Basking Shark Essay Research Paper Among the

Basking Shark Essay, Research Paper

Among the masters of the sea, lies a sluggish monster. Cetorhinus

maximus is just that, although more generally known as the Basking shark. This

interesting animal has some unusual characteristics which include its physical,

behavioral, reproductive, and feeding attributes. Other details about the Basking

shark, consist of its habitat, distribution among the waters, ecological

relationships, and research being done on this gentle shark.

Basking sharks have been known to range from between twenty to fifty

feet long, but are more commonly closer to thirty feet (Allen, 1996, 158). The

smallest recorded Basking shark was sixty-five inches long, which is the

estimated size of one at birth. There have been no significant differences found

to exist in the *age*-length relationships of C. maximus populations World-Wide.

Although all Basking sharks are large, the females tend to be quite a bit bigger

than the males, which is probably because they have to carry a whole other

organism within (Harman, 1996, 21).

Basking sharks have, at some point in time, also been known as the

elephant shark, the Bone shark, sailfish shark, and sunfish. The reason this

shark is occasionally referred to as the Bone shark, is because when they die,

they sink (their density is greater then the water’s density) and are ravaged

among the sea floor, by rocks, etc. (Steel, 1985, 132). However, when they do

finally wash up on shore they are usually quite mutilated; their skeletons are all

that remain. Hence the name, Bone shark. Although the Basking shark most

appropriately resembles the Whale shark, its closest relative happens to be the

* I could not find, in any of my many sources, the life span of the Basking shark*

great white shark (http://www.askjeeves.com/MetaAnswer.asp.MetaEngine

=Lycos&logQID=8F7C6F5E10E0D2119B5300104B2AFFF7&qCategory=SCI_&q

Source=0&frames=yes&site_name=Jeeves&scope=web&r=x&MetaTopic=The+B

asking+Shark+Project&MetaURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isleofman.com%2Finte

rests%2Fshark%2Findex.htm&EngineOrdinal=3&ItemOrdinal=1&ask=basking+s

hark+metasearch&MetaList=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.isleofman.com%2Finterests

%2Fshark%2Findex.htm&ask.x=22&ask.y=1).

When alive and healthy, Basking sharks are grayish brown, and even

black on the top half of their body and a much paler version of those colors on

the bottom. They have a thick covering of spiky denticles along their whole body

(Allen, 1996, 273). Their enormous amount of denticles, make their skin

stronger than cowhide (Allens, 1996, 160).

To give an idea of the size of the Basking shark, picture this scene in your

mind: you and your family are out sailing. A “small” six ton Basking shark jumps

out of the water next to your boat. As it crashes against the water in its

downfall; the rise of the wave that is caused is as tall as a three story building,

possibly even larger (Allen, 1996, 273). Hopefully that gives you at least a small

idea of how massive these sharks are. However, in case that wasn’t convincing

enough, here are some measurements taken off of a mere twenty-nine foot

Basking shark: head: 1 ton; liver: 1850 lbs; fins:1 ton; tail: half a ton; skin: 1 ton;

meat and back: 3000 tons; guts: half a ton; stomach and intestines: half a ton to

1 ton; the total of that whole shark is almost seven tons (Allen, 1996, 271-272)!

If you think those numbers are amazing, listen to these tasty facts: Basking

sharks have a hundred or more teeth, to a row, and row upon row upon row of

tiny, practically useless teeth (Blassingame, 1984, 90). Their mouth is so big

that a child can walk into it without even bending down (Harman, 1996, 22)!

The swimming patterns of Basking sharks greatly reflect their behavior

among one another. They have been known to swim in a line, one behind each

other, and also to swim round and round in circles, giving the impression of a

“sea serpent” (Allens, 1996, 271). Basking sharks either travel alone, in pairs,

or in schools of up to 100 members (http://www.askjeeves.com/FinalAnswer.asp

.qCategory=SCI%5F&Link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2EEnchantedLearning%2E

com%2Fsubjects%2Fsharks%2Fspecies%2FBaskingshark%2Eshtml&Title=Zoo

m+Sharks&Answers=1&ajparam_list1=2&ajparam_fillers=%7C2%5B3631%5D%

7C&ajparam_qid=1401&site_name=Jeeves&scope=web&ask=Where+can+I+fin

d+information+on+the+animal+basking+shark%3F). They even got their name

through one of their behavioral traits: basking in the sun. These sharks have a

habit of laying on the surface of the water with their backs exposed. With their

first dorsal fin guiding them along the water, just sunbathing (Allen, 1996, 272).

Although the Basking shark is generally known for it’s gentle nature, when

harpooned, or endangered, this sluggish animal, can turn into a sailors wo

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