The plankton-eating whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world, inhabits the warmer regions of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. The average length of these elusive fish, as recorded thus far, ranges from 4 to 12 meters (13 feet 1 inch to 39 feet 4 inches), with sexual maturity widely accepted to be attained at 9 meters (29 feet 6 inches). However, measurements vary greatly across studies and between localities.
A female whale shark measuring 18.8 meters (61 feet 8 inches) in length was caught in the Arabian Sea near Veraval in Gujarat, India, on May 8, 2001, and is the largest specimen known to research. On the related note, got the scoop of the top 10 largest fish in the world?
