What feeding club do whale sharks belong to, sharing a strategy with basking sharks?
Answer
Giant filter feeders
Whale sharks are classified within an elite group of marine animals known as giant filter feeders. This specialization dictates that despite their colossal size, their entire diet consists of the ocean’s smallest inhabitants, such as plankton. This strategy is an efficient method for sustaining massive body mass in the vast pelagic environment, a trait shared specifically with the basking shark and the megamouth shark. They rely on a specialized internal mechanism rather than possessing teeth designed for tearing or biting large prey. This confirms their dedication to processing large volumes of water to capture microscopic or near-microscopic organisms.
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