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Whale Sharks
1
"Whale shark", a name that is a combination of two marine
animals, is bound to trigger a question in our minds - are whale
sharks whales or sharks? Well, one hint - whale sharks are the
largest fish on Earth. They can grow up to 50 feet long and
weigh more than 27,000 pounds!
2
Wait a second! What about blue whales? Aren't they bigger than whale sharks?
Yes! Blue whales, about 80 feet in length and over 250,000 pounds in weight, are
much bigger than whale sharks. Blue whales are not the world's largest fish, because
they are not fish! Whales, along with dolphins, are mammals that live underwater. So,
let's go back to the first question - are whale sharks whales or sharks? That's right,
they are sharks!
3
Aside from their enormous size that gives away their identity, whale sharks are
very easy to recognize. The most prominent feature is their yellowish white dots and
stripes on their dark gray backs. Unlike other sharks, whale sharks don't have their
mouths on their undersides. Their mouths are at the very front of their heads and they
are really big - 4 feet in width! Whale sharks have rows of teeth. However, they don't
use their teeth to capture prey, as some of their aggressive relatives (such as great
white sharks) are most famous for.
4
When whale sharks are hungry, they simply open their mouths and suck up lots
and lots of water. Once they close their mouths, the gill rakers inside their mouths and
5 pairs of gill slits on each side of their bodies start to work wonders. Gill rakers are
like filters that separate water from plankton, crustaceans, and small fish. Whale
sharks eat animals that are too big to pass through their gill rakers, and their gill slits
allow excess water to flow back to the sea. Whale sharks can process over 1,500
gallons of water in less than an hour!
5
Whale sharks like to cruise in warm water, not too far off from the Equator. They
are very slow swimmers, and their top speed is no more than 3 miles per hour. When
whale sharks swim, they move their entire bodies from side to side. This swimming
style is quite unique in the shark family. Most sharks propel forward by waving their
tails from left to right. Whale sharks like to stay near the surface.
6
Whale sharks are very gentle animals. They pose no threats to humans. In fact,
even when they encounter divers or snorkelers, they show neither fear nor agitation.
These mild-tempered marine giants simply stay on their course and continue to mind
their own business!
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02/11/2006 4:36 PM
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Name _____________________________
Date ___________________
Whale Sharks
1. Which animal group do whale sharks belong to?
Fish
Mammals
Crustaceans
Invertebrates
2. Blue whales are the world's largest fish!
True
False
4. Which of the following about whale sharks'
3. Which of the following about whale sharks is
true?
physical features is not true?
Whale sharks are known to attack humans.
Whale sharks can grow up to 50 feet long
Whale sharks have very wide mouths.
and weigh more than 27,000 pounds.
Whale sharks like to swim in cold water,
Whale sharks have yellowish white dots
not too far off from the Arctic.
and strips on their dark gray backs.
Whale sharks have rows of teeth that they
Like all sharks, whale sharks have rows of
use to capture plankton, crustaceans, and small
teeth.
fish.
Whale sharks have their mouths on their
undersides.
5. Which of the following do whale sharks feed on? 6. How do whale sharks eat?
Plankton
They use their sharp teeth to capture and
kill prey.
Crustaceans
They use their huge tails to knock their
Small fish
prey unconscious and swallow it whole.
All of the above
They hide behind rocks and have their
mouths wide open, waiting for fish to swim in.
They suck up a huge amount of water, and
use their gill rakers and gill slits to separate water
from small animals.
7. Which of the following marine animals are even
bigger than whale sharks?
Great white sharks
Angler fish
Blue whales
Gulper eels
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8. Which of the following statements best describes
whale sharks?
Whale sharks like to swim in icy cold
water.
Whale sharks are slow swimmers. Their
top speed is no more than 3 kilometers per hour.
Whale sharks move their tails from side to
side to push them forward.
Whale sharks are mild-tempered animals.
They are harmless to divers and snorkelers.
02/11/2006 4:36 PM