The biggest shark in our oceans already has a reputation for being a gentle giant, and it seems there's more to this than we ever realized. Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are filter feeders, thought to carefully comb the waters for tiny animals like
The biggest shark in our oceans already has a reputation for being a gentle giant, and it seems there's more to this than we ever realized. Whale sharks are filter feeders, thought to carefully comb the waters for tiny animals like krill.Among the litany of tiny swimmers they scoop up are greens consisting of algae and other photosynthesizing organisms.
This can't be avoided, but researchers have wondered whether this vegetation is merely a garnish for the carnivore, or if it provides a side salad necessary to keep it swimming. Researchers examining poop and skin samples identified what these 10-meter-long ocean hoovers are actually making use of from the giant pools of water they slurp through their systems.University of Tasmania biological oceanographer Patti Virtue."But they're not metabolizing much of it."
Instead, whale sharks, which are true sharks with cartilage instead of bones, appear to be extracting nutrients from a heck of a lot of algae.Australian Institute of Marine Science fish biologist Mark Meekan."And, in fact, what they're doing out in the open ocean." Meekan and colleagues' tissue analysis also revealed a fatty acid profile that was more consistent with omnivory than carnivory. They found skin rich in arachidonic acid , which is only present in large enough quantities to explain the levels found in whale sharks, in the floating macroalgae
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