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The whale shark essay
Paleontology research on whales evolution
Research paper about whale sharks
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What is the largest fish in the world? The answer would be the Rhincodon typus, or commonly known as, the whale shark. The whale shark is vey unique because unlike normal sharks, the whale shark is a filter feeder and so, does not have use of its teeth. The whale shark is also about the size of a bus. However, like many animals in the world today, they are considered vulnerable according to the IUCN. They are seen often in the tropical areas, but many behavior and movement mechanism of the whale shark are still unknown.
Physical description:
The morphology of whale sharks is mostly similar to aquatic fish species, but many specific traits help differentiate them from the rest. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and can reach a size of around 20 meters (Martins, C., and C. Knickle). This is often compared to the size of a school bus. The shark has a very large transverse mouth. They have 5 very large gill slits and have a larger first dorsal fin compared to the second one (Whale Shark). They have a distinctive spotted “checkerboard” pattern with stripes (Martins, C., and C. Knickle). It is not exactly known why they have this specific body marking. It is believed that the body markings act as a camouflage. The strange thing about whale sharks is that they have 300 rows of teeth that play no role in feeding (Martins, C., and C. Knickle).
Systematics and paleontology:
Whale sharks were named Rhincodon typus by Andrew Smith, in 1828. The naming was hard due to the similarities between the family Ginglymostomatidae and the family Orectolobiformes. The closest relatives to the whale shark are nurse and zebra sharks. The whale shark is the only species in their family, Rhincondontidae. Whale sharks...
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Norman, B. (2005) Rhincodon typus. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/summary/19488/0.
Riley, M. J., A. Harman., and R. G. Rees. 2009. Evidence of continued hunting of whale sharks Rhincodon typus in the Maldives. Environ. Biol. Fish. 86:371-374. (DOI:10.1007/s10641-009-9541-0).
Rowat, D., and K. S. Brooks. 2012. A review of the biology, fisheries and conservation of the whale shark Rhincodon typus. Jour. Of. Fish. Bio. 80:1019-1056. (DOI:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03252.x).
Stewart, B. S., and S. G. Wilson. 2005. Threatened fishes of the world: Rhincodon typus (Smith 1828) (Rhincodontidae). Environ. Bio Of. Fishes. 74:184-185. (DOI:10.1007/s10641-005-2229-1).
Whale Shark. Whale Shark Fact File. Retrieved March 9, 2014, from http://www.arkive.org/whale-shark/rhincodon-typus/.
Mojetta wrote about prehistoric sharks, and the history of these creatures. According to Angelo Mojetta, author of Sharks, Cladoselache genus, one of the first prehistoric sharks, was buried in sediment that kept it preserved. Unlike other sharks, Cladoselache genus had a circle of tiny plates around it’s eyes for protection against it’s victim’s attempts to fight back. These sharks lived over 400 million years ago. Sharks of the past could mostly be identified by their teeth, because shark’s bodies are made of cartilage. Another shark that was focused on was called, Stethacanthus. This shark had a very unique look. Stethacanthus had a brush like decoration on the top of it’s head, and an extra fin like part that had the same bristle like decorations on it. These characteristics were thought to be used as suction cups, to hitch rides from larger fish. One of the most famous sharks that looks like an over...
Robert L. Pitman. "Whalewatcher: Killer Whale: The top, top Predator ." Journal of the American Cetacean Society (2011): 2. Journal.
When an intelligent animal accustomed to swimming in thousands of miles of open ocean is placed in an environment only twice its size, is separated from its species, and is forced to perform tricks, there are bound to be consequences. The captivity of these animals should be banned and National Reserves and whale tours should be used to educate the public while admiring these animals' true beauty. There are few experiences more meaningful than witnessing a killer whale enjoying the freedom of the open ocean.
U.S. Department of the interior, National Park Service. (2013). Endangered Species. Retrieved from website: http://www.nature.nps.gov/biology/endangeredspecies/index.cfm
The Carcharhinus leucas commonly called the "bull shark" is a very unique shark. The bull shark can live in both salt water and fresh water but is commonly found along the Mississippi River and around Nicaragua. The bull sharks has a very blunt rounded nose giving it a bullish type of appearance thus giving it the name bull shark. The sharks are a dark black to a light grey with a white underbelly. Bull sharks can grow to be about 350 cm long and weigh around 230 kilograms. Bull sharks also tend to have smaller eyes compared to many other sharks which indicates that the bull sharks have limited vision. The bull sharks have triangular teeth like the great white shark (one of the bull sharks cousins). The bulls teeth are heavily serrated and are about 1.5 inches long which makes it easy to tear apart the flesh of their prey.
The Great Shark debate – to cull or not to cull, has been at the forefront of the minds of conservationists, as well as the general population for many decades now. The opinions of everyone are divided, according to their personal experiences, and views on what is right and wrong for the environment.
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
Striped dolphins, Stenella coeruleoalba, are some of the most abundant and well-known dolphins in the world. These dolphins can reach the length of about 9 ft (2.7 m). The males weigh up to 350 lbs (160 kg). The females weigh 330 lbs (150 kg). Striped dolphins have a slender body shape combined with a long beak, which is separated from their forehead, and they also have a curved dorsal fin. The beak, tapered flipper, tail, and back, or cape, are dark blue/gray. The name “Stenella coeruleoalba” refers to the pattern of blue and white stripes along the lateral and dorsal fins of their body. Their underbelly (ventral) is usually white. Their primary feature is a black stripe that runs along their full length and to their flippers. There is also a dark blue patch around the eyes. Calves and juveniles may have more muted colorations and patterns.
Their dorsal fin is extremely long, tampered and pointed in a triangular shape or rounded and curved towards the end. The skull is oval shaped and the beak is extremely short and rounded at the end. The killer whale’s jaw is powerful with teeth that are able to tear apart flesh of their prey. They can withstand the jolting, wiggling and hurtling movements of prey that are trying to escape. The killer whale is born with a single blow hole instead of two. Their flippers are paddle shaped with rounded ends and flukes are tapered back and pointed at the end resembling to a triangle/pyramid
On average they weigh 4,000-7,000 pounds and grow approximately 16-20 feet long ( Great white sharks 1). < commentary needed>Great Whites are the apex predator of the ocean containing 300 serrated teeth and highly-developed senses to hunt prey. Sharks have a great senses of smell, the Great White can smell a drop of blood thousand of miles away. They’re hearing is very powerful , being able to hear the vibrations of prey distances of about 800 ft away and find the exact location through ‘ear stone’( Great white 3). A shark 's sense of hearing truly shows their uniqueness as an apex predator. In addition to great hearing they’re known to have great sight by being able to see up to 50ft away and transition into seeing in light and dark. Additionally sharks have a lateral line on their back that reaches from the front to the back tail, allowing
Thesis: Sharks should be conserved because they are an important part of the ocean, attacks are often incidental, and human behavior influences the behavior of sharks.
“Non-consumptive” utilization of whales has become a recent phenomenon and is understood as the “use of cetacean resources which does not involve the deliberate killing or critical harming of whales,” as opposed to the commercial slaughtering of cetaceans. Instead, non-consumptive use includes “benign research, habitat protection; recreational whale watching; cetacean captivity; and cultural valuation” (Barstow, 1986, pg. 156). In 1977, the International Whaling Committee argued that "the benefits to society of tourism, entertainment, and other so-called low-consumptive uses of whales, together with their broader aesthetic and cultural value, should be taken into account in whaling management.” Therefore, Article 65 commands that "states shall cooperate with a view to the conservation of marine mammals and in the case of cetaceans shall in particular work through the appropriate international organizations for their conservation, management, and study” (156).
Lotze, Heike K., Marta Coll, Anna M. Magera, Christine Ward-Paige, and Laura Airoldi. "Recovery of Marine Animal Populations and Ecosystems." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 26.11 (2011): 595-605. Print.
The Orca is irrefutably one of the most fascinating animals in the ocean. Killer whales, or Orca, are aquatic mammals which live in almost every ocean on Earth. Their black and white color pattern makes them one of the most easily recognized animals on Earth, and their intelligence and strength makes them apex predators. Though the killer whale sounds like an aggressive animal, Orcas are very social and are very sensible in what they kill.
Shark conservation is an ideal that has been taken lightly by society for many years now. Sharks face the threat of being caught and slaughtered everyday. This threat causes major consequences to the entire ocean. Because sharks might appear to be frightening and aggressive in their own nature, people fear these animals. After learning about why theses creatures do what they do it can be easy to understand why sharks are here and why they need to stay. It is time to take the fear out of sharks and start fearing an ocean without them.