Scientists Identify 36 Whale Shark Feeding Behaviors, Including 6 New to Science
Updated
Updated · The Canberra Times · Jul 21
Scientists Identify 36 Whale Shark Feeding Behaviors, Including 6 New to Science
3 articles · Updated · The Canberra Times · Jul 21
Summary
Dorsal fin-mounted cameras and a review of dozens of studies helped researchers document 36 distinct whale shark feeding behaviors, revealing far more variety than seen in other large filter feeders.
Six behaviors are believed to be new to science, including “gliding slow feeding,” where sharks sink with mouths open, and “dive feeding,” where they swim straight down toward the seafloor while catching prey.
Christine Barry of the Australian Institute of Marine Science said the findings show whale sharks are highly flexible “serial snackers” despite feeding mainly on plankton and tiny animals such as Copepods.
Ningaloo Reef observations suggest that flexibility helps explain why whale sharks thrive in warmer tropical waters, where food is scarcer and more patchily distributed.