Sharks are a type of fish with very interesting characteristics. They have a long evolutionary history and have been survivors of mass extinction processes that have occurred in the planet's geological past. We commonly associate them with super predatory and dangerous animals, however, the first aspect is more true than the second, since, although some species may be a potential risk to people, it is not as widespread as we think. Within the diversity of these cartilaginous fish, we find some that escape those aspects mentioned above, one of them is the basking shark Continue reading this file on our site and learn about their peculiarities, characteristics and customs, among other things.
Characteristics of the basking shark
Some of the characteristics of the basking shark that we can highlight are the following.
- The first peculiar feature of the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is that it is considered the second largest shark in the world, therefore it would be the second fish with this characteristic, after the whale shark.
- The average size of an adult is between 7 and 8 meters long, although there are cases in which they can exceed 10 m.
- The average weight of these sharks is about 3,900 kg.
- males are usually larger than females, so there is a trait of sexual dimorphism.
- Another particular feature is that its snout is conical and somewhat rounded at the tip, which may eventually be white.
- It has five large gill slits, which almost encircle the head.
- The gill rows are long, measuring 10 to 12 cm.
- They are characterized by having some 1,200 teeth, very small, measuring 3 to 4 mm long and with a single conical cusp.
- Each jaw has six rows of teeth.
- Typical coloration is grayish brown or black, with pale white ventral region, in some cases with certain spots.
- There are reports of certain Albino specimens.
- The dorsal fin is triangular, although the edge is blunt; the anal is much larger, similar to the second dorsal, and the tails are crescent-shaped.
Baking Shark Habitat
The basking shark has a global distribution, so it is a cosmopolitan species, although it is distributed mainly in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, since, in the case of the Indian Ocean, it has only been reported to the south of Australia, Indonesia and South Africa.
It inhabits coastal pelagic zones and although it commonly swims on the surface, it can do so vertically to depths of about 1,200 meters. When it is in warm water, it is usually located towards the surface, but in tropical and equator zones, it moves towards the depth. It prefers waters that are between 8 to 14 oC.
In this other article you can find more information about Where do sharks live?.
Customs of the basking shark
The basking shark is a fish with migratory habits, an action it performs mainly for feeding purposes. Thus, for example, it stays north while food is available, and moves south when it decreases.
Despite its size, it manages to reach great speeds in short periods of time. On the other hand, it is capable of jumping out of the water, it has been indicated that it separates its tail from the surface by up to 182 cm. Apparently it is an act that is performed mainly by females in the mating season.
Due to its migratory behaviour, it is not reported as a territorial species, since it does not stay for long in the same area. It usually forms groups, which move together, so it is common to see them in aggregations. Another particular aspect of the basking shark is that, despite its appearance and size, it does not represent any risk to people, since it is not aggressive.
Discover other Animals that migrate: why they migrate and examples in this article on our site that we recommend.
Baking shark feeding
Unlike other shark species that are very agile and imposing hunters, the basking shark is one of the few with filter-feedingIt is a selective collector mainly of zooplankton,that moves around with its mouth open and closes it every 30 or 60 seconds, then the gill rakers filter the water passing through the large gills, retaining food.
It has a great filtration capacity, in fact, manages to filter about 6 thousand liters of water per hour. Its food has been identified as having high concentrations of copepods, but it also consumes small fish.
Discover other filter animals: what they are and examples in this post that we recommend.
Reproduction of the basking shark
Both males and females have multiple partners. This species moves towards the coast between May and July for reproductive purposes and it is estimated that there is a courtship process, in which the females jump out of the water to indicate their disposition.
The female produces a large number of very small eggs, after internal fertilizationoccurs, the embryos initially feed through Some extensions of the uterus, called trophonemes, then, which begin to grow, are nourished by the yolk of the egg itself. The little sharks hatch inside the mother's body and continue their feeding by consuming the unfertilized eggs.
It is estimated that the gestation is very long, about 36 months. When the young are born, they measure approximately 2 meters, and about 4 young are born These, as soon as they are born, move away from the mother. The life expectancy of this shark in the wild has been estimated at around 32 years.
Conservation status of the basking shark
The basking shark is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in the category endangered Although it is currently not They record fishmongers dedicated to hunting this animal, for a long time if it occurred disproportionately, capturing it with harpoons and nets for the commercialization of the species, particularly its large fins, which are reported to cost thousands of dollars.
Despite the ban in many countries on hunting this shark, the accidental entanglement and collisions with boats due to its superficial habits they continue to be a problem affecting this animal.
Among the conservation measures, the mandatory release of accidentally captured live individuals has been established in various regions. On the other hand, the species is included in appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and in appendices I and II of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which establish important aspects in the international trade of biodiversity.
