Whale Sharks?

Question

1. what is significant about the pattern of lines and spots on the whale sharks?
2. how can the male whale shark be distinguished from the female?
3. what is the distribution of the whale shark in the northern and southern hemispheres?
4. whats the different between whale shark and dolphin??
5. why are there sharks vulnerable to extinction?
6. is there any countries that are protection those young whale fish?

Answer 1

1: The reason for the color it part camo, however it has also preseneted great question as well. Many believe that more stemed from their evolutanary background. It is related to bottom dwellers who have that marking to hide with the rocks and sand. However the whale shark is also a pelagic speices so some thing the markings could have been used for display reasons. There are others who believe that since it spends a good deal of time at the surface that the different colors are a way to break up the sun hitting the skin to better protect from rays. Anyway, most believe that the color has greater reasons for being there from their past.

2: Same as you can with just about every other species of shark. On the underside the males have a pair of claspers.

3: They run the entire strech of the world in all the tropical and warm temperate seas, except in the Mediterranean.

4: To put it simple, sharks are fish, dolphins are mammals.

5: Main problems for whale sharks is some are harvested for food, the other problem is bicatch... meaning that during normal fishing at times whale sharks are caught and killed by mistake.

6: Yes there is, whale sharks are protected around the world, but it really varies from location to location. For example there are parts of Asia where it is illegal to even look at one (being sarcastic) where other areas are allowed to fish only 100 per year. Even without hunting there are other laws when it comes to whale sharks. For example there are dive trips with whale sharks where the govt will only allow "X" number of people in the water for only "X" min at a time. You also have to stay so far away and are never allowed to touch one. Breaking any of those laws can result in fines. Like I said though, it depends on where exactly in the world you are. Protection laws differ.

Answer 2

1. Whale sharks are countershaded. They have distinctive light-yellow markings "checkerboard" (random stripes and dots) on its very thick dark gray skin. There are three prominent ridges running along each side of the shark's body and the skin. They have white bellies (which makes them hard to see if a potential predator is underwater and looking up at them) and dark backs (which makes them difficult to see if the predator is looking down on them). It has been suggested that the pale spots and lines on their backs are camouflage. And, to some, the pattern resembles a school of fish, while to others it suggests reflections of sunlight on a shallow reef.

2. As with any other sharks, the female tend to grow much larger than males of a similar age. A quick look at the pelvic fin area will differentiate males and females. Males have large extensions, called “claspers,” on both pelvic fins, while females do not.

3. Whale sharks are found worldwide in the warm oceans from the equator to about ±30-40° latitude.

4. Whale shark is far bigger than dolphin. Dolphin is a mammal while whale shark is not.Dolphins are mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores while whale sharks are found in tropical and warm oceans and lives in the open sea and are filter feeder. There are much differences in the structure, check it out in wikipedia for easy differentiation.

5. Sharks are vulnerable to extinction as a result of human impacts- in particular fishing in relation to the lucrative shark-fin industry,and exporting its flesh. Another reason could be because this species is slow growing and late maturing and has low population, and dependent in some cases on very long distance migration. Bigger shatks predation is another reason.

6.In Australia, Honduras, India, the Maldive Islands, the Philippines—and along the eastern coast of the United States—whale sharks are protected.

Answer 3

Whale sharks migrate to north west of Australia & generally hang around a protected area called ningaloo reef- it's quite an issue in western australia about protecting them as they are a friendly, gentle giant. I actually went swimming with them & they are unbelievably awesome!!

Answer 4

I don't lnow the answers to your question but I see them regularly in the Gulf of Mexico. I have some pics of one I saw a couple weeks ago

Answer 5

This site will answer some of your questions.