Basking Shark
Basking SharkAmong the masters of the sea, lies a sluggish monster. Cetorhinus
maximus is just that, although more generally known as the Basking shark. This
interesting animal has some unusual characteristics which include its physical,
behavioral, reproductive, and feeding attributes. Other details about the Basking
shark, consist of its habitat, distribution among the waters, ecological
relationships, and research being done on this gentle shark.
Basking sharks have been known to range from between twenty to fifty
feet long, but are more commonly closer to thirty feet (Allen, 1996, 158). The
smallest recorded Basking shark was sixty-five inches long, which is the
estimated size of one at birth. There have been no significant differences found
to exist in the *age*-length relationships of C. maximus populations World-Wide.
Although all Basking sharks are large, the females tend to be quite a bit bigger
than the males, which is probably because they have to carry a whole other
organism within (Harman, 1996, 21).
Basking sharks have, at some point in time, also been known as the
elephant shark, the Bone shark, sailfish shark, and sunfish. The reason this
shark is occasionally referred to as the Bone shark, is because when they die,
they sink (their density is greater then the water's density) and are ravaged
among the sea floor, by rocks, etc. (Steel, 1985, 132). However, when they do
finally wash up on shore they are usually quite mutilated; their skeletons are all
that remain. Hence the name, Bone shark. Although the Basking shark most
appropriately resembles the Whale shark, its closest relative happens to be the
* I could not find, in any of my many sources, the life span of the Basking shark*
great white shark (http://www.askjeeves.com/MetaAnswer.asp?MetaEngine
=Lycos&logQID=8F7C6F5E10E0D2119B5300104B2AFFF7&qCategory=SCI_&q
Source=0&frames=yes&site_name=Jeeves&scope=web&r=x&MetaTopic=The+B
asking+Shark+Project&MetaURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isleofman.com%2Finte
rests%2Fshark%2Findex.htm&EngineOrdinal=3&ItemOrdinal=1&ask=basking+s
hark+metasearch&MetaList=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isleofman.com%2Finterests
%2Fshark%2Findex.htm&ask.x=22&ask.y=1).
When alive and healthy, Basking sharks are grayish brown, and even
black on the top half of their body and a much paler version of those colors on
the bottom. They have a thick covering of spiky denticles along their whole body
(Allen, 1996, 273). Their enormous amount of denticles, make their skin
stronger than cowhide (Allens, 1996, 160).
To give an idea of the size of the Basking shark, picture this scene in your
mind: you and your family are out sailing. A "small" six ton Basking shark jumps
out of the water next to your boat. As it crashes against the water in its
downfall; the rise of the wave that is caused is as tall as a three...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.