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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.
Rhincodontidae is a shark family which includes the whale shark, the sole extant member and the largest living fish. A single extinct genus, Palaeorhincodon , is known from the Paleocene as well. [ 1 ]
The family Balaenidae, the right whales, contains two genera and four species. All right whales have no ventral grooves; a distinctive head shape with a strongly arched, narrow rostrum, bowed lower jaw; lower lips that enfold the sides and front of the rostrum; and long, narrow, elastic baleen plates (up to nine times longer than wide) with fine baleen fringes.
The first shark-like chondrichthyans appeared in the oceans 400 million years ago, [1] developing into the crown group of sharks by the Early Jurassic. [2] Listed below are extant species of shark. Sharks are spread across 512 described and 23 undescribed species in eight orders. The families and genera within the orders are listed in ...
They are found only in the shallow waters of the western Pacific. They are relatively small sharks, with the largest species reaching no more than 91 cm (2.99 ft) in adult length. [12] Rhincodontidae: Whale sharks: 1 1 The whale shark is the largest extant fish species, growing over 12 m (40 ft) long and weighing over 20 tonnes (45,000 lb). It ...
Sharks range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi), a deep sea species that is only 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world, which reaches approximately 12 metres (40 ft) in length. [4]
The study found that whale sharks are skilled divers, so orcas attack from below and keep the whale shark at the water's surface. Then, the orcas find a way to flip the whale shark so it's belly up.
They are commonly found attached to sharks, manta rays, whales, turtles, and dugongs, hence the common names "sharksucker" and "whalesucker". Smaller remoras also fasten onto fish such as tuna and swordfish , and some of the smallest remoras travel in the mouths or gills of large manta rays, ocean sunfish , swordfish and sailfish .