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What do whale sharks eat?
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shark
Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), found throughout tropical and temperate seas worldwide.
Whale sharks are filter feeders that primarily consume plankton, including both zooplankton—such as copepods, shrimp, and other invertebrates—and phytoplankton like algae.1
In addition to plankton, their diet includes various small and large fish and mollusks. Specifically, they have been known to eat sardines, anchovies, mackerels, squid, and small tuna or albacore.12
To capture this prey, the whale shark uses a specialized filter-feeding mechanism. As it swims with its mouth open, seawater enters and is strained through spongy, meshlike tissue inside its gill slits, which traps the food while allowing the water to pass through.12