Fast Facts!

• Rhincodon typus is the largest fish on earth. Although they are the largest fish,
  
  they are a filter feeding fish and feed on tiny plankton and fish. The largest
  
  animal (who happens to live in water as well) is the Blue Whale! Check it out!

 

• R.typus have a very distinct and interesting pattern on their bodies. They are
  
  like a polka dotted fish with an extremely large mouth. They look large and
  
  dangerous, but they are of no harm to humans.

 

• There is a strong demand for R.typus meat in the Taiwanese market. At first, in
  
  early 1990’s, R.typus was caught only for their liver oil and the meat was
  
  discarded. The oil would be used as protection against skin infections and as a
  
  protective coat on their ships (Indian Council of Agricultural Recourses, 1986).
  
  
  

• Soon after, there were some interests in the fins of R.typus. From early 1970’s
  
  to 1980’s, there were said to be 30-100 whale sharks caught per season in
  
  Taiwan, but in the 1980’s, there were some seasons that had less than 10 a
  
  season (Stevens, 2007).

 

•  Another interesting fact about R.typus is that they have a special feeding
  
  ability, called “ram feeding”, which is just rising vertically to catch their food.
  
  They then have the ability to cough up their food, which just expels things they
  
  have just consumed (Zoology, Volume 113, Issue 4, 2010).

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