NOAA Fisheries Image Gallery

Public asked to report basking shark sightings

Picture by: NOAA Fisheries Service Picture taken on: June 29th, 2011

Tags: shark week basking

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second largest living fish, after the whale shark. It is a migratory species, found in all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally harmless filter feeder and has anatomical adaptations to filter feeding, such as a greatly enlarged mouth and highly developed gill rakers.

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