The Biggest Fish In The World Travels More Than 20,000 Kilometers

While it sounds incredible, something remarkable has been discovered about the largest fish in the world . We are talking about the famous whale shark. Well, a female specimen would have traveled more than 20,000 kilometers. In this article we will tell you its story.

This is a discovery signed by a team of researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. It is one of the longest migratory routes made by an animal and undoubtedly the all-time record for a whale shark.

Discovering the largest fish in the world

The whale shark ( Rhincodon typus ) is a very special species, as it is considered to be the largest fish in the world still living. Little is known about this marine species, discovered back in 1828 in South Africa, when the first specimen was captured.

As for its diet, it feeds on everything it can filter by ingesting water. In nature, only two other animals use this system: the basking shark and the big mouth shark.

Basically, the whale shark feeds on krill and phytoplankton: tiny organisms that abound in the depths of the underwater ecosystem, and fall prey to the enormous filter formed by the dermal denticles (also known as “placoid scales”).

The largest fish in the world and its relationship with man

While it sounds incredible, the whale shark poses no danger to people. In fact, unlike traditional sharks, these huge fish are quite friendly and even affectionate with divers and sometimes even put their bellies up so as not to scratch them.

Unfortunately, its friendly nature coupled with the huge concentrations that occur in countries like the Philippines have led them to be exploited by wild tourism, which is usually not for the benefit of animals.

That is why, if you are interested in this type of activity, you will have to inform yourself well and look for a company that guarantees you that the welfare of the largest fish in the world is being respected. Responsible animal tourism is absolutely necessary and indispensable.

The incredible migration of the largest fish in the world

The whale shark that has traveled over 20,000 kilometers is called Anne. It is a female that was first located in Panama by the biologists of the Smithsonian Institute.

Whale sharks can dive for more than two kilometers, although experts are unaware of the behavior that the largest fish in the world carries out at this depth.

By analyzing the genome of whale sharks around the planet, it is possible to see that they have relatives in very distant places. From this it is possible to deduce how these animals feel the need to make great journeys in order to reproduce. Keep in mind that, on average, females travel about 70 marine kilometers per day.

It is because of this huge distribution that it is particularly difficult to protect the whale shark. They may be protected in some of their distribution zones, but at such distances they often end up in territories where their hunting is permitted.

Fortunately, it is now a protected species all over the world, even in countries like Taiwan, where up to 20 years ago 100 specimens were caught each year. A figure that makes you shudder if you consider the current number of these harmless marine giants.