Basking Shark
Basking sharks, Cetorhinus maximus (Gunnerus, 1765), are recognized by thei huge sizes, conical snouts, sub-terminal mouthes, extremely large gill slits, dark bristle-like gill rakers inside the gills (present most of the year), strong caudal keels and large lunate (curved) tails. Basking sharks have numerous, small teeth. Their bodies are mottled gray/brown to slate-gray or black in color, sometimes with lighter patches on the dorsal side. The ventral side is paler, often with white patches under the snout and mouth or along the ventral side. Two albino basking sharks from the North Atlantic have been recorded. It is the second largest fish, only surpassed by the whale shark. Their average size is 6.7-8.8 m. The largest measured basking shark was9.75 m, and a 9.14 m long individual was recorded that weighed 3,900 kg. There are also unconfirmed reports of basking sharks up to 13.7 m long.
No comments:
Post a Comment