Family Rhincodontidae - Whale shark | ||||
Order | : | Orectolobiformes | ||
Class | : | Elasmobranchii | ||
No. in FishBase | : | Genera : 1 | Species : 1 Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes | ||
Environment | : | Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes | ||
Division | : | Marine | ||
Aquarium | : | none | ||
First Fossil Record | : | |||
Remark | : | Distribution: tropical waters. Often near the surface, sometimes in schools of up to hundreds of sharks. Whale sharks are apparently highly migratory, probably timed with blooms of planktonic organisms. Five exceptionally large gill openings, the fifth behind origin of pectoral fin, over fin base. Elongated gill rakers. Mouth terminal. Reduced teeth. A unique color pattern of light spots and vertical and horizontal stripes, in the form of a checkerboard. Planktivorous. Maximum reported length 13.7 m, (world's largest fish). Young probably born fully developed. | ||
Etymology | : | Greek, rhyngchos = snout, muzzle + Greek, odous, odontos = tooth, teeth ( Ref. 45335). | ||
Reproductive guild | : | bearers | ||
Typical activity level | : | sluggish | ||
Main Ref. | : | Compagno, L.J.V. 1984 | ||
Coordinator | : | Compagno, L.J.V. 1984 | ||
Deep Fin Classification | : |
Important recommendation:
The list below must not be used as an authority reference synonymy list like those found in scientific published revisions, which must be the source to be used and cited eventually when they exist.
Rather, it reflects the current content of FishBase, and the progress with respect to synchronization with the Catalog of Fishes. However, we think it can be useful for users to assess the quality of information in FishBase, to start new work on the family, or to cross-check with other lists.
But we appreciate to be cited in publications when this list has been of any working value. In particular, for published scientific, we suggest then to cite it in the Material and Method section as a useful tool to conduct the research, but again, not as a taxonomic or nomenclatural authority reference.
Unless it is explicitly precised, the list is not complete, please search all original names published for the family in the Catalog of Fishes (genera, species), including those with uncertain or unknown status, that are not included in FishBase when they are not attached to a valid species.
This list uses some data from Catalog of Fishes (not shown but used to sort names).
The list ordered as follows:
Please send comments and corrections if you detect errors or missing names.
Scientifc name | Status | Senior/Junior synonym | Combination |
---|---|---|---|
Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828 | accepted | senior | original |
Rhiniodon typus (Smith, 1828) | synonym | senior | new |
! Rhicodon typus Smith, 1828 | synonym | senior | original |
! Rhineodon typus Smith, 1828 | synonym | senior | original |
Rhinodon typicus Müller & Henle, 1839 | synonym | junior | original |
Rhinodon typicus Smith, 1845 | synonym | junior | original |
Micristodus punctatus Gill, 1865 | synonym | junior | original |
Rhinodon pentalineatus Kishinouye, 1901 | synonym | junior | original |