What do whale sharks eat?Updated 6 months ago

Whale Sharks have a huge mouth that can reach up to 4 ft (1.4 m) across. However, it eats some of the tiniest creatures in the ocean! The whale shark’s throat is very narrow, often compared to the size of a quarter, which means it can only ingest small zooplankton like sergestid shrimps and fish eggs, as well as krill, jellies, and small fish like sardines or anchovies. Whale sharks ingest these animals through different filter feeding behaviors aided by specialized flaps in their mouth called velum, which stop the backflow of water as the shark closes its mouth, preventing the loss of food.