Whale shark

It is the largest species of fish reaching 10 to 12 meters in length. Found near the surface in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Whale sharks appear in Okinawan waters mostly during May to June. It is called jimbe-zame due to its skin patterns that look like jinbei, a type of traditional Japanese summer clothing. It has a large body but feeds on small prey such as zooplankton. They have a very quiet nature and won’t swim away when divers approach them. After coral spawning, the whale sharks assume a vertical position to feed on the tiny eggs that drift along the surface. A similar, exciting scene can be observed at the Okinawa Chruraumi Aquarium during feeding hours. Commentary and explanations are given while the shark feeds on krill and sucks in a massive 100 liters of sea water into its large mouth. Their ecology is poorly known, however, in 1995, a pregnant mother was caught in Taiwan with 300 embryos in her uterus. From this it was understood that whale sharks give birth to live young.