Meeting Abstract
The largest fish in the ocean, Rhincodon typus (Whale Shark), is one of three filter-feeding sharks. While a few studies have predicted the filtration mechanism used by R. typus, none of these studies have successfully verified this mechanism in either a live or model animal. In addition, no studies have predicted the prey selectivity in a neonatal whale shark. The objective of this study was to explore how the morphology of the filter pad separates food particles from the water. We documented the filter anatomy in neonatal whale shark specimens and calculated the freestream and transverse flow through the buccal cavity and filter pores respectively. We then created anatomically correct, scaled 3D physical models of the filter pad reticulated mesh and inserted the printed filters into a physical model of a whale shark buccal cavity. We ran a series of filtration experiments using microspheres (60 μm – 340 μm) that represent the full-size range of potential zooplankton prey. Modeling the neonatal specimen allows us the rare opportunity to study feeding mechanisms in an animal that is CITES protected and rare in aquaria. Understanding the mechanism of filtration and prey selectivity in neonatal whale sharks helps to predict their ecology and likely habitat usage in the wild.
