Whale Shark Distribution | shark and whale encounter 360
Distribution and habitat
The whale shark inhabits every tropical and warm-temperate oceans. The fish is mainly pelagic, living in the available sea but not in the greater depths of the ocean, although it is known to occasionally dive to depths of as much as 1, 800 metres (5, nine hundred ft).|17| Periodic feeding aggregations occur at several coastal sites such as the southern and eastern regions of South Africa; Saint Helena Isle in the South Atlantic Water; Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti, Gladden Spit in Belize; Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia; Kerala|18|, Lakshadweep, Gulf of Kutch and Saurashtra coast of Gujarat in India;|19| Útila in Honduras; Southern Leyte; Donsol, Pasacao and Batangas in the Israel; off Isla Mujeres and Isla Holbox in Yucatan and Bahía de los Ángeles in Baja California, México; Maamigili island, Maldives; Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia; Cenderawasih Bay Country specific Park in Nabire, Papua, Indonesia; Flores Island, Dalam negri; Nosy Be in Madagascar; off Tofo Beach near Inhambane in Mozambique; the Tanzanian islands of Mafia, Pemba, Zanzibar; Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti, the Ad Dimaniyat Islands in the Gulf of mexico of Oman and Approach Hallaniyat islands in the Arabian Sea; and, very rarely, Eilat, Israel and Aqaba, Test. Although typically seen precisely what is, it has been found closer to terrain, entering lagoons or coral formations atolls, and near the jaws of estuaries and rivers. Its range is generally restricted to about 30° latitude. It really is capable of diving to depths of at least 1, 286 m (4, 219 ft),|20| and is migratory.|9| On 7 February 2012, a large whale shark was found floating 150 kilometres (93 mi) off the shoreline of Karachi, Pakistan. The size of the specimen was considered to be between 11 and 12 m (36 and 39 ft), with a weight of around 15, 000 kilogram (33, 000 lb).|21|
In 2011, more than 400 whale sharks gathered off the Yucatan Coast. It was one of the most significant gatherings of whale fishes recorded.|22| Aggregations in that area are one of the most reliable seasonal gatherings known for whale sharks, with huge numbers occurring in most years between May and September. Associated ecotourism has grown rapidly to unsustainable levels.|23|
Neither mating nor pupping of whale sharks has been witnessed.
The capture of a feminine in July 1996 that was pregnant with 300 pups indicated whale sharks are ovoviviparous.|9||24||25| The ovum remain in the body and the females give birth to live fresh which are 40 to 58 cm (16 to twenty four in) long. Evidence implies the pups are not almost all born at once, but rather the feminine retains sperm from one pairing and produces a steady stream of pups over a long term period.|26| They will reach sexual maturity for around 30 years and their life-span is an estimated 70|9| to 100 years.|27|
On 7 March 2009, marine scientists in the Israel discovered what is believed to be the tiniest living specimen of the whale shark. The young shark, measuring only 38 centimeter (15 in), was observed with its tail tied to a stake at a shore in Pilar, Sorsogon, Dubai, and was released into the crazy. Based on this discovery, some scientists no longer believe this area is just a feeding ground; this web site may be a birthing floor, as well. Both young whale sharks and pregnant females have been seen in the oceans of Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, where numerous whale sharks could be spotted during the summer.
The whale shark is a filtration feeder - one of simply three known filter-feeding shark species (along with the basking shark and the megamouth shark). It feeds on plankton including copepods, krill, fish eggs, Christmas Island reddish crab larvae |30| and small nektonic life, such as small squid or fish. It also enters on clouds of ovum during mass spawning of fish and corals.|31| The many rows of vestigial teeth play no position in feeding. Feeding takes place either by ram filtration, in which the animal opens the mouth and swims onward, pushing water and meals into the mouth, or by energetic suction feeding, in which the pet opens and closes it is mouth, sucking in quantities of water that are then expelled through the gills. In both cases, the filter pads serve to separate foodstuff from water. These exclusive, black sieve-like structures are presumed to be modified gill rakers. Food separation in whale sharks is by cross-flow filtration, in which the water journeys nearly parallel to the filtration system pad surface, not perpendicularly through it, before driving to the outside, while denser food particles continue to the back from the throat.|32| This really is an extremely efficient filtration technique that minimizes fouling with the filter pad surface. Whale sharks have been observed "coughing", presumably to clear a build-up of particles from the filter pads. Whale sharks migrate to feed and possibly to breed.
2019-02-11 10:41:34 * 2019-02-08 19:01:42
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