Facts about the Basking Shark

1. 13

   Cruising speeds of 3 to 4 miles per hour allow basking sharks to efficiently filter-feed while consuming up to 30,000 gallons of seawater per hour through their expanded gill slits.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologymeasurementfeeding
2. 12

   Basking sharks possess electroreceptive organs called ampullae of Lorenzini that detect electrical fields as weak as 5 nanovolts per centimeter, helping them locate concentrations of planktonic prey.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologysensoryadaptation
3. 11

   Skeletal structures in basking sharks remain cartilaginous rather than calcified like most fish, allowing their massive frames to maintain buoyancy in deep ocean waters.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologyanatomyadaptation
4. 10

   Gill slits in basking sharks span nearly 3 feet wide and can open so expansively that a human could swim through them during filter feeding.

   the Basking SharkMay 14shareanatomymeasurementbiology
5. 09

   Basking shark embryos develop without a placenta, instead obtaining oxygen through a primitive gill structure called a pseudobranch that extracts dissolved oxygen from maternal fluids.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologyreproductionanatomy
6. 08

   A basking shark's liver comprises up to 25 percent of its body weight and can weigh nearly 2,000 pounds, serving as an energy reserve for extended periods without feeding.

   the Basking SharkMay 14shareanatomyphysiologymeasurement
7. 07

   Coloration in basking sharks shifts from dark gray or brown in younger individuals to almost black in older adults, a darkening process that continues throughout their century-long lifespans.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologyagingphysicaltraits
8. 06

   In the 1970s, basking sharks were hunted so intensively for their vitamin-rich livers that populations in the North Atlantic declined by over 80 percent within two decades.

   the Basking SharkMay 14shareconservationhistorypopulation
9. 05

   Ovoviviparous reproduction in basking sharks involves embryos consuming unfertilized eggs inside the mother, a phenomenon called oophagy that occurs in few other shark species.

   the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologyreproductionbehavior
10. 04

    Basking sharks can live over 100 years, making them among the longest-lived fish species, with some individuals reaching ages of 150 years.

    the Basking SharkMay 14sharebiologylifespanlongevity
11. 03

    During summer months, basking sharks migrate thousands of miles between tropical and polar waters following seasonal plankton blooms.

    the Basking SharkMay 13sharemigrationbehaviorseasonal
12. 02

    Reaching lengths of 45 feet, basking sharks rank as the second-largest fish species alive today, surpassed only by whale sharks.

    the Basking SharkMay 13sharesizebiologymeasurement
13. 01

    Up to 30,000 teeth line the gill rakers of basking sharks, filtering plankton at rates exceeding 2,000 tons of water hourly.

    the Basking SharkMay 13sharebiologymeasurementanatomy