Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) biology and ecology: A review of the primary literature

Abstract

In the 160 years since Andrew Smith described the whale shark in 1828, two people devoted much of their scientific lives to whale sharks. This period of research mainly comprised documenting the known sightings, captures and strandings of this species. Dr Eugene Gudger collected reports of whale sharks from all over the world and published 47 papers on these sharks in 40 years. Dr Fay Wolfson also documented whale shark records from all over the world and published a bibliography on the species as well as a paper summarising all the known (320) occurrences from published records and verified reports up to 1985. However, life history information during this period was scant.

In the succeeding 20 years from 1986, there has been a huge increase in recreational diving and boating activity around the world that has led to discoveries of whale shark aggregations in various places. Together with increased demand and prices for whale shark products this has led to considerable conservation and marine ecotourism interest in the species that has provided the impetus for a number of studies. However, while some further understanding of whale shark reproduction and age and growth has resulted, our knowledge of the species biology and ecology is still poor. Over the last 10 years several tagging and tracking studies have been initiated on whale sharks in various parts of the world. Despite the relatively recent increases in demand for whale shark meat driven by the Taiwan market, there are still few good data in the primary literature from existing fisheries.