Fishing planet biggest fish8/25/2023 When food concentrations are high, the shark will use one of two suction-type feeding methods: active suction feeding and vertical suction feeding.Multiple feeding methods may be observed in whale sharks:.This is very efficient and does not clog the filters. A bolus or spinning ball of food grows in diameter at the back of the throat until it triggers a swallowing reflex. Rather, water is directed away through the gills while particles (which have more momentum) carry on toward the back of the mouth in an ever more concentrated stream. A whale shark filters food from the water by “cross-flow filtration,” which means the particles do not catch on the filter.Can only swallow small prey because its throat is very narrow, often compared to the size of a quarter.and small fishes (sardines, anchovies, etc). ![]() Consists of zooplankton, specifically sergestid shrimps and fish eggs as well as krill, jellies, copepods, coral spawn, etc.There are about 300 rows of tiny teeth along the inner surface of each jaw, just inside the mouth.The teeth of the whale shark are tiny and pointed backward they are thought to have no function in feeding.Each whale shark has its own individual spot pattern like human fingerprints, no two are exactly alike.Whale sharks have a two-toned pattern of light spots on their dark gray back with a white underside.The skin of an adult whale shark can be as thick as 4 inches (10 cm) and has the consistency of strong rubber, which limits possible predators to killer whales, great white sharks, tiger sharks and humans.These stop the backflow of water as the whale shark closes its mouth, preventing the loss of food. Inside the mouth are specialized flaps called velums.The whale shark has a huge mouth, which can reach up to 4 feet (1.2 m) across, located at the front of the head.Unlike most shark species, its mouth is located at the front of the head (terminal) instead of the underside of the rostrum (subterminal).It has a vestigial spiracle behind the eye, which is an evolutionary remnant of its common ancestry with bottom-dwelling (benthic) carpet sharks. Whale sharks have a broad, flat head, relatively small eyes, five large gill slits, two dorsal fins, two long pectoral fins, two pelvic fins, one anal fin and a large sweeping tail.Newborns measure 21 to 25 inches (53-64 cm) long.The average length is between 18 and 32 feet (5.5-9.8 m).The largest accurately measured whale shark was 61.7 feet (18.8 m). ![]() Because of its size and cartilaginous skeleton, it does not fossilize well and in life it is very difficult to weigh accurately. ![]()
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