What do basking sharks live

These sharks are absent from November to March, suggesting a migration beyond the continental shelf during the winter months. This is explained by the high zooplankton density the primary food of the basking shark that exists in these waters during late spring and early summer.

Sightings of groups of individuals of the same size and sex suggest that there is pronounced sexual and population segregation in migrating basking sharks. Distinctive Features The basking shark is one of the most recognizable of all sharks. Its massiveness, extended gill slits that nearly encircle the head and lunate caudal fin together help distinguish it from all other species. It possesses a conical snout and numerous large gill rakers modified for filter feeding.

Its enormous mouth extends past the small eyes and contains many small, hooked teeth. The liver is high in squalene, a low-density hydrocarbon that helps give the shark near-neutral buoyancy. Coloration Dorsal surface is typically grayish-brown but can range from dark gray to almost black.

Ventral surface may be of the same color, slightly paler or nearly white. Dentition The basking shark possesses hundreds of tiny teeth. Those in the center of the jaws are low and triangular while those on the sides are more conical and slightly recurved. There is typically a wide space on the center of the upper jaw with only scattered teeth. Size, Age, and Growth Second only to the whale shark Rhincodon typus in size, the basking shark can reach lengths up to 40 feet 12 m.

The average adult length is feet 6. Size at birth is believed to be between feet 1. The basking shark is an extremely slow-growing species and may grow to feet m before becoming mature. Food Habits Along with the whale shark and the megamouth shark Megachasma pelagios , the basking shark is one of three species of large, filter-feeding sharks.

However, the basking shark is the only one that relies solely on the passive flow of water through its pharynx by swimming. The basking shark is usually seen swimming with its mouth wide open, taking in a continuous flow of water. The whale shark and megamouth shark assist the process by suction or actively pumping water into their pharynxes. Food is strained from the water by gill rakers located in the gill slits.

These sharks feed along areas that contain high densities of large zooplankton i. There is a theory that the basking shark feeds on the surface when plankton is abundant, then sheds its gill rakers and hibernates in deeper water during winter. We use them to help improve our content, personalise it for you and tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms.

During Beta testing articles may only be saved for seven days. Create a list of articles to read later. You will be able to access your list from any article in Discover. The basking shark is Britain's largest fish.

It is about the length of a double-decker bus. But despite its size, this shark feeds on tiny prey, filtering around two million litres of water per hour through its gills.

Explore facts about this gentle giant. Basking sharks can grow to 12m long and open their mouths extremely wide. Photo courtesy of Chris Gotschalk via Wikimedia Commons. The basking shark has a large, light grey body, which is darker on the top side and becomes lighter underneath. It has a large, black, triangular dorsal fin on its back. The shark's wide-opening jaw is white inside with black gill rakers finger-like structures that prevent food from escaping through the gills.

The mouth has several rows of very small teeth. The basking shark exclusively feeds on microscopic animals called zooplankton, which it catches by opening its mouth and allowing water to flow over its enlarged gill slits. Zooplankton in the water are then trapped in gill rakers covered in mucus. Basking sharks are found in British coastal waters between May and October. They migrate south as far as North Africa during the winter months, although some animals remain in British and Irish waters and there is also some evidence of transatlantic migration.

They swim in coastal waters around all of Britain, but are more frequently spotted around Cornwall, western Scotland, the Isle of Man and in the western English Channel. They can be found in the open ocean, in the surf zone and occasionally in brackish water. The sharks spend much of the summer months at the sea's surface, moving slowly. This behaviour earned them the name 'basking shark' because they appear to be soaking up the Sun's warmth.

Basking sharks are usually solitary, but sometimes they swim in single-sex shoals, generally containing no more than a few individuals. The mating habits of the basking shark are largely unknown, although it is confirmed as an egg-laying species. The sharks are thought to mate in early summer and have a month gestation period. They are believed to take a break between litters. Shark scientists still have much work to do in order to find out more information about the life history, biology, and ecology of these giant fish.

Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the ocean, growing to a maximum length of 45 feet Basking sharks have been observed leaping out of the water, which may be a way of getting rid of parasites. Basking sharks have massive livers that make up 25 percent of their body weight. Basking sharks filter up to 4,, pounds metric tons of water every hour while filter feeding. Basking sharks often swim in pairs or large groups of up to other individuals.

Click here or below to download hands-on marine science activities for kids. Shark Trust. Protect Habitat. Fishing is still the most common threat, as people in countries such as China and Japan use its cartilage for medicine and use the fins for shark fin soup. They are often accidentally caught in fishing nets because they are so big and swim so close to the surface. It is illegal in some countries to keep living basking sharks caught in nets, and fishing crews must release them back into the ocean.

Climate change and global warming will affect the basking shark in two ways. Changes in sea acidity could adversely affect zooplankton populations, which would lead to food shortages for these behemoth sea creatures. Their enormous size means that besides humans, basking sharks have few predators. Basking sharks feed on the surface and therefore are prone to get hit by boats. Basking shark pups are also vulnerable as food to other sharks. Basking sharks were a common species about years ago.

They are passive and not afraid of boats or people, so they were easy targets for fishing vessels. People used the livers of basking sharks for oil, their skin for leather, and their flesh for food. Their passive nature was their undoing, as their numbers have been declining at an alarming rate.

Basking sharks are a protected species in many countries. However, there is still a black market for sharks in many places globally. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

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