Whale shark
- October 5, 2021
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Whale shark
Subject – Environment
Context – Carcass of fourth dead whale shark in 11 months found on Odisha beach
Concept –
- Whale sharks are a protected species under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. They are also included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
- The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest-known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of 18.8 metres. The whale shark is also notably the largest living non-mammalian vertebrate.
- These sharks often get entangled in fishing nets due to their feeding habits.
- The largest whale shark aggregation is in Gujarat and the only whale shark aggregation along the east coast is in Andhra Pradesh.
- Whale sharks had no commercial importance. However, fishers illegally extracted their fins and livers.