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DNA Reveals Whale Shark Habitats

By Tracy Staedter
Thu Feb 26, 2009 10:23 AM ET
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Whale Shark

Whale sharks feed on plankton and other tiny organisms -- not divers.
iStockPhoto

The whale shark is the largest shark and the largest fish in the world. It can reach 18 meters in length and live up to 60 to 100 years. It's no wonder that some countries consider this animal a trophy species and actively fish this giant for its meat and for its enormous fin.

Unfortunately whale sharks are slow to reproduce; they don't reach sexual maturity until they are 25 to 30 years old. And so they cannot recover quickly from overfishing.

Meet Jennifer Schmidt, Whale Shark Expert

Tags: Fish, Sharks

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