# Basking Shark (*Cetorhinus maximus*)

Basking Sharks are the second largest fish! They swim slowly and eat plankton by opening their mouths wide.

- **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Coastal waters
- **Also known as:** Big Mouth Shark, Cetorhinus

![Basking Shark](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425766/objects/4719.jpg)

## Appearance

The Basking Shark is the world's second-largest fish, with a greyish-brown back and a lighter belly. It has an enormous, gaping mouth that extends behind its eyes, and five massive gill slits that almost encircle its head, making it distinctly unique.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Elasmobranchii
- **Order:** Lamniformes
- **Family:** Cetorhinidae
- **Genus:** Cetorhinus

## Interesting facts

- Basking sharks sometimes leap completely out of the water, a behavior called breaching!
- Despite their huge size, basking sharks are gentle giants and pose no threat to humans.
- Female basking sharks might carry their babies for over two years, one of the longest gestations!
- Its massive liver can make up a quarter of its entire body weight!

## Special abilities

- **Super Sieve Mouth:** Basking Shark has a gigantic mouth and specialized gill rakers that help them filter vast amounts of tiny plankton.
- **Deep Diver:** Basking Shark can dive over 900 meters; its robust body helps them find food in cold, deep ocean waters.
- **Gill Raker Shedding:** Basking Shark can shed and regrow its gill rakers that helps them adapt to seasonal changes in plankton availability.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 600-1200 cm
- **Weight:** 5000-7000 kg
- **Lifespan:** 50-90 years
- **Swim Speed:** 3.7 km/h
- **Maximum Depth:** 910 m
- **Water Type:** Saltwater

## Diet & Feeding

Eats tiny ocean critters by swimming with its mouth wide open.

- **Primary Foods:** Zooplankton, Copepods, Larval Fish, Fish Eggs
- **Foraging Method:** Filter feeding

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Orca](https://www.snappit.app/explore/orca) (*Orcinus orca*) — Young sharks vulnerable to predation.
- **Symbiotic with:** [Remora](https://www.snappit.app/explore/remora) (*Remora remora*) — Attaches for transport and food scraps.
- **Parasitizes:** Sea Lamprey (*Petromyzon marinus*) — Attaches to shark skin for blood.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Filter Feeder](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/filter-feeder): Filter feeders obtain nutrients by straining suspended food particles and small organisms from water.
- [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment.
- [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
- [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.
- [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability.

## Collections

- [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Basking Shark?

Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Basking Shark?

600-1200 cm

### How much does Basking Shark weigh?

5000-7000 kg

### How long does Basking Shark live?

50-90 years

### What does Basking Shark eat?

Eats tiny ocean critters by swimming with its mouth wide open.

### How fast can Basking Shark swim?

3.7 km/h

### Where is Basking Shark usually found?

Coastal waters

### How does Basking Shark hunt?

Filter feeding

## More Fish

- [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)
- [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*)
- [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*)
- [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*)

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Source: [Basking Shark: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/basking-shark)