Record #00263Nature archive
World's Largest Living Fish
The whale shark is the largest living fish. The Florida Museum of Natural History describes its estimated maximum length as about 20 metres.
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Current Record
about20m
Current record value
- Holder
- Whale shark
- Location
- —
- Start date
- —
- Record status
- Verified · currentReport an issue
Overview
Archive NoteThe whale shark is a cartilaginous, filter-feeding shark rather than a whale. It takes in seawater and strains plankton, fish eggs and small organisms using specialized filtering structures.
Distinctive pale spots and stripes cover its back, with individual patterns useful for identification. It inhabits tropical and warm seas, ranging from offshore waters to coastal feeding sites.
Whale sharks grow and mature slowly. Estimates of their maximum size differ depending on measurement and observation methods, so this record does not treat the proposed upper length as an exact measured specimen.
Record history
1 Milestones- about 20 mWhale sharkCurrent Record
Sources
Evidence & ReferencesThe record value on this page is organized from the public sources above. Measurement methods may differ; JiLuDB follows the unified method described for each entry.
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