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The whale shark ( Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft). [8] . The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the most massive living non-cetacean animal.
Whale Shark. Scientific Name: Rhincodon typus. Type: Fish. Diet: Carnivore. Group Name: School. Average Life Span In The Wild: 70 years. Size: 18 to 32.8 feet. Weight: 20.6 tons. Size relative...
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Apr 2, 2024 · The whale shark is enormous and reportedly capable of reaching a maximum length of about 18 metres (59 feet). Most specimens that have been studied, however, weighed about 15 tons (about 14 metric tons) and averaged about 12 metres (39 feet) in length. The body coloration is distinctive.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest shark, and indeed largest of any fishes alive today. They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. Whale sharks are found in all the tropical oceans of the world.
Growing up to 40 feet long, or the size of a school bus, the whale shark is the largest fish in the world. These huge sharks are characterized by their broad and flattened heads as well as the unique “checkerboard” color pattern on their sides and back of light spots and stripes on a dark shade of gray, blue and brown.
Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh up to 20,000 pounds. That is the height of two giraffes stacked on top of each other and the weight of two elephants combined. Their mouths are three feet wide and hold more than 350 rows of teeth.
