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Where about are baby Whale Sharks ?

23/6/2021

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The mystery behind whale shark reproduction

Where about are baby Whale sharks?

Whale sharks life cycle is still an enigma, here is what marine biologists know so far about baby whale sharks

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the oceans, their size implies slow growth rates and great longevity. Male Whale sharks reach sexual maturity in around 30 years (their adult size is rarely bigger than 8 meters). Females get much bigger but it takes them 50 years to be ready to conceive. 

While they could live up to 100 or 150 years old and mother a few hundreds pups, this late development implies slower potential population renewal as most whale sharks will not live long enough to have a descendant. 
​

They have to steer clear of a lot of threats such as fishing nets...before they get a chance to breed.
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What do you know about their reproduction ?

The answer to this question: not much …. even by whale sharks specialists.
Ways sharks reproduce ociparus viviparous ovoviviparus
Shark have 3 modes of reproduction
There are three different modes of reproduction among sharks and rays (oviparity, ovoviparity and viviparity) and 1 variant (asexual reproduction)...

​
Oviparous species, like many other fish (as well as birds and reptiles), lay eggs. 

Viviparous species give birth to live young, just like mammals: a placental links the developing embryo and its mother and feeds it in utero until its birth. 

Ovoviviparous species also give birth to live young but do not have a placenta linking mum and baby. The embryo first develops within an egg, gaining nutrients from the yolk, it then emerges from the egg whilst still inside the mother who gives birth

Asexual: leopard sharks held in an aquarium have given birth after years of captivity!!!

Whale sharks are ovoviviparous and this is known thanks to a single pregnant female caught in nets in 1995 (nicknamed "big Mamma" ) containing 300 embryos in her utero at various stages of development. Some were still in their eggs, others already hatched, the biggest was 64 cm long.
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So when Baby whale sharks are born, where do they go?

Where whale sharks go to give birth is still a mystery, it is believed that whale sharks are born between 40 – 70cm but surprisingly no diver has ever seen a whale shark under 2m longs and it is still unknown where they spend their time before reaching this size. 

​
As it is one of the few places they can still hide in… it is believed that baby whale sharks are born in very deep water and spend the first years of their lives at depth.

Baby whale shark sightings are very very rare but they have been seen !

Only 21 baby whale sharks smaller than 1.5 m long have ever been sighted globally till this day, most were neonate captured as bycatch in fishing nets. 

The latest Whale shark baby was found on the 15th of March 2020 and was 60cm long. This is smaller than the largest embryo found inside "big Mamma" in 1995, meaning this pup is either a small newborn or even neonate. 
released neonatal Whale Sharks
Taiwan 2013
largest baby whale shark recorded
80cm - Pakistan 2017
Given their size and swimming ability it is likely that the Philippine, Peru, India, Australia, Pakistan and Taiwan, where they were found, may be close to whale sharks nurseries !
baby whale shark in a bucket
60cm - Phillipines - march 2020
baby whale shark swimming
50cm- India 2017
Whale shark pup Rescue
38 cm- Philipines- March 2009
Watch a baby whale shark swimming off in this video:
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learn about adult whale sharks in this bespoke article:
​All about whale sharks
​And if you have something to add, feel free to leave us a comment below! 

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10 Interesting facts About Nudibranchs

9/6/2021

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Fun Facts you many Have Never Heard About The World's Prettiest Slugs

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1- "Naked branchia", what a funny name ?

"Naked branchia", (naked gills) is the etymology of the name that was given to them. This one is explained in particular by the morphology of the nudibranch. The word Nudibranch comes from the Latin nudus meaning "naked" and the Greek brankhia (βράγχια) meaning "gills", the nudibranch is therefore by that recognizable by the absence of shell used to protect its gills.
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2- Nudibranchs come in a thousand and one colours

Nowadays, there are more than 3000 species of nudibranchs. The diversity of possible color combinations and patterns is impressive. They are all unique in their own way and are the delight of underwater photographers who are always delighted to find these mysterious and beautiful species.
Partner shrimp riding Hexabranchus Sanguineus
Spanish Dancer
Glossodoris rufomarginata
Glossodoris rufomarginata

3- Nudibranch have some rare super powers

The sensory organs of nudibranchs, the rhinophores, allow them to distinguish the chemical particles present in the water, and more particularly smell from afar potential food sources, the pheromones of sexual partners or the presence of certain threats.
Elysia marginata
Elysia marginata

4- Nudibranch are carnivorous

A true nudibranch is carnivorous and it uses its very powerful jaw to grate its food. Each specie has its preferences but it feeds mainly on sponges, bryozoans, ascidians and hydras. Many nudis feeds on toxic animals and store the toxins in specialized cells as a smart defense mechanism...
​Some species 
are cannibals, they feed on other nudibranchs, exceptionally specimens of the same species if no other food is available.
Goniobranchus geminus
Goniobranchus geminus

5- Both nudibranch parents will lay eggs!

Nudibranchs are hermaphrodites, which means that they have both a male and a female genital system.
When two nudibranchs meet, they put in contact with their genitals to exchange their male gametes, in order to fertilize their female gametes.
Thus, both will leave this encounter pregnant and give birth to baby nudibranchs doubling the Nudi Hatchlings! Smart.
Goniobranchus annulatus
Goniobranchus annulatus

6- Nudibranch can sacrifice a part of their body to save the core

The nudibranch has many powers, contraction of the body, retraction of the gills, "hedge hogging" of the papillae, secretion of toxic or acid substances, isn't he a superhero? It also has the ability to practice autotomy, that is to say that it can auto-amputee a part of the body which will regenerate itself afterwards. Just like lizard leave their tail behind, the nudibranch, will be ready to give up its branchial plumage, its rhinophore or a fragment of its mantle in order to save the essential part of its body. Small but smart !
Glossodoris hikuerensis
Glossodoris hikuerensis

7- Some nudibranchs don't need to eat

Some species of nudibranchs have the ability to store photosynthetic algae inside their bodies. They only need to eat for the first few weeks of their life and once they have enough, the algae present in its tissue provides enough energy from the light for the both of them !​
the self sufficient Pteraeolidia ianthina, aka the blue dragon
blue dragon, the self sufficient nudibranch

8- The nudibranch is a strong communicator

Just like the land snails we know, nudibranchs leave a trail behind them.
​This trail is filled with chemicals and speaks a thousand words! It can tell other nudibranchs about nearby dangers or help a potential partner to find it !
Chromodoris Goniobranchus Fidelis

9- Nudibranchs like to take it slow

Nudibranch are very slow animals, which is why they are nicknamed "sea slugs". But they are also clever ! they often live on or near their preys not to lose sight of them.

10- Nudibranch don't live long: Carpe Diem for the nudibranch!

Black and purple flat worm
Black and purple flat worm
Nudibranchs should make the most of their short lives. Indeed, while most nudibranchs live only a few weeks, the luckiest species rarely live up to over a year.

Did you like these fun facts about the cutest underwater sea slugs? Leave us a comment below and share this post with your buddies!
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  • When & Where
    • Schedule and Prices
    • Destinations >
      • North Andaman Thailand >
        • Similan Islands
        • Surin Islands >
          • Richelieu rock
        • The essential Underwater photo Guide to diving Thailand
      • South Andaman Thailand
      • Mergui Archipelago >
        • Marine life in the Andaman Sea
        • Burma's best dive sites
        • The Ultimate Underwater photo Guide to diving Burma
  • ABOUT
    • Our Boat >
      • DELICIOUS FOOD
    • Guest Book
    • Diving in Thailand in 2022-2023 >
      • Ranong Departures >
        • 3D Thailand: Surin National Park
        • 4D Thailand from Ranong 5pm-7pm
        • 5D Thailand: Surin and Similan
        • 6D Thailand: Surin and Similan end to Ranong
        • 7D North Andaman: Surin and Similan from Ranong
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        • Alternative itineraries for full charter >
          • 4D4N Evening to morning - Surin Similan
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    • Dive Courses >
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    • Manta rays expedition - 18 Feb 2024
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