BODY MARKINGS OF THE WHALE SHARK: VESTIGIAL OR FUNCTIONAL? The whale shark’s distinctive body markings are similar to those of other orectolobiform sharks. These markings likely conceal their sluggish, bottom-dwelling relatives through disruptive colouration.

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are undeniably beautiful. Their ornate markings of spots and stripes make them immediately recognisable and particularly charismatic. These markings are the reason that whale sharks and their relatives are commonly called the 'carpet sharks'.

2017年12月1日 · But even though they don’t do well with physical tagging, it turns out that whale sharks are great candidates for a less invasive kind: photoidentification, in which unique natural markings take...

2018年8月30日 · Each whale shark has distinctly individual markings, just like a human fingerprint. This proves handy for researchers identifying specific individuals and tracking their behavior around the Gulf. It’s also very pretty!

Each whale shark has a spotted pattern that is unlike any other whale sharks. These unique markings are just like human fingerprints. The spots can be white, yellow and gray and are displayed in a checkerboard pattern. Another cool thing about whale sharks is that they have a …

2020年7月1日 · When an image of a whale shark is submitted, scientists can use a specialised software called I3S to map that shark's spotty and stripey markings. This program highlights the unique pigmentation patterns on the flank of the shark, near the …

The whale shark is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Photographs showing the distinctive patterning and scarring on whale sharks are used to uniquely identify individuals for long-term, mark-recapture analysis.

The foundation of much of this research is identifying individual whale sharks from their natural markings through photo-identification. We summarize how whale sharks are identified and explain how thousands of citizen scientists have contributed data from their whale shark sightings to a global assessment of their population ecology.

Many bottom-dwelling sharks have bold and disruptive body markings that act as camouflage through disruptive coloration. The whale shark’s markings could be a result of its evolutionary relationship with bottom dwelling carpet sharks.

2024年12月16日 · What does a Whale Shark look like? Here’s a simple checklist to help you identify a Whale Shark: Key Identification Markers. Size: The world’s largest fish, typically ranging from 12 to 18 feet (4 to 5.5 meters), with some individuals reaching up to 40 feet (12 meters).