The largest fish in the world is the whale shark. Its length can reach 15 meters, and its weight - up to 12 tons. The mouth of this shark can easily swallow a person, but you should not be afraid of this. Unlike its relatives, the whale shark does not pose a danger to humans.
Food
The largest fish on Earth feeds on the smallest marine creatures. By way of feeding, whale sharks are similar to baleen whales. Their diet includes plankton, caviar, and less often small fish.
In different countries, the whale shark is called differently. In Madagascar it is called "multi-star", in South America - "domino", and in Africa "Papa shilling" for its characteristic white spots.
With its huge mouth, a whale shark can absorb more than 5 thousand cubic meters of water in an hour. With the help of the gills, she filters out small particles that settle in her esophagus and then enter the stomach. An adult shark can eat more than 200 kg of feed per day, but it does not need such portions daily. This species of shark can go without food for a long time.
Habitat
These fish live in tropical and subtropical waters of the World Ocean. In search of food, sharks travel a lot, covering vast distances of several thousand kilometers. Most often, whale sharks can be seen in the coastal regions of the Seychelles, Madagascar and off the coast of South Africa. As a rule, their appearance near the coast is seasonal. This is due to the spawning of local marine life. For example, from April to June, whale sharks gather in large groups at the Ningaloo coral reefs along the west coast of Australia. This is because at this time the coastal waters are literally teeming with eggs of polyps and fish.
Whale shark study
The life of whale sharks remains a mystery to this day. Until the middle of the 19th century, they were not even considered a separate species of shark. Their study is complicated by the large route of their migration, and they move one by one, less often - in small groups. Until now, it remains unknown where and how they reproduce, what is their number.
The dark body of this fish is covered with light stripes and spots, which form a pattern unique to each individual, like fingerprints in humans. This recognition method enables scientists to track the migration routes of whale sharks.
Extinction threat
Unfortunately, whale sharks are critically endangered. Their extinction is evidenced by the fact that 10 years ago, scientists observed individuals up to 10 meters long. Now the maximum size of whale sharks is only 7 meters.
These fish have no natural enemies. The main reason for the disappearance is considered to be the massive hunting of these sharks by people. The increased demand for whale shark meat and fins since the 1980s has increased the catch from a few to several hundred. This has led to a sharp decline in the whale shark population.
The whale shark is recognized as an endangered species. In the waters of the Philippines, Honduras, Australia, the Maldives and South Africa, hunting for it is strictly prohibited.
Population recovery is very slow. Whale sharks reach sexual maturity after 20 years of life. In this case, the female bears her offspring for at least 2 years.
