The World's Largest Shark Wasn't Actually A Carnivore, Scientists Find
The largest shark in our oceans already has a reputation for being gentle giants, and it seems there are more than we ever realized. whale shark ( Typhoid rhino ) is a filter feeder, considered carefully combing the water for small animals such as krill. Among the litany of small swimmers they take are leafy greens made up of algae and other photosynthetic organisms. It’s unavoidable, but researchers wonder if this vegetation is just a garnish for carnivores, or if it provides the side salad needed to keep them swimming. Researchers examining dirt and skin samples identified what these 10-meter (32-foot) long sea hoovers were actually taking advantage of from the giant pool of water they breathed through their system. “The droppings suggest that they ate krill,” said University of Tasmania marine biologist Patti Virtue. “But they don’t metabolize much.” In contrast, whale sharks, which are true sharks with cartilage instead of bones, seem to extract nutrients from a lot of algae. “Th