The Gentle Giant the...BASKING SHARK!
- Oct 10, 2016
- 1 min read
Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
Species: Fish (second largest in the world)
Length: 6-8 m (20-26 ft.) in length. Longest recorded was 10 m in length.
Diet: Plankton. Filters out plankton through over 5000 gill rakers, filtering 1.5 million liters of water an hour.
Habitat: Mediterranean , United Kingdom, can live in deep oceans, shallow oceans and open oceans.
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
Fun Facts:
- The Basking Sharks jaw is 1 meter wide
- Travels leisurely at 3 miles per hour
- The only fish larger than it is the Whale Shark, another plankton eater
References:
Photographer: Dan Burton, naturepl.com
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