Whale shark
Whale shark from Taiwan in the Georgia Aquarium
The size of various whale shark individuals with a human for scale
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Order:	Orectolobiformes
Family:	Rhincodontidae J. P. Müller and Henle, 1839
Genus:	Rhincodon A. Smith, 1829
Species:	R. typus
Binomial name
Rhincodon typus A. Smith, 1828
Range of whale shark
Synonyms
Micristodus punctatus Gill, 1865 Rhineodon Denison, 1937 Rhiniodon typus A. Smith, 1828 Rhinodon pentalineatus Kishinouye, 1901 Rhinodon typicus Müller & Henle, 1839

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), is a filter feeding shark. It is the largest living fish. It grows up to 12 metres long, and may weigh as much as 47,000 pounds.

The whale shark has a very wide distribution. It is found in all tropical and warm temperate seas, except in the Mediterranean.

It has a huge mouth which sweeps up krill and plankton. This large fish eats the smallest sea life.