Rhincodon typus (Photo: Glenn Moore)

Whale Shark

Rhincodon typus

Very large (reported to 18m); Blue-grey body with unique patter of pale spots and stripes. Unmistakable.

Morphology

Very wide mouth; prominent skin ridges; large fins and a semi-lunate tail.

Evolution

Sole member of the family and arose some 60 million years ago.

Behaviour

Filters plankton from the water column while swimming; migratory.

Method of reproduction

Ovoviviparous; females probably store sperm and fertilise their eggs over a prolonged time; little known.

Habitat

Marine

Surface waters of the open ocean

Distribution

All tropical seas

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Orectolobiformes
Family: Rhincodontidae
Genus: Rhincodon
Species: typus
Name Published Year: 1828
Rank: species
Scientific Name Authorship: Smith
Commercial Impact: 

Ecotourism, bycatch

Conservation Assessment: Endangered
State Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Net Conservation Benefits Fund

Share
Facebook Twitter

Cite this page
Western Australian Museum Collections https://museum.wa.gov.au/online-collections/names/rhincodon-typus
Accessed 30 Aug 2023

Rights
We support the open release of data and information about our collections.

Text content on this page is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Image content on this page is copyright WA Museum.