The Worlds Largest Fish: Whale Sharks
The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the world's largest known fish species. Up to 62 ft (18meters), these animals have been reported in all tropical oceans of the world.
The mouth of this shark is not on the underside like other sharks. They have 300 back curved teeth that ironically aren't used for eating. For feeding- there are "filter pads" which separate large amounts of water from their prey!
A true "filter feeder" the whale shark eats a wide variety of plankton and nekton (small fishes and squid) They are often seen feeding at the surface, but have been documented as deep as 8,500-15,000 feet of water, or 3,000+ meters!
Each Whale Shark has a unique checkerboard spot pattern on its body. If you can get a photo of a whale shark's left "cheek", it can be matched using pattern matching algorithms. This is like facial recognition software for animal patterns, like a whale's tail fluke or a mantas underbelly!
If you see a whale shark from sea (or air) off Kaua'i or Ni'ihau please call us!(808)-651-6355. We will deploy the vessel "Papio" and try to get photo ID's. Ocean users can submit photos to Hawaiiuncharted.org and /or -the worldwide database at sharkbook.ai, studying elusive migratory patterns of these magnificent animals!
Photo Contributions: Captain Tara Leota, Kauai Ocean Awareness
