Skip to content
TrueNorthBriefQuick, clear answers for curious Canadians
Things

Whale Shark

What is whale shark?

· Sarah Mitchell

Key facts

Scientific name Rhincodon typus[2]
Order Orectolobiformes[2]
Family Rhincodontidae[2]
IUCN status Endangered[1]
Feeding type Filter feeder[2]

A whale shark is a shark species, *Rhincodon typus*, and the largest living fish. It is a filter-feeder found in marine environments worldwide, mainly in tropical oceans [2].

Context

The whale shark (*Rhincodon typus*) is the largest living fish and a filter-feeder found in marine environments worldwide, mainly in tropical oceans [2]. It is the only species of the genus Rhincodon [2]. Despite its name, the whale shark is not a whale; it is a shark and therefore a fish [3]. Its conservation status is Endangered, with a declining population [1].

Documented claims

  • The whale shark is the largest living fish and the only species of the genus Rhincodon. [2]
  • The whale shark is not a whale; it is a shark and therefore a fish. [3]

Related

  • Basking SharkBasking sharks are also large filter-feeding sharks, so readers interested in whale sharks may want to compare them.
  • Grey WhaleGrey whales are large marine mammals that share similar migratory and feeding habitats, offering a useful comparison.
  • Great White Shark: Size, Diet, Habitat, and Behavior ExplainedThis article explains the size, diet, and behavior of great white sharks, which readers may want to compare with whale sharks.

Questions and answers

Is a whale shark considered a shark or whale?

It is a shark, not a whale. It is a fish [3].

Are whale sharks aggressive to humans?

The whale shark is described as a gigantic but harmless shark [2].

Where are whale sharks found?

They are found in marine environments worldwide, mainly in tropical oceans [2].

Sources

  1. Creature feature: Whale shark — whoi.edu (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  2. Whale sharks: Meet the world's biggest shark — nhm.ac.uk (retrieved August 3, 2026)
  3. Whale Shark Facts — marinemegafauna.org (retrieved August 3, 2026)

Sources last checked August 3, 2026. · More in Things