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The basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus, is the second largest fish, after the whale shark. The basking shark is a cosmopolitan species - it is found in all the world's temperate oceans, it is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder. The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive. ...
Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 401 KB) Photo by Chris Gotschalk. ...
Scientific classification or biological classification is how biologists group and categorize extinct and living species of organisms (as opposed to folk taxonomy). ...
Phyla Subregnum Parazoa Porifera (sponges) Subregnum Agnotozoa Placozoa (trichoplax) Orthonectida (orthonectids) Rhombozoa (dicyemids) Subregnum Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) (radial symmetry) Ctenophora (comb jellies) Cnidaria (coral, jellyfish, anemones) Bilateria (unranked) (bilateral symmetry) Acoelomorpha (basal) Myxozoa (slime animals) Superphylum Deuterostomia (blastopore becomes anus) Chordata (vertebrates, etc. ...
Typical Classes Subphylum Urochordata - Tunicatas Ascidiacea Thaliacea Larvacea Subphylum Cephalochordata - Lancelets Subphylum Myxini - Hagfishes Subphylum Vertebrata - Vertebrates Petromyzontida - Lampreys Placodermi (extinct) Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes Acanthodii (extinct) Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes Actinistia - Coelacanths Dipnoi - Lungfishes Amphibia - Amphibians Reptilia - Reptiles Aves - Birds Mammalia - Mammals Chordates (phylum Chordata) include the vertebrates, together with...
Orders The Chondrichthyes or cartilaginous fishes are jawed fish with paired fins, paired nostrils, scales, two-chambered hearts, and skeletons made of cartilage. ...
Superorders Galeomorpha Batoidea Selachimorpha Elasmobranchii is the subclass of cartilaginous fishes that includes skates, rays and sharks. ...
Families Odontaspididae (sand tigers) Mitsukurinidae (goblin shark) Pseudocarchariidae (crocodile shark) Megachasmidae (megamouth shark) Alopiidae (thresher sharks) Cetorhinidae (basking shark) Lamnidae (mackerel sharks) Great Lamniformes is an order of sharks commonly known as the mackerel sharks. ...
Theodore Nicholas Gill (1837 - 1914) was an American ichthyologist. ...
Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville Henri Marie Ducrotay de Blainville (September 12, 1777 - May 1, 1850) was a French zoologist and anatomist. ...
In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ...
Johann Ernst Gunnerus (1718 - September 23, 1773) was a Norwegian bishop and botanist. ...
1765 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Greyreefsharksmall2. ...
The Guppy, also known as guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. ...
Binomial name Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828) The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a gentle and slow filter feeding shark that is the largest shark and also by far the largest fish. ...
A cosmopolitan distribution is a term applied to a biological category of living things meaning that this category can be found anywhere around the world. ...
Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure, such as the baleen of baleen whales. ...
Like other large sharks, basking sharks are at risk of extinction due to a combination of low resilience and overfishing through increasing demands for the sharks' fins, flesh and organs. Orders Carcharhiniformes Heterodontiformes Hexanchiformes Lamniformes Orectolobiformes Pristiophoriformes Squaliformes Squatiniformes Sharks are groups (superorder Selachimorpha) of fish, with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a streamlined body. ...
In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of taxa. ...
The Traffic Light colour convention, showing the concept of Harvest Control Rule (HCR), specifying when a rebuilding plan is mandatory in terms of precautionary and limit reference points for spawning biomass and fishing mortality rate. ...
Taxonomy
This shark is called the basking shark because it is most often observed when feeding at the surface and looks like it is basking. It is also called bone shark, elephant shark, hoe mother, sun-fish and sailfish. It is the only member of the family Cetorhinidae. It was first described and named Cetorhinus maximus by Gunnerus in 1765 from a specimen found in Norway. The genus name Cetorhinus comes from the greek, ketos which means marine monster or whale and rhinos meaning nose, the species name maximus is from Latin and means "great". It was later described as Squalus isodus by Macri in 1819, Squalus elephas by Lesueur in 1822 Squalus rashleighanus by Couch in 1838, Squalus cetaceus by Gronow in 1854, Cetorhinus blainvillei by Capello in 1869, Selachus pennantii by Cornish in 1885, Cetorhinus maximus infanuncula by Deinse & Adriani 1953 and finally as Cetorhinus maximus normani by Siccardi 1961. [2] ...
Categories: People stubs | French naturalists | 1778 births | 1846 deaths ...
Joe Cornish, British TV presenter. ...
Distribution and habitat The basking shark is a coastal-pelagic shark found worldwide in boreal to warm-temperate waters around the continental shelves. It prefers waters between 8 and 14° C (46 and 57° F). It is often seen close to land and will enter enclosed bays. The shark will follow concentrations of plankton in the water column and is therefore often visible on the surface. They are a highly migratory species leading to seasonal appearances in certain areas of the range.[3] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Anatomy and appearance The basking shark is one of the largest known sharks, second only to the whale shark. The largest specimen accurately measured was trapped in a herring net in the Bay of Fundy, Canada in 1851. Its total length was 12.27 metres (40 ft 3 in), and weighed an estimated 16 tons. There are reports from Norway of three basking sharks over 12 m (the largest being 13.7 m), but those are considered dubious since few if any sharks anywhere near such size have been caught in the area since. Normally the basking shark reaches a length of between 6 metres (20 feet) and a little over 8 m (28 ft). Some specimens surpass 9 or even 10 m, but after years of hard fishing, specimens of this size have become exceedingly rare. These sharks possess the typical lamniform body plan and have been mistaken for great white sharks. The two species can be easily distinguished, however, by the basking shark's cavernous jaw (up to 1 m in width, held wide open whilst feeding), longer and more obvious gill slits (which nearly encircle the head and are accompanied by well-developed gill raker), smaller eyes, and smaller average girth. Great whites possess large, dagger-like teeth, whilst those of the basking shark are much smaller (5–6 mm) and hooked; only the first 3–4 rows of the upper jaw and 6–7 rows of the lower jaw are functional. There are also several behavioural differences between the two (see Behaviour). Head of a Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center. ...
Head of a Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus) from NOAAs Northeast Fisheries Science Center. ...
Binomial name Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828) The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a gentle and slow filter feeding shark that is the largest shark and also by far the largest fish. ...
The Bay of Fundy (French: baie de Fundy) is a bay located on the Atlantic coast of North America, on the northeast end of the Gulf of Maine between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. ...
Families Odontaspididae (sand tigers) Mitsukurinidae (goblin shark) Pseudocarchariidae (crocodile shark) Megachasmidae (megamouth shark) Alopiidae (thresher sharks) Cetorhinidae (basking shark) Lamnidae (mackerel sharks) Great Lamniformes is an order of sharks commonly known as the mackerel sharks. ...
Binomial name Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) Range (in blue) The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), also known as white pointer, white shark, or white death, is an exceptionally large lamniform shark found in coastal surface waters in all major oceans. ...
gills of a Smooth Newt Gills inside of a tuna head In aquatic organisms, gills are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. ...
Other distinctive characteristics of the basking shark include a strongly keeled caudal peduncle, highly textured skin covered in placoid scales and a layer of mucus, a pointed snout (which is distinctly hooked in younger specimens), and a lunate caudal fin. In large individuals the dorsal may flop over when above the surface. Coloration is highly variable (and likely dependent on observation conditions and the condition of the animal itself): commonly, the coloring is dark brown to black or blue dorsally fading to a dull white ventrally. The sharks are often noticeably scarred, possibly through encounters with lampreys or cookiecutter sharks. The basking shark's liver, which may account for 25% of the its body weight, runs the entire length of the abdominal cavity and is thought to play a role in buoyancy regulation and long-term energy storage. Denticles or placoid scales are small outgrowths which cover the skin of many cartilaginous fish including sharks. ...
Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than does air. ...
Subfamilies Geotriinae Mordaciinae Petromyzontinae A lamprey is a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth, with which most species bore into the flesh of other fishes to suck their blood. ...
Binomial name Isistius brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) The Cookiecutter shark, Isistius brasiliensis (also known as the Cigar shark or Luminous shark) is a small rarely-seen dogfish shark. ...
In physics, buoyancy is an upward force on an object immersed in a fluid (i. ...
In females, only the right ovary appears to be functional: if so, this is a unique characteristic among sharks. Human female internal reproductive anatomy Ovaries are egg-producing reproductive organs found in female organisms. ...
Diet The basking shark is a passive filter feeder, eating zooplankton, small fish and invertebrates from the water at a rate of up to 2,000 tons of water per hour.[2] Unlike the megamouth shark and whale shark, basking sharks do not appear to actively seek their quarry, but do possess large olfactory bulbs that may guide them in the right direction. Contrary to the other large filter feeders it relies only of the water that is pushed throught the gills by swimming while the megamouth shark and whale shark can suck or pump water through its gills.[2] Filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized structure, such as the baleen of baleen whales. ...
This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
Vesalius Fabrica, 1543. ...
Behaviour Although basking sharks are often sighted close to land and in enclosed bays during warmer months, they are highly migratory and seem to disappear entirely during autumn and winter (when the plankton is scarce at the surface). During this time they remain at the bottom in deep water where it is hypothisized they may hibernate and lose their gill rakers.[3] Image File history File links Male Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus). ...
Image File history File links Male Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus). ...
Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ...
Hibernation is a state of regulated hypothermia, lasting several days or weeks, that allows animals to conserve energy during the winter. ...
They feed at or close to the surface with their mouths wide open and gill rakers erect. They are slow-moving sharks (feeding at about 2 knots) and do not attempt to evade approaching boats (unlike great whites). They are harmless to humans if left alone and will not be attracted to chum. A knot is a unit of speed, abbreviated kt or kn. ...
CHUM can refer to a number of different Canadian entities: For the Canadian broadcasting group, see CHUM Limited For the Toronto AM station operated by CHUM Limited, see CHUM (AM) For the Toronto FM station operated by CHUM Limited, see CHUM-FM Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal is a...
Basking sharks are social animals and form schools segregated by sex, usually in small numbers (3–4) but reportedly up to 100 individuals.[3] Their social behaviour is thought to follow visual cues, as although the basking shark's eyes are small, they are fully developed; the sharks have been known to visually inspect boats, possibly mistaking them for conspecifics.[4] Females are thought to seek out shallow water to give birth.
These sharks have few predators, but orcas, tiger sharks are known to feed on them, and the aforementioned lampreys are often seen attached to them, although it is unlikely that they are able to cut through the shark's thick skin.[3] Binomial name Orcinus orca Linnaeus, 1758 Orca range (in blue) The Orca or Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) is not a whale, but the largest species of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). ...
Binomial name Galeocerdo cuvier Péron & Lesueur 1822 Tiger shark range (in blue) The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is one of natures largest sharks. ...
Subfamilies Geotriinae Mordaciinae Petromyzontinae A lamprey is a jawless fish with a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth, with which most species bore into the flesh of other fishes to suck their blood. ...
Even though the basking shark is large and slow it can breach the surface and has been reported jumping fully out of the water.[5] This behaviour could be an attempt to dislodge parasites or comensals.[3] There are doubts as to the accuracy of these observations - since the basking shark has a recorded top swimming speed of 4 mph and has not been observed to jump under the stress of harpooning.[3] Whales exhibit various types of physical behaviour when they surface. ...
Reproduction Basking sharks are ovoviviparous: the developing embryos first rely on a yolk sac, and as there is no placental connection, they later feed on unfertilized ova produced by the mother (a behaviour known as oophagy). Gestation is thought to span over a year (but perhaps 2 or 3 years), with a small though unknown number of young born fully developed at 1.5–2 m (5–6.5 ft). Only one pregnant female is know to have been caught, it was carrying 6 unborn young.[6] Mating is thought to occur in early summer and birthing in late summer, following the female's movement into shallow coastal waters. Ovoviviparous animals develop within eggs that remain within the mothers body up until they hatch or are about to. ...
The egg yolk is the yellow inside an egg. ...
The placenta is an ephemeral (temporary) organ present only in female placental mammals during gestation (pregnancy). ...
A human ovum An ovum (from Latin, loosely, egg or egg cell) is a female sex cell or gamete. ...
Oophagy (egg eating) is the practice of embryos feeding on eggs produced by the ovary while still inside the mothers uterus. ...
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. ...
The onset of maturity in basking sharks is not known but is thought to be between the age of 6 and 13 and at a length of between 4.6 and 6 m. Breeding frequency is also unknown, but is thought to be 2 to 4 years.
The seemingly useless teeth of basking sharks may play a role in courtship behaviour, possibly as a means for the male to keep hold of the female during mating.
Importance to humans Historically, the basking shark has been a staple of fisheries because of its slow swimming speed, unaggressive nature and previously abundant numbers. Commercially it was put to many uses: the flesh for food and fishmeal, the hide for leather, and its large liver (which has a high squalene content) for oil.[3] It is currently fished mainly for its fins (for shark fin soup). Parts (such as cartilage) are also used in traditional Chinese medicine and as an aphrodisiac in Japan, further adding to demand. Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ...
The liver is the largest internal organ of the human body. ...
Natural olive oil Synthetic motor oil Oil, in a general sense, is a chemical compound that is not miscible with water, and is in a liquid state at ambient temperatures. ...
Shark fin soup Shark fin soup (Chinese: éšç¿…, Pronunciation in Mandarin: (Pinyin) Yú Chì / (Wade-Giles) Yü Chih4 ) is a dish commonly served in Chinese restaurants as part of a Chinese feast, usually at special occasions such as weddings and banquets as a symbol of wealth and prestige. ...
Shark cartilage is a popular dietary supplement use to combat and/or prevent a variety of illnesses, most notably cancer. ...
Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ...
An aphrodisiac is an agent which acts on the mind and causes the arousal of the mood of sexual desire. ...
As a result of rapidly declining numbers, the basking shark has been protected and trade in its products restricted in many countries. It is fully protected in the UK, Malta, Florida and US Gulf and Atlantic waters. Targeted fishing for basking sharks is illegal in New Zealand.[6] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...
United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ...
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of the earths surface. ...
It is tolerant of boats and divers approaching it and may even circle divers, making it an important draw for dive tourism in areas where it is common.
Basking sharks and cryptozoology On several occasions corpses initially thought to be sea serpents or plesiosaurs, have later been identified as mostly likely to be the decomposing carcasses of basking sharks, as for example in the Stronsay beast and the Zuiyo Maru cases. Loch Ness Monster (Painting) by Heikenwaelder Hugo Sea serpents are a kind of sea monster either wholly or partly serpentine. ...
Plesiosaurs extinct marine reptile with a small head on a long neck a short tail and four paddle-shaped limbs; of the Jurassic and Cretaceous period, they are best known for killing Fred Flintstone. ...
The Stronsay beast was a mysterious, decomposing corpse of a sea-creature that stranded at Stronsay, Orkney Islands, north of Scotland in 1808. ...
The Zuiya Maru was a a Japanese trawler that caught a creature initially claimed to be a prehistoric plesiosaur off the coast of New Zealand in 1977. ...
See also This is a list of shark species. ...
This is a list of fish common names. ...
This is a list of fish families sorted by scientific name. ...
Notes - ^ Fowler (2000). Cetorhinus maximus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for this species' status
- ^ a b c C. Knickle, L. Billingsley & K. DiVittorio. Biological Profiles basking shark. Florida Museum of Natural History. Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- ^ a b c d e f g Leonard J. V. Compagno (1984). Sharks of the World: An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- ^ Martin, R. Aidan. A Curious Basker. SHARK-L. Retrieved on 2006-08-03.
- ^ Pelagic Shark Research Foundation. PSRF Shark Image Library. PSRF. Retrieved on 2006-06-01.
- ^ a b The Shark Trust. Basking Shark Factsheet. The Shark Trust. Retrieved on 2006-07-07.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ...
The World Conservation Union or International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ...
References FishBase is a comprehensive database of information about fish. ...
The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ...
January 23 is the 23rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
External links - Basking shark, Cetorhinus maximus MarineBio"
- ARKive entry on the Basking Shark
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