Despite their name, whale sharks are not a whale. These creatures are a type of fish that is described as the ruler of the depths of the sea. Whale sharks usually feed on krill, a type of small crustacean. But scientists have discovered a previously unknown aspect of these fish’s diets: plants.
Whale sharks turned out to be omnivores
This makes whale sharks the largest omnivorous creature in the world. Omnivores are animals that can eat both meat and plants. Whale sharks, which can reach a length of about 18 meters, are also the largest omnivores of the planet with this size.
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A research team published their findings on the feeding habits of whale sharks in the journal Ecology last week. Fish biologist and lead author Mark Meekan told the Australian Institute of Marine Science on Monday:
This is causing us to rethink everything we thought we knew about what whale sharks eat.
It turns out that algae is an important part of the whale shark’s diet and not just something they accidentally eat. It is stated that a long-term study has been carried out to understand this. The researchers compared components found in plant life, including seaweed and plankton, with tissue samples from fish.
The discovery of sargassum, a brown seaweed, in tissue taken from a whale shark caused a great surprise. With the research, it has been revealed that these animals use seaweed for energy and growth.
Stating that Sargassums are located along the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, Mark Meekan states that they have learned that whale sharks do not come to this region only to hunt krill. It is now known that the reason why whale sharks are concentrated in this region is algae.
As a result of this research, whale sharks overpowered Kodiak bears, making them the world’s largest omnivore. Don’t let the size of these giant fish scare you; Whale sharks do not eat humans. However, a creature that reaches 18 meters in size can harm you, albeit unintentionally. So it’s better to stay away.
So what do you think of whale sharks? You can share your views with us in the comments section.