World Basking Shark Day

 

HAPPY WORLD BASKING SHARK DAY

This shark is one of the world's most weird species of sharks (there are many other which are even weirder looking than this).

Basking sharks are called basking sharks because of their tendency to coast slowly at the ocean’s surface, which 18th century naturalists interpreted as the animals “basking” in the sun. The name "basking shark" comes from the shark's habit of swimming very close to the surface with the dorsal fin out of the water. The basking shark is a slow-moving filter feeder that feeds at the surface, appearing to be basking in the warmer water there.

Let's answer a question now: What are the similarities and differences between basking sharks and whale sharks?

Basking sharks and whale sharks are similar in that they are both filter feeders, which means they feed on small organisms like plankton and fish eggs by filtering water through their gills. They are also both very large, being the second and first largest living fish species, respectively.

But there are many differences:

• Basking sharks have a pointed snout and a mouth that opens at the bottom of their head, while whale sharks have a flattened head, and their mouth opens at the front of their head.
• Basking sharks are grey/brown in color and have mottled skin, while whale sharks are dark grey and have white spots all over their bodies.
• Basking sharks live in temperate and cold waters, while whale sharks live in tropical and warm waters.
• Basking sharks can grow up to 26 feet in length and weigh up to 5,000 pounds, while whale sharks can grow up to 40 feet in length and weigh up to 20,000 pounds.
• Basking sharks can live up to 50 years, while whale sharks can live up to 130 years.
• Basking sharks have a very long pregnancy period of 2-3 years and can produce up to 300 pups at a time. The pups are born at different stages of development, some still in their egg cases and some free-swimming. Whale sharks have a shorter pregnancy period of about 11 months, and usually give birth to one pup at a time. The pups are born fully developed and can be up to 5 feet long.

OTHER FACTS:

• Basking shark are warm-blooded creatures like the Great White and the Megalodon.
• Looking at the picture you might wonder how it eats because the mouth might look weird, and you can't see any teeth. But the surprising thing is, they do have teeth! But they are very small and not used for biting or chewing. Basking sharks have about 1,500 teeth in total, arranged in six rows on the upper jaw and nine rows on the lower jaw. Each tooth is only about one-quarter of an inch long and has a single conical cusp. Now you must be thinking, if they don't use it for chewing/biting, why do they have teeth? They use them during mating, to grip the other basking shark (like many underwater creatures do, including the Manta Ray).

QUIZ TIME!

Quiz: World Basking Shark Day - Google Forms