Organized by species (same order as slide show): Species or group Scientific name Trophic level Whale shark Rhincodon typus 3 Xantus’s Murrelet Synthliboramphus hypoleucus 3 Slender barracudina Lestidium ringens 3 Marine deepwater amphipod (Not identified to species) 2.
What level consumer is a whale shark?
Examples of secondary consumers: Carnivorous fish, seals, sea stars, whales, squid, some crabs ,lobsters etc. Some examples of tertiary consumers: Dolphins, sharks, killer whales, some sea birds etc. Apex predators: Some tertiary consumers are considered apex predators.
What are whale sharks classified as?
Whale shark Whale shark Temporal range: 28.4–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Order: Orectolobiformes Family: Rhincodontidae J. P. Müller and Henle, 1839.
What is a whale shark food chain?
The whale shark is a filter feeder, one of only three known filter feeding shark species, the other two being the basking shark and the megamouth shark. It feeds on plankton, which includes copepods, krill, and fish eggs. The whale shark diet also consists of clouds of eggs during mass spawnings of fish and corals.
What is the ecosystem of a whale shark?
Whale sharks have a broad distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas, usually between latitudes 30°N and 35°S. They are known to inhabit both deep and shallow coastal waters and the lagoons of coral atolls and reefs. Australia is one of the most reliable locations to find whale sharks.
What animal eats a whale?
Aside from sharks, the only other creature that ever eats a whale is the orca, or killer whale, which is the largest member of the dolphin family and not really a whale at all. Packs of orcas sometimes chase large whales until they are exhausted, and then begin to eat them.
Is a jellyfish a secondary consumer?
Fish, jellyfish and crustaceans are common secondary consumers, although basking sharks and some whales also feed on the zooplankton.
Has anyone been swallowed by a whale shark?
After being in the water for 40 minutes, the diver was attempting to photograph this interaction of the whale shark and the other divers, when the whale shark turned suddenly towards her. Then the diver was sucked into the mouth of the whale shark — head first — and half-swallowed up to her thighs.
What is the smallest shark?
The smallest shark, a dwarf lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi) is smaller than a human hand. It’s rarely seen and little is known about it, having only been observed a few times off the northern tip of South America at depths between 283–439 meters (928–1,440 feet).
Why do they call it a whale shark?
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) earns the name “whale” solely because of its size. Just as the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest living mammal*, the whale shark is the largest species of any fish, known to reach more than 40 feet in length.
What preys on whale sharks?
Although adult whale sharks don’t have much to fear from predators, juveniles and old or sick whale sharks are preyed upon by a variety of fish, including sharks and blue marlins. They are also vulnerable to predators such as killer whales and humans also hunt them in some areas of the world.
What is WWF doing to help whale sharks?
WWF has helped with whale shark tourism there since 1998. We continue to work to ensure whale sharks stay safe during the frequent interactions they have with people and tour boats. As whale shark tourism is very popular in Mexico, we educate tourists on codes of conduct for swimming with sharks.
How long do whale sharks live for?
It is estimated that whale sharks may live to over 100 years of age, reaching maturity at around 30 years.
Are whale sharks friendly?
Swim With Whale Sharks at Cabo Adventures Whale sharks are one of the most amazing animals in the world — and while they may be sharks, they’re also one of the most gentle fish in the sea. In fact, whale sharks are so gentle, they’re completely safe to swim around.
What would happen without whale sharks?
So, if these creatures went extinct, the ocean would lose an integral part of the long-term regulation of plankton levels in the ocean. With their highly-traded fins and meat, whale sharks are being overfished and poached around the world, and their numbers are decreasing each year.
Is Shark a true fish?
Sharks are fish. Sharks are a special type of fish known because their body is made out of cartilage instead of bones like other fish. The classification of this type of fish is “elasmobranch.” This category also includes rays, sawfish, and skates.
What eats a killer whale?
Killer whales are apex predators, which means they have no natural predators. They hunt in packs, much like wolves, which are also at the top of their food chain.
What animal has no predator?
Animals with no natural predators are called apex predators, because they sit at the top (or apex) of the food chain. The list is indefinite, but it includes lions, grizzly bears, crocodiles, giant constrictor snakes, wolves, sharks, electric eels, giant jellyfish, killer whales, polar bears, and — arguably — humans.
Why are killer whales so mean?
Since orcas are extremely intelligent, they often use their developed communication skills and carnivorous instincts to dominate the ocean as apex predators. Many may simply attribute orcas’ bloodthirsty tendencies to their natural instincts rather than any inherent sadistic preferences.
Is a jellyfish primary consumer?
They are the animals in the middle of the food chain. they eat plankton, shrimp and mollusks, which are primary consumers (see: primary consumers).
What eats a jellyfish?
Other species of jellyfish are among the most common and important jellyfish predators. Sea anemones may eat jellyfish that drift into their range. Other predators include tunas, sharks, swordfish, sea turtles and penguins. Jellyfish washed up on the beach are consumed by foxes, other terrestrial mammals and birds.
Is jellyfish a tertiary consumer?
The larger fishes like tuna, barracuda, jellyfish, dolphins, seals, sea lions, turtles, sharks, and whales are tertiary consumers. They feed on the primary producers like phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as secondary consumers like fish, jellyfish, as well as crustaceans.
Has a whale ever killed a human?
Fatalities. While killer whale attacks on humans in the wild are rare, and no fatal attacks have been recorded, as of 2019 four humans have died due to interactions with captive killer whales. Tilikum was involved in three of those deaths.
Do orcas eat humans?
Orcas (Orcinus orca) are often called killer whales, even though they almost never attack humans. In fact, the killer whale name was originally “whale killer,” as ancient sailors saw them hunting in groups to take down large whales, according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC).
Is it safe to swim with whale sharks?
While whale sharks have a huge mouth, they almost exclusively feed on plankton. That is why they are absolutely harmless to humans. They are mainly interested in fish eggs, algae and krill, and they are definitely not interested in the person swimming next to them.