1 / 7

Fascinating Facts About the Whale Shark: The Ocean's Largest Fish

The whale shark, the biggest fish in the sea, can grow up to 60 feet long and weigh as much as 15 tons. With a lifespan of 70 to 100 years, these gentle giants are found in tropical oceans and open seas. As filter feeders, they consume macro-algae, plankton, and small vertebrates, using their impressive 5-foot wide mouths filled with tiny teeth to catch prey. Unfortunately, over-fishing and demand for shark fin soup have endangered their populations. Currently, the whale shark is listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.

dacia
Télécharger la présentation

Fascinating Facts About the Whale Shark: The Ocean's Largest Fish

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Creature Feature

  2. Whale Shark The Biggest Fish in the Sea

  3. Fast Facts • Grow up to 60 ft in length • Weigh up to 15 tons • Life span between 70 – 100 years • Found in tropical oceans and in the open sea

  4. Filter Feeder • Eats macro-algae, plankton, krill, and small squid or vertebrates • Mouth can be up to 5 ft wide and can contain between 300 and 350 rows of tiny teeth. • Use sense of smell to located lunch

  5. Distribution

  6. Reproduction • Ovoviviparous - the eggs remain in the body and the females give birth to live young • Reach maturity around 25 years

  7. Conservation • Over-fishing and the popularity of shark fin soup have put a dent in the population of all sharks. • The whale shark is particularly susceptible to reduced numbers because of the late age they reach sexual maturity. • Sadly, the whale shark stands a decent chance at being harpooned before it can give birth, leading to dwindling numbers. • Currently, the whale shark is listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union.

More Related