found in groups of 3 to 15 sharks.
More about head sharks
Skull sharks average about 2 feet long and can reach up to 5 feet in length. Females are usually larger than males. The back of the skull shark is greyish brown or grey, usually with dark spots and a white underside. These sharks need to swim constantly to provide fresh oxygen to their gills.
Classify skull sharks
· Kingdom: Animal Kingdom
· Phylum: Chordate phylum
· Subphylum: Phylum of jawed animals
· Superclass: Pisces
· Order: Suborder Plategills
· Suborder: Sharks
· Order: Ascaris
Habitat and distribution
Cranial sharks are found in the subtropical waters of the western Atlantic from South Carolina to Brazil, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and the eastern Pacific Ocean from Southern California to Ecuador. They live in shallow bays and estuaries.
Skull sharks prefer water temperatures above 70 F and migrate seasonally to warmer waters during the winter. On these trips, they may travel in groups with thousands of sharks. As an example of their travels, in the United States, they are found near the Carolinas and Georgia in the summer and in southern Florida and the Gulf of Mexico in the spring, fall, and winter.
How sharks eat
Skull sharks eat mainly crustaceans (especially blue crabs), but also small fish, bivalves, and cephalopods.
Skull sharks feed mainly during the day. They swim slowly towards their prey, then quickly attack the prey, crushing it with their teeth. These sharks have a unique two-stage jaw closure. The head shark does not bite its prey and stops after the jaw is closed, but continues to bite its prey in the second stage of jaw closure. This increases their ability to specialize in hard prey, such as crabs. After the prey is crushed, it is sucked into the shark's esophagus.
Shark breeding
As spawning season approaches, head sharks organize into groups by sex. These sharks are viviparous... This means they give birth to live pups in shallow waters after a gestation period of 4 to 5 months, the shortest gestation period of any shark known. The embryo is nourished by the yolk sac placenta (yolk sac attached to the wall of the mother's uterus). During development in the mother's body, the uterus is divided into compartments, each compartment housing each embryo and its yolk sac. Each litter produces 4 to 16 litters. Pups are about 1 foot long and weigh about half a pound at birth.
Shark attack
Skull sharks are considered harmless to humans.
Protect sharks
Skull sharks are listed as "least concerned" by the IUCN Red List, which says they are one of the "highest shark population growth rates" and the species is abundant despite fishing activity. These sharks may be caught for display in aquariums and used for human consumption and to make fishmeal.