How many rows of minute teeth does a whale shark typically possess?
Answer
Around 300 rows
Despite having an enormous mouth cavity capable of engulfing significant amounts of water and small prey, the whale shark's teeth are surprisingly small and numerous. An adult specimen harbors approximately 300 rows of these minute teeth. These teeth are not adapted for tearing or slicing large chunks of flesh, which would be typical of macropredators. Instead, their arrangement and small size are specialized for grasping and securing smaller food items like plankton or small fish before they are passed down the throat as part of the ram filtration process.
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