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The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second-largest living shark and fish, [4] after the whale shark. It is one of three plankton-eating shark species, along with the whale shark and megamouth shark. Typically, basking sharks reach 7.9 m (26 ft) in length.
The common name refers to its distinctive, thresher-like tail or caudal fin which can be as long as the body of the shark itself. Cetorhinidae: Basking sharks: 1 1 The basking shark is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark, and the second of three plankton-eating sharks, the other two being the whale shark and megamouth shark.
Cetorhinus huddlestoni is extinct species of basking shark that lived in the Middle miocene period. Its fossils consist of juvenile specimens, represented by fragmented and complete teeth. They are believed to be the same size as the current basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus). It was discovered in the Shark tooth Formation by Welton in 2013. [1]
Two marine biologists share 10 shark facts for kids, as well as why shark attacks happen and why sharks are essential to human survival.
The last sighting of a live basking shark was in 2012, although the species used to be "very common" in New Zealand waters during the mid-late 1990s. The basking shark is the second-largest fish ...
The shape of the caudal fin reflects the shark's lifestyle, and can be broadly divided into five categories: Fast-swimming sharks of open waters, such as the mackerel sharks, have crescent-shaped tails with upper and lower lobes of almost equal size. The high aspect ratio of the tail serves to enhance swimming power and efficiency.
Ground sharks are the largest order of sharks, and include a number of common types such as the blue shark, catsharks, swellsharks and sandbar sharks. Members of the orders are characterized by the presence of a nictitating membrane over the eye, two dorsal fins , an anal fin , and five gill slits.
Sharks typically targeted for their liver oil include the school and gulper shark, and the basking shark (pictured). [1] All three of these species are either endangered [2] [3] or critically endangered [4] due to overfishing according to the IUCN, although a legal targeted fishery for basking sharks no longer exists. [2]