Whale shark
Rhincodon typus
Not Kosher
Has fins but no scales
Fins
Yes
Scales
No
Description
The whale shark is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. An individual with a length of 18.8 m (61.7 ft) has been considered the largest reliably recorded.
Whale sharks are a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark. They've been killed illegally for their fins, skin, and oil, with hundreds reported taken each year in China as of 2014.
Whale sharks live in the open waters of all tropical and warm-temperate seas and are rarely found in water below 21 C. They filter feed, processing over 6,000 liters of water an hour through sieve-like gill pads, and dive regularly past 500 m, with the deepest recorded dive at 1,928 m.
Whale shark in foreign languages
| Scientific | Rhincodon typus |
| Hebrew | כריש לווייתני |
| Arabic | قرش حوتي |
| Spanish | Tiburón Ballena |
| Portuguese | Tubarão-baleia |
| French | Requin Baleine |
| Italian | squalo balena |
| German | Walhai |
| Greek | Φαλαινοκαρχαρίας |
| Russian | Китовая акула |
| Turkish | Balina köpek balığı |
| Chinese | 鯨鯊 |
| Japanese | ジンベエザメ |
| Korean | 고래상어 |
| Bengali | তিমি হাঙ্গর |
| Vietnamese | Cá nhám voi |
| Thai | ปลาฉลามวาฬ |
Gallery
Warnings & Kosher Issues
- Has fins but no true scales, only tooth-like placoid denticles, so it is not kosher.
- Listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with the global population down about 50% over the past 75 years. Commercial fishing is banned in the Philippines, India, and Taiwan.