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Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828

Whale shark
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Rhincodon typus   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Rhincodon typus
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United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Whale shark
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: occasional (usually not seen) | Ref: Musick, J.A., M.M. Harbin, S.A. Berkeley, G.H. Burgess, A.M. Eklund, L. Findley, R.G. Gilmore, J.T. Golden, D.S. Ha, G.R. Huntsman, J.C. McGovern, S.J. Parker, S.G. Poss, E. Sala, T.W. Schmidt, G.R. Sedberry, H. Weeks and S.G. Wright, 2000
Importance: of no interest | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: protected | Ref: Musick, J.A., M.M. Harbin, S.A. Berkeley, G.H. Burgess, A.M. Eklund, L. Findley, R.G. Gilmore, J.T. Golden, D.S. Ha, G.R. Huntsman, J.C. McGovern, S.J. Parker, S.G. Poss, E. Sala, T.W. Schmidt, G.R. Sedberry, H. Weeks and S.G. Wright, 2000
Uses: no uses
Comments: Protected under the Fisheries Management Plan in U.S. Atlantic. AFS status 2000: Conservation dependent in US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico; not at risk in Gulf of California (Ref. 36717). Fully protected in Florida State waters ( out to the 3 mile limit on the east coast and 9 miles on the Gulf coast) and in Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico federal waters (3-200 miles) under the US Fishery Management Plan which prohibits directed commercial fishing and landing or sale (Ref. 48696). Also Ref. 276, 26340, 96339.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Musick, J.A., M.M. Harbin, S.A. Berkeley, G.H. Burgess, A.M. Eklund, L. Findley, R.G. Gilmore, J.T. Golden, D.S. Ha, G.R. Huntsman, J.C. McGovern, S.J. Parker, S.G. Poss, E. Sala, T.W. Schmidt, G.R. Sedberry, H. Weeks and S.G. Wright, 2000
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Requin baleine, Tiburón ballena, Whaleshark, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Orectolobiformes (Carpet sharks) > Rhincodontidae (Whale shark)
Etymology: Rhincodon: rhinc, presumably a typographical error for rhine (Gr.), rasp, but often mistranslated as rhynchos (Gr.), snout; odon, tooth, referring to small, slightly curved teeth, “placed in longitudinal rows, and altogether so disposed towards the anterior edges of jaws as to exhibit the resemblance of a rasp or file lying across each”. (See ETYFish);  typus: Serving as type species of the genus. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; pelagic-oceanic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 1928 m (Ref. 106604), usually 0 - 100 m (Ref. 89972).   Subtropical; 18°C - 30°C (Ref. 35465); 45°N - 48°S, 180°W - 180°E

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences |
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