Page 12 - Super Shark Encyclopedia

PLANKTON MASSIVE MOUTH
This shark basks near the brightly
lit surface, where the water is
PLUNDERER rich in nutrients. Unlike other
plankton feeders, it cannot gulp
water but needs the constant
stream created as it swims along.
BASKING SHARK

When you’re the size of a fishing boat, it takes
a lot of food to fill you. Having a big mouth helps.
The basking shark cruises along with its mouth wide
open like a funnel. As water flows over its gills, their
bristles rake out anything from little shrimp to fish
eggs—all of which is swallowed.

AT A GLANCE

• SIZE Males 13–16 ft (4–5 m) long; females
26–33 ft (8–10 m) long
• HABITAT Coastal and open ocean
waters, especially where there are large
concentrations of plankton
• LOCATION Worldwide, except for
the tropics
• DIET Plankton, small fish, and fish eggs

STATS AND FACTS

WEIGHT 2,200 lb/1,000 kg 50
(max. liver weight)
lb 3,000 6,000 9,000 YEARS
kg 1,500 3,000 4,500 LIFESPAN
8,800 lb/4,000 kg (max.
body weight)
WATER FILTERED The basking shark’s
giant oily liver makes it
tons 1,000 2,000 3,000 very buoyant in water, “Its open
which helps it stay near
tonnes 1,000 2,000 3,000 the surface and travel
approx. 2,200 tons/ long distances with mouth is so
2,000 tonnes (per hour) minimal effort.
MIGRATION DISTANCE
big a child could
miles 2,000 4,000 6,000

km 4,000 8,000 12,000 MAXIMUM SCHOOL SIZE
100
More than 5,600 miles (9,000 km) stand up in it”

10