Whale Shark information
Diet, habitat, lifespan, size and speed for the Whale Shark, from the Animalsss field guide — with market prices, listings and guides as they arrive.
About Whale Shark
The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. An individual with a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft) has been considered the largest reliably recorded. The whale shark holds many records for size in the animal kingdom, most notably being by far the largest living non-cetacean animal. It is the only living species of the genus Rhincodon and the only extant member of the family Rhincodontidae, which belongs to the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes. Before 1984, it was classified as Rhiniodon into Rhinodontidae. An extinct species, Rhincodon ferriolensis, was described in Europe, in the Late Burdigalian stage.
Whale Shark facts & figures
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Balaenoptera musculus
- Diet
- Carnivore (filter)
- Habitat
- Open oceans
- A group is called
- Pod
Conservation status
Source: IUCN Red List via GBIF
Classification
- Kingdom Animalia
- Phylum Chordata
- Class Mammalia
- Order Cetacea
- Family Balaenopteridae
- Genus Balaenoptera
- Species Balaenoptera musculus
Source: GBIF
Specs
Typical adult range
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Post a Free AdWhale Shark — questions people ask
What is the scientific name of the Whale Shark?
Balaenoptera musculus. In the GBIF backbone taxonomy it sits in Class Mammalia, Order Cetacea, Family Balaenopteridae.
Is the Whale Shark endangered?
The IUCN Red List category recorded for Balaenoptera musculus is Endangered (EN), read from the Red List category GBIF publishes for that taxon.
How long does a Whale Shark live?
70 to 90 years, from the field-guide figures shown on this page.
What does a Whale Shark eat?
Carnivore (filter). Its usual habitat is open oceans.
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