Whale shark

Whale shark Temporal range: 28–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N [1]
Whale shark from Taiwan in the Georgia Aquarium
The size of various whale shark individuals with a human for scale
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Orectolobiformes
Family:	Rhincodontidae J. P. Müller and Henle, 1839[5][3]
Genus:	Rhincodon A. Smith, 1829[3][4]
Species:	R. typus
Binomial name
Rhincodon typus A. Smith, 1828[3][6][7]
Range of whale shark
Synonyms
Micristodus punctatus Gill, 1865 Rhineodon Denison, 1937 Rhiniodon typus A. Smith, 1828 Rhinodon pentalineatus Kishinouye, 1901 Rhinodon typicus Müller & Henle, 1839

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is a filter feeding shark. It is the largest living fish.^[8] It grows up to 12 metres long, and may weigh as much as 47,000 pounds.

The whale shark has a very wide distribution. It is found in all tropical and warm temperate seas, except in the Mediterranean.

It has a huge mouth which sweeps up krill and plankton. This large fish eats the smallest sea life.

1. ↑ "Acta Palaeontologica Polonica". David J. Cicimurri and James L. Knight.
2. ↑ Pierce, S. J. & Norman, B. (2016). "Rhincodon typus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016. IUCN: e.T19488A2365291. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T19488A2365291.en. Retrieved 12 November 2017.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2} Melville, R. V. (1981). "Opinion 1278. The Generic Name Rhincodon A. Smith, 1829 (Pisces): Conserved". The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. 41 (4): 215–217.
4. ↑ Smith, Andrew (1829). "Contributions to the Natural History of South Africa, &c". The Zoological Journal. 4: 443–444.
5. ↑ Müller, J.; Henle, J. (1841). Systematische Beschreibung der Plagiostomen. Berlin: Veit und Comp. p. 77.
6. ↑ Smith, Andrew (5 November 1828). "Descriptions of New or imperfectly known Objects of the Animal Kingdom, found in the South of Africa". The South African Commercial Advertiser. Vol. 3, no. 145 – via Center for Research Libraries Document Delivery System. Reprinted in Penrith (1972).
7. ↑ Penrith, M. J. (1972). "Earliest Description and Name for the Whale Shark". Copeia. 1972 (2): 362. doi:10.2307/1442501. JSTOR 1442501.
8. ↑ BBC