Whale Sharks | SHARK ACADEMY

BlueWorldTV

6 Jun 201403:54

Summary

TLDRIn this episode of Shark Academy, Jonathan Bird introduces the whale shark, the world's largest fish, which can grow up to 50 feet long. Despite its enormous size, the whale shark is harmless, feeding primarily on plankton and small fish by filtering water through its gills. Bird explains its unique polka-dotted skin pattern and the fascinating fact that female whale sharks give birth to over 300 pups, though they're only about a foot long at birth. He also highlights the importance of conservation due to overfishing threats. Viewers are encouraged to subscribe and follow for more shark adventures.

Takeaways

🐋 The whale shark is the world's largest fish, often compared to the size of a whale but is not a whale.
🦈 Whale sharks are fish, not mammals, unlike whales which breathe air and are mammals.
🚍 Whale sharks can grow up to 50 feet long, which is the length of two school buses placed end to end.
🍽️ Despite their enormous size, whale sharks feed on plankton and small fish by filtering water through their gills.
🦷 Whale sharks are harmless to humans, with throats too small to swallow a person.
⚠️ The only way a whale shark could harm a human is through accidental contact, such as being hit by its tail.
🔵 Whale sharks have a distinctive polka-dotted and striped skin pattern, often referred to as the 'Domino shark' in some countries.
🤷 The purpose of the whale shark's skin pattern is unclear, but it might act as camouflage in the water.
🐣 Whale shark pups are born about a foot long, and females can give birth to over 300 pups at a time.
⏳ Whale sharks do not reproduce until around 30 years old, making them vulnerable to overfishing despite their large number of offspring.

Q & A

What is the whale shark, and how does it differ from a whale?
-The whale shark is the world's largest fish, not a whale. It is called a whale shark because of its enormous size, similar to a whale, but it is a fish, unlike whales, which are mammals and breathe air.
Why is the whale shark considered harmless to humans?
-The whale shark is considered harmless because it feeds on plankton and small fish, not humans. Its throat is too small to swallow anything larger than plankton or small fish, making it incapable of swallowing a human.
How does a whale shark feed?
-A whale shark feeds by swimming with its mouth wide open, filtering water through its gills. The gills contain comb-like structures called gill rakers that trap plankton and small fish, which the shark then swallows.
How large can whale sharks grow?
-Whale sharks can grow up to 50 feet long, which is approximately the length of two school buses placed end to end.
What do whale sharks eat, and how much do they need to eat to sustain their size?
-Whale sharks mainly eat plankton and small fish. Despite their enormous size, they survive almost exclusively on these tiny organisms by filtering vast quantities of water to capture their food.
What is unique about the whale shark's skin pattern?
-The whale shark has a distinctive polka-dotted, stripey pattern on its skin, which resembles dominoes. Some countries even refer to it as the 'Domino shark.' The purpose of this pattern may be to help with camouflage in dappled light near the surface.
Why do whale sharks have a camouflage-like pattern if they are so large?
-While it's not entirely understood, the best theory is that the whale shark’s skin pattern helps it blend in with the light near the surface, providing some level of camouflage. However, it's unclear why they need this camouflage, especially since their prey—plankton—doesn't require stealth.
How are whale shark pups born, and how many can a female give birth to?
-Whale shark pups are born small, only about a foot long. A female whale shark can give birth to over 300 pups at a time because of their small size.
At what age can female whale sharks produce offspring?
-Female whale sharks cannot produce offspring until they reach 30 years of age. This long maturation period makes them vulnerable to overfishing.
What are some risks that whale sharks face despite their large number of pups?
-Whale sharks are vulnerable to overfishing, even though females give birth to many pups. Their long reproductive cycle and slow maturity make it difficult for populations to recover from overfishing.

Outlines

00:00

🦈 The World's Largest Fish: The Whale Shark

The whale shark, despite its name, is not a whale but the world's largest fish. Jonathan Bird explains that while sharks are fish, the whale shark is particularly massive, growing up to fifty feet in length, comparable to two school buses placed end to end. It's called a 'whale shark' solely because of its enormous size, but it's not related to whales, which are mammals and breathe air. Instead, whale sharks are fish and possess all the traits of fish, including gills for breathing underwater.

🐟 Whale Sharks: Gentle Giants

Despite its enormous size, the whale shark feeds primarily on plankton and small fish. It swims with its mouth wide open, filtering water through its gills, which are equipped with gill rakers—filters that trap plankton. Once a sufficient amount of food is collected, the shark swallows it. Due to its small throat size, the whale shark is harmless to humans. Even if someone were to enter its mouth, the shark wouldn't be able to swallow them. The only way a whale shark could potentially cause harm is if it accidentally hit someone with its tail.

🎨 The Unique Skin Pattern of Whale Sharks

One of the most visually striking features of the whale shark is its polka-dotted, stripey skin pattern, which resembles dominoes. In some countries, this has earned it the nickname 'Domino shark.' While the exact purpose of this pattern is uncertain, it's thought to provide camouflage by mimicking the dappling effect of sunlight near the water's surface. However, scientists remain unsure why a whale shark would need camouflage, given that it feeds on plankton and doesn't rely on stealth to catch its prey.

🐣 Whale Shark Pups: Small but Many

Despite the whale shark's immense size, its pups are surprisingly small—only about a foot long at birth. Female whale sharks can give birth to over 300 pups at once. However, females don't start reproducing until they reach about thirty years old, so it takes a long time for whale shark populations to grow. Because of this, whale sharks are vulnerable to overfishing despite their high reproductive rate.

🌊 Join the Shark Adventure

Jonathan Bird invites viewers to explore more about whale sharks by checking out his adventure filming them in Mexico. He also encourages viewers to connect on Facebook and Twitter, leave comments or requests, and subscribe to his channel for more shark-related content. Bird wraps up the video by encouraging viewers to hit the subscribe button if they haven't already.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Whale Shark

The whale shark is the world's largest fish and a type of shark that can grow up to fifty feet long. It is named 'whale' due to its enormous size, but it is not related to whales, which are mammals. In the video, Jonathan Bird explains its gentle nature and its distinct feeding habits.

💡Fish

Sharks, including whale sharks, are classified as fish, which distinguishes them from mammals like whales. Unlike whales, which breathe air and are warm-blooded, fish are cold-blooded and use gills to extract oxygen from the water. This distinction is emphasized to clarify that the whale shark, despite its name, is a fish.

💡Plankton

Plankton are tiny organisms that whale sharks feed on by filtering water through their gills. Plankton forms the main part of their diet, showcasing how such a large creature can sustain itself on very small prey. This emphasizes the unique feeding mechanism of whale sharks.

💡Gill Rakers

Gill rakers are comb-like structures located on the gills of the whale shark that filter out plankton and small fish from the water. Jonathan Bird describes how the whale shark uses gill rakers to capture food, which is an essential part of its filter-feeding system.

💡Harmless

Despite their immense size, whale sharks are completely harmless to humans. Jonathan Bird explains that even if a person ended up in a whale shark's mouth, the shark could not swallow them because its throat is too small. This underscores the gentle nature of these gigantic fish.

💡Camouflage

Whale sharks have a distinctive polka-dotted pattern on their skin, which may serve as camouflage by blending with the dappled light near the ocean surface. Although the exact reason for this pattern is uncertain, it is suggested that it might help protect the shark from predators. This is an example of the unique features of whale sharks that researchers are still trying to fully understand.

💡Pups

Whale shark pups are born relatively small, at about a foot long, and a female can give birth to over three hundred pups at a time. The video highlights that whale sharks take a long time to mature, with females not producing pups until they are thirty years old, which makes them vulnerable to overfishing.

💡Filter Feeding

Filter feeding is the method whale sharks use to eat, where they swim with their mouths open to take in large amounts of water, which is then filtered through their gill rakers to capture food. This process allows them to feed on tiny plankton, demonstrating their specialized adaptation for their diet.

💡Largest Fish

The whale shark is not only the largest shark but also the largest fish in the world, reaching up to fifty feet in length. This emphasizes its sheer size and significance in the marine ecosystem, contrasting with its harmless nature.

💡Overfishing

Despite their large number of offspring, whale sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they take a long time to reach maturity. Jonathan Bird points out that the long lifespan and slow reproduction rate make whale sharks particularly susceptible to threats from human activities, highlighting the need for conservation efforts.

Highlights

The whale shark is the world's largest fish, not a whale.

Despite being the size of a whale, the whale shark is a type of fish, not related to mammals like whales.

Whale sharks can reach 50 feet in length, about the size of two school buses.

Whale sharks primarily survive on plankton and small fish.

They feed by swimming with their mouths wide open, filtering plankton through gill rakers.

Whale sharks are harmless to humans, as their throats are too small to swallow large objects.

Their unique skin pattern resembles polka dots and stripes, similar to dominoes.

In some countries, the whale shark is referred to as the 'Domino shark' due to its skin pattern.

The reason for their unique skin pattern is not fully understood, but it may provide camouflage.

Whale shark pups are only about a foot long when born, despite the large size of adult sharks.

A female whale shark can give birth to over 300 pups at a time.

Female whale sharks can’t produce babies until they are 30 years old, which contributes to their vulnerability to overfishing.

Whale sharks, though enormous, have small throats designed for swallowing small prey like fish and plankton.

They use gill rakers as filters to catch plankton from the water they intake.

Whale sharks are generally docile creatures and pose no threat to humans.