Giants of the Animal Kingdom #1

Without a doubt, sharks are among the most feared creatures on Earth. And even though they rarely attack divers, the media and the film industry imbued young generations with the premise that sharks lurk in the deep just to hunt humans.But little do they know that even the largest shark in the world is as harmless as your aquarium goldfish. 

Largest Fish in the World

                     

So what exactly is that creature?

Rhincodon Typus(Whale Sharks):is the largest slow moving shark that filter feeds on plankton and small fish and is the only extant member of its family and genus.

Size and Growth:Whale Sharks are the largest non-cetaceans.Females reach lengths of about 14 meters while males grow up to 8 meters on average.Both have a slow metabolism with males reaching sexual maturity at about 25 years of age.

Habitat:Whale Sharks live in tropical pelagic areas where they don't dive deep.

Pelagic Zone

Reproduction:Whale sharks are ovoviviparous (they keep the eggs inside the females body and then they hatch inside and come out live). The pups aren’t born at once but sperm cells from mating are kept to produce pups over a period of time.

Conservation Status: They are classified as Endangered because of Fishing and vessel strikes.

Conservation Status Chart

Diet: They are filter feeders .They feed on plankton, small crustaceans(like crabs), fish eggs, small fish and squids.

As well as the other species of sharks, Whale Sharks have no interest in humans(in fact, we are the ones interested in them).It's good to remember that we,not them,are invading on their natural habitats.