28 January 2017 - THE BASKING SHARK

THE BASKING SHARK

G'day folks,

Welcome to a creature you have probably never heard of. The basking shark is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark, and one of three plankton-eating sharks along with the whale shark and megamouth shark. Adults typically reach 6–8 m in length.

Basking sharks can be found in temperate waters around the globe and are the world’s second largest living fish reaching an impressive 8 metres (that’s almost the length of two cars).

Amazing Facts About the Basking Shark

• Basking sharks live in temperate (mild temperatures) waters around the world.
• Basking sharks are filter feeders. This means that they strain suspended matter (solid particles that float in water) and food from water (much like a strainer or sieve used in the kitchen). This is done by enlarging the mouth and passing water over gill rakers.
• Gill rakers are growths made from cartilage that help the shark feed and prevent loose particles from passing through the gills, helping the shark to breathe.
• Their diet consists mainly of zooplankton (tiny animals that live near the surface of water), fish eggs, barnacles and shrimp.
• Basking sharks are peaceful animals. They do not hunt other marine animals or harm humans.
• Due to their passive temperament, basking sharks have the smallest weight to brain weight ratio of any shark.
• These sharks were once over exploited for their fins, liver oil and as a source of food for humans as well as feed for livestock. This has led to a decrease in population size and they are now listed as vulnerable.
• Basking sharks can be found alone, but sometimes are found in small groups or schools of many individuals.
• Their name comes from the fact that they look like they are basking on the water surface whilst feeding.
• They have also been the subject of many myths and legends. In the past, fishermen and locals had reported sightings of seeing a sea serpent monster or a globster (an unidentified organic mass), most famously the Stronsay Beast. In actual fact, when a basking shark dies its body decomposes in a way that could resemble a sea monster! This is also known as cryptozoology.

Clancy's comment: Had you heard of them? Wow, that is one hellova big mouth.

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